Malachi 2:10-17

10 Whether not one father is of all you? whether not one God made of nought you? Why therefore each of you despiseth his brother, and defouleth the covenant of your fathers? (Is there not one Father of us all? did not one God make all of us out of nothing? And so why do each of you despise his brother, or his kinsman, and why defileth your forefathers? covenant?)

11 Judah trespassed, and abomination is done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for Judah defouled the hallowing of the Lord, which he loved, and he had the daughter of an alien god. (The people of Judah trespassed, and abomination was done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for the people of Judah defiled the holiness of the Lord/for the people of Judah defiled the Temple of the Lord, and they married the daughters of a foreign, or of a strange, god.)

12 The Lord destroy the man that shall do this thing, the master and disciple, from the tabernacle[s] of Jacob, and him that offereth a gift to the Lord of hosts. (May the Lord destroy any man who shall do this thing, a master or a disciple, yea, let him be thrown out of, or banished from, the tents of Jacob, even though he may offer a gift to the Lord of hosts.)

13 And again ye did this thing; ye covered with tears the altar of the Lord, with weeping, and wailing; so that I behold no more to (the) sacrifice, neither receive any thing (as) pleasant of your hand. (And ye also did this thing; ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and wailing; and so I shall no more look upon your sacrifice, nor receive anything as pleasing, or acceptable, from your hands.)

14 And ye said, For what cause? For the Lord witnessed betwixt thee and the wife of thy puberty, that is, (of the) time of (thy) marriage, whom thou despisedest, and this is thy fellow, and the wife of thy covenant of peace. (And ye said, For what reason? Because the Lord hath witnessed what is between thee and the wife of thy youth, she whom thou hast despised, even though she is thy partner, or thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant of peace, or to whom thou hast pledged thy troth, or hast promised to be faithful.)

15 Whether one (he) made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh (the) one (God), no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth; (Did not God make two one, both flesh and spirit? and what seeketh he, but a godly seed? And so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;)

16 when thou hatest her, leave thou her (not), saith the Lord God of Israel. Forsooth wickedness shall cover the cloth of him, saith the Lord of hosts; keep ye your spirit, and do not ye despise. (even if thou hatest her, leave thou her not, saith the Lord God of Israel. Yea, let his cloak cover his wickedness, saith the Lord of hosts; so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not ye despise her.)

17 Ye made the Lord for to travail in your words, and ye said, Wherein made we him for to travail? In that that ye say, Each that doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such men please him; either certainly, Where is God of doom? (Ye have travailed, or tired, the Lord with your words, and ye have said, How have we travailed, or tired, him? Because ye say, Everyone who doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such people please him; and certainly when ye say, Where is the God of judgement?)

Malachi 2:10-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI 2

This chapter contains a reproof both of priests and people for their sins. It begins with the priests, Mal 2:1 and threatens, in case they attend not to glorify the name of the Lord, they and their blessings should be cursed, their seed corrupted, dung spread upon them, and they took away with it, Mal 2:2,3 and the end of this commandment being sent them, of giving glory to the name of God, was that the covenant might appear to be with Levi, or him that was typified by him, Mal 2:4 of which covenant some account is given, with the reason why the blessings of it were given to him, with whom it was, Mal 2:5 who is described by the true doctrine he preached; by the purity of his lips; by the peaceableness and righteousness of his walk and conversation; and by his usefulness and success in turning many from sin, Mal 2:6 and it being part of the priest's office to preserve true knowledge, and communicate it, it is the duty of the people to seek to him for it; since he is the messenger of the Lord, Mal 2:7 but as for the priests of those times the prophet respects, they were apostates from the way of the Lord; made others to stumble at the law, and corrupted the covenant; and therefore became contemptible, base, and mean, in the sight of the people, Mal 2:8,9 who are next reproved for their marrying with those of other nations, idolatrous persons; and using polygamy and divorces, which were a profanation of the covenant of their fathers; a piece of perfidy and treachery among themselves; an abomination to the Lord; a profanation of his holiness; and led to idolatry, Mal 2:10,11 wherefore they are threatened to be cut off from the tabernacles of Jacob, and their sacrifices to be rejected; insomuch that the altar is represented as covered with weeping and tears, because disregarded, Mal 2:12,13. The reason of which was, because marrying more wives than one, and these strange women, was dealing treacherously with their lawful wives; was contrary to the first creation of man, and the end of it; and therefore such practices ought to be avoided; and the rather, since putting away was hateful to the Lord, Mal 2:14-16 and the chapter is concluded with a charge against them, that they wearied the Lord with their wicked words; affirming that the Lord took delight in the men that did evil; and that there were no judgment, truth, nor righteousness, in him, Mal 2:17.