¹耶和华 藉 玛拉基 传给以色列 的默示 。

¹The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.^a

¹

THE BOOK

PROPHET MALACHI



Chronological Notes relative to this Book



-Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, 3607.

-Year from the vocation of Abram, 1524.

-Year since the destruction of Troy, 787.

-Year since the commencement of the kingdom of Israel by the

Divine appointment of Saul to the regal dignity, 698.

-Year from the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms

of Israel and Judah, 578.

-Fourth year of the ninety-fifth Olympiad.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to the Varronian

computation, 356.

-Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 397.

-Cycle of the Sun, 5.

-Cycle of the Moon, 4.



CHAPTER I



This chapter begins with showing the great and free favour

which God had manifested to the Israelites, above what he had

done to the Edomites, who are threatened with farther marks of

the Divine displeasure; alluding, perhaps, to the calamities

which they suffered from Judas Maccabeus and John Hyrcanus,

(see 1Macc 5:65, and Joseph. Antiq. xiii. 9,) 1-5.

God then reproaches his people, and especially their priests,

for their ungrateful returns to his distinguished goodness, 6.

They are particularly charged with sacrificing the refuse of

beasts, 7-9,

for which God threatens to reject them, 10,

and choose other nations who will show more reverence to his

name and worship, 11-14.

NOTES ON CHAP. I



Verse 1. The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by

Malachi.] This prophet is undoubtedly the last of the Jewish

prophets. He lived after Zechariah and Haggai; for we find that

the temple, which was begun in their time, was standing complete

in his. See Mal 3:10. Some have thought that he was contemporary

with Nehemiah; indeed, several have supposed that Malachi, is no

other than Ezra under the feigned name of angel of the Lord, or my

angel. John the Baptist was the link that connected Malachi with

Christ. According to Abp. Usher he flourished B.C. 416, but the

authorized version, which we have followed in the margin, states

this event to have happened nineteen years later. Both the Hebrew

language and poetry had declined in his days.



Israel.-Here means the Jewish people in general.

²耶和华 说 ：我曾爱 你们。你们却说 ：你在何事上爱 我们呢？耶和华 说 ：以扫 不是雅各 的哥哥 么？我却爱 雅各 ，

²I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

² Verse 2. Was not Esau Jacob's brother?] Have I not shown a

greater partiality to the Israelites than I have to the Edomites?



I loved Jacob] My love to Jacob has been proved by giving him

greater privileges and a better inheritance than what I have given

to Esau.

³恶 以扫 ，使 他的山岭 荒凉 ，把他的地业 交给旷野 的野狗 。

³And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

³ Verse 3. And I hated Esau] I have shown him less love;

Ge 29:30, 31. I comparatively

hated him by giving him an inferior lot. And now, I have not

only laid waste the dwelling-place of the Edomites, by the

incursions of their enemies; but (Mal 1:4) they shall remain the

perpetual monuments of my vengeance. On the subject of loving

Jacob and hating Esau, see the notes on Ge 27:21-46, and

Ro 9:13. Let it be remembered, 1. That there is not a word

spoken here concerning the eternal state of either Jacob or Esau.

2. That what is spoken concerns merely their earthly possessions.

And, 3. That it does not concern the two brothers at all, but the

posterity of each.

⁴以东人 说 ：我们现在虽被毁坏 ，却要重 建 荒废之处 。万军 之耶和华 如此说 ：任他们建造 ，我必拆毁 ；人必称 他们的地为罪恶 之境 ；称他们的民 为耶和华 永远 恼怒 之民。

⁴Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

⁴ Verse 4. They shall build, but I will throw down] We have

already seen enough of the wickedness of the Edomites to justify

the utmost severity of Divine justice against them. The pulling

down predicted here was by Judas Maccabeus; see 1Mac 5:65; and by

John Hyrcanus; see Joseph. Antiq., lib. xiii. c. 9. s. 1.



They shall call them, The border of wickedness] A wicked land.

Among this people scarcely any trace of good could ever be noted.

⁵你们必亲眼 看见 ，也必说 ：愿耶和华 在以色列 境界 之外被尊为大 ！

⁵And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.^b

⁵ Verse 5. Your eyes] Ye Israelites shall see, in your succeeding

generations, that-



The Lord will be magnified] By his kindness in Israel, and his

judgments beyond.

⁶藐视 我名 的祭司 啊，万军 之耶和华 对你们说 ：儿子 尊敬 父亲，仆人 敬畏主人 ；我既为父亲，尊敬 我的在那里呢？我既为主人 ，敬畏 我的在那里呢？你们却说 ：我们在何事上藐视 你的名 呢？

⁶ ¶ A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

⁶ Verse 6. A son honoureth his father] I am your Father-where,

then, is my honour? Where your filial obedience?



If I be a master, where is my fear?] The respect due to me.

⁷你们将污秽 的食物 献 在我的坛 上，且说 ：我们在何事上污秽 你呢？因你们说 ，耶和华 的桌子 是可藐视 的。

⁷Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.^c

⁷ Verse 7. Ye offer polluted bread] The priests, probably to

ingratiate themselves with the people, took the refuse beasts,

&c., and offered them to God; and thus the sacrificial ordinances

were rendered contemptible.

⁸你们将瞎眼 的献 为祭物 ，这不为恶 么？将瘸腿 的、有病 的献 上，这不为恶 么？你献 给你的省长 ，他岂喜悦 你，岂能看 你的情面 么？这是万军 之耶和华 说 的。

⁸And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.^d

⁸ Verse 8. Offer it now unto thy governor] pechath, a word

signifying a lieutenant, or viceroy, among the Chaldeans, Syrians,

and Persians; for neither at this time, nor ever after, was there

a king in Israel.

⁹现在我劝你们恳求 神 ，他好施恩 与我们。这妄献的事，既由你们经手 ，他岂能看 你们的情面 么？这是万军 之耶和华 说 的。

⁹And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.^{e, f}

⁹ Verse 9. Beseech God] There were evident marks of God's

displeasure in the land, and it was occasioned by these pollutions

through the priests. And now he exhorts them to pray to God that

they may be pardoned: for, if this practice be persisted in, God

will not accept any offering made by them.

¹⁰甚愿你们中间有一人关 上殿门 ，免得你们徒然 在我坛 上烧 火。万军 之耶和华 说 ：我不喜悦 你们，也不从你们手 中收纳 供物 。

¹⁰Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

¹⁰ Verse 10. Who is-among you] From this we learn that there was

not one sincere or honest priest among them. They were selfish and

worldly; and so basely so, that not one of them would even kindle

a fire on the hearth of the altar unless he were paid for it.

¹¹万军 之耶和华 说 ：从日 出 之地到日落 之处，我的名 在外邦 中必尊为大 。在各处 ，人必奉我的名 烧 香 ，献洁净 的供物 ，因为我的名 在外邦 中必尊为大 。

¹¹For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

¹¹ Verse 11. From the rising of the sun] The total abolition of the

Mosaic sacrifices, and the establishment of a spiritual worship

over the whole earth, is here foretold. The incense of praise, and

the pure offering of the Lamb without spot, and through him a

holy, loving heart, shall be presented everywhere among the

Gentiles; and the Jews and their mock offerings shall be rejected.

¹²你们却亵渎 我的名，说 ：耶和华 的桌子 是污秽 的，其上的食物 是可藐视 的。

¹² ¶ But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

¹² Verse 12. Ye have profaned it] Ye have desecrated God's worship;

is it any wonder that God should cast you off, and follow you with

his judgments?

¹³你们又说 ：这些事何等烦琐 ！并嗤之以鼻 。这是万军 之耶和华 说 的。你们把抢夺 的、瘸腿 的、有病 的拿来 献上为祭 。我岂能从你们手 中收纳 呢？这是耶和华 说 的。

¹³Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.^g

¹³ Verse 13. Ye have snuffed at it] A metaphor taken from cattle

which do not like their fodder. They blow strongly through their

nose upon it; and after this neither they nor any other cattle

will eat it.



Ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick]

There had never been such abominations in the Divine worship

before. What was of no worth in itself, and what could not be used

by its owner, was brought to God's altar, and offered for

sacrifice! Was not the punishment of these wretches less than

their crimes?

¹⁴行诡诈 的在群中有公 羊 ，他许愿 却用有残疾 的献 给主 ，这人是可咒诅 的。因为我是大 君王 ，我的名 在外邦 中是可畏 的。这是万军 之耶和华 说 的。

¹⁴But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.^h

¹⁴ Verse 14. Cursed be the deceiver] Those who act thus, as they

cannot elude God's notice, so neither shall they escape his curse.



And voweth, and sacrificeth-a corrupt thing] The history of

Ananias and Sapphira, Ac 5:1, &c., is a complete comment on this.

It was high time to break up this corrupt service; and after this

time God does not appear to have paid any regard to it, for he

sent them no other prophet.