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The first speech: a complaint about disrespect for Jehovah. 1–5. Jehovah's special affection for Israel. 6–14. Disrespect for Jehovah shown by priests and people. (Mal. 1:1-5.) The prophet wants first of all to awaken in the Israelites the consciousness of how much they owe to God's mercy towards them. To do this, he points out that God loved the founder of the Israeli people, Jacob, preferably before his brother, Esau, and now continues to treat the descendants of Jacob with special love, not allowing the descendants of Esau to rise. Mal.1:1. The prophetic word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. Prophetic word. The Hebrew word here, massa, means burden, heaviness (cf., for example, Isaiah 13:1). Before the time of the prophet Jeremiah, this name for prophetic speech was applied only to speeches addressed to foreign peoples, and after Jeremiah it began to be applied to those speeches addressed to the Jews. This name denotes the formidable nature of the following prophecy. In fact, Malachi strictly rebukes the sinful Jews and predicts their punishment from God (Mal 2:3, 3:5). - "To Israel". Malachi's prophecy is directed to the subjects of the kingdom of Judah who returned from captivity, but he calls them by the name of “Israel”, because that is what the post-captivity Jews called themselves as the only representatives of the entire Israeli people (the subjects of the kingdom of Israel did not return to Palestine). – Through Malachi, that is, through the mediation of Malachi. Mal.1:2. I have loved you, says the Lord. And you say: “In what ways have You shown your love for us?” “Isn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord; and yet I loved Jacob, The prophet proclaims that God has always loved and continues to love Israel. This is a position that, of course, needs proof. The latter is given below as a response to the supposed objection to the position just put forward. Malachi specifically points to Jacob's brother Esau, who did not at all experience from God the favor that Jacob was awarded. – The names Jacob and Esau here obviously designate the two sons of Isaac, about whom a well-known prophecy was given in the book of Genesis (see Gen. 25:23). Mal.1:3. and he hated Esau and gave his mountains over to desolation, and his possessions to the jackals of the desert. Here we are no longer talking about Esau, as the ancestor of the Jews, but about the Edomite people who descended from Esau. The Lord hated the Edomite people. This expression represents anthropologism, which Malachi used in order to convince his listeners - the Jews - that God really loves them. In fact, while loving the Jews, it was impossible, at the same time, not to hate the Edomites, who always tried to cause all sorts of evil to the Jews. God's hatred of Edom signifies the incessant wrath of God against this people, who also continued, without ceasing, to do all kinds of evil to God's chosen Jewish people. - “He gave up the mountains to his devastation.” The mountains were the home of the Edomites (cf. Obd 1.3). To devastate the mountains means, therefore, to destroy all the dwellings of the Edomites. – “To the jackals of the desert” – see Isaiah 34.13. Tikhomirov translates this passage as follows: “he (made) his possessions a steppe pasture.” – It is probably impossible to say what devastation of Idumea the prophet means here. The most natural assumption is that he is hinting here at the devastation caused to Idumea by the Persian kings - Darius Hystaspes, Xerxes and Artaxerxes, who during their campaigns against Egypt could not bypass Idumea and, naturally, subjected it to devastation each time, while these kings were generally merciful to the Jews. Mal.1:4–5. If Edom says: “We are ruined, but we will restore what was destroyed,” then the Lord of hosts says: They will build, but I will destroy, and they will be called a wicked region, a people against whom the Lord is angry forever: And your eyes will see this, and you will say: “The Lord is magnified above the borders of Israel!” It is not only from the past destruction of Idumea that Jehovah's hatred of Edom can be seen, but the entire subsequent history of Edom - the history of attempts to rise again as an independent state - will clearly prove how decisively the formidable definition of Jehovah is about this hated people. At the same time, the prophet says that this hatred is caused in God by the wickedness of the Edomites. Their wickedness will be clear to everyone (“they will be called”). – This prophecy was finally fulfilled under the Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus, who defeated the Edomites and forced them to accept circumcision (about 130 BC). - “The Lord is magnified,” that is, the God of the land of Israel is great. (Mal.1:6-14.) The Jews, instead of giving Him due respect for Jehovah’s love for them, insult Him. The priests allow blind and lame animals and unclean bread to be sacrificed. The Prophet, for this, announces the wrath of God to the priests and predicts the deprivation of their exclusive right to be servants of the true God. He also proclaims a curse on ordinary Israelis who bring unfit animals to God, leaving the good ones for themselves. Mal.1:6. The son honors his father and the servant his master; if I am the Father, then where is the respect for Me? and if I am the Lord, then where is the reverence for Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, you priests, who profane my name. You say: “How do we dishonor Your name?” So Jehovah loves Israel. But Israel does not love Him, although He is the Father of Israel (see Exodus 4.22; Hosea 11.1; Jer 31.9): this is a downright unnatural thing, because it is common for every son to love his father. At least Israel feared Jehovah as their Master (Isaiah 41.8). But Israel does not show any fear of Jehovah. In this case, the priests are primarily to blame: they dishonor the name of Jehovah, when they should have served as an example of reverence for Jehovah. – The priests cannot calmly hear such an accusation: anyone who dishonored or slandered Jehovah was subject to the death penalty by law (Lev. 24:10–16). Therefore they hasten to declare that the prophet is mistaken: how can it be said that they dishonor the name of Jehovah? Mal.1:7. You offer My unclean bread on the altar, and say: “How do we dishonor You?” - By saying: “The Lord’s table is not worthy of respect.” The Prophet answers the question of the priests by indicating that they allow themselves to bring to the altar, that is, for burning on the altar, any offering, even leavened offerings (Cyril Alex.), or they burn on the altar all kinds of sacrifices with vices (the word “bread” sometimes means any sacrifice, cf. Lev. 21.6; Num. 28.2). Yes, priests sometimes even say directly that Jehovah’s altar is not worthy of special respect. These words of the prophet are better understood in a figurative sense, because the priests could hardly speak like that about the altar from which they themselves fed. The Prophet obviously wants to say: “By being so careless in accepting the animals sacrificed by the people, you priests are thereby openly inviting the people to be careless in the matter of sacrifice.” Mal.1:8. And when you sacrifice a blind thing, is it not bad? or when you bring the lame and the sick, is this not bad? Offer this to your prince; Will he be pleased with you and will he accept you favorably? says the Lord of hosts. The Prophet explains here what he means by “unclean bread”: these are blind, lame and sick animals, with which you cannot even appear to the head of the region - in all likelihood to some Persian - when you have to turn to him with any request. In the east, from ancient times, the custom of bringing gifts to leaders and judges was established, and the Jews could not help but obey this custom, although the law forbade their own judges from accepting gifts (Exodus 23.8). – Where did the post-captivity Jews come from to make such sacrifices prohibited by law? It is very possible that initially the donors really did not have the best animals, and the priests decided to accept such animals so as not to offend the donor, who still wanted to express his devotion to Jehovah in some way. But then, gradually, it became a habit, and the priests began to accept unsuitable animals even when they knew that the bringer also had good cattle. The thought was strengthened in their minds: “Jehovah will not pay attention to this, because he has not punished for this before!” Mal.1:9. So pray to God to have mercy on us; and when such things come from your hands, can He graciously receive you? says the Lord of hosts. The Russian translation here contains a call to prayer and repentance. But it is more natural to see here a continuation of the reproof begun in verse 8. The Prophet ironically suggests that the priests try to appease God with such inappropriate gifts. “No,” the prophet notes, “God is unlikely to accept you with such gifts.” - Says the Lord of Hosts. The prophet adds these words in order to show that the reproof expressed by the prophet was spoken at the command of Jehovah. By calling Jehovah, at the same time, Jehovah of hosts (Sabaoth), the prophet wants to indicate by this the seriousness of the crime of the priests who dare to treat with such negligence the service of the Almighty King of the universe. Mal.1:10. It would be better for one of you to lock the doors, so that they do not hold fire on My altar in vain. I have no favor with you, says the Lord of hosts, and the offering from your hands is not pleasing to Me. God says that in this case it would be better, rather than offering sacrifices displeasing to God, for one of the priests to lock the gate that led from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard, on which stood the altar of burnt offering. Let not the fire on this altar burn in vain—let not the sacrifice burn upon it (cf. Isaiah 1:11). – The offering of the priests, that is, both bloodless and bloody sacrifices offered by their hands (cf. Gen. 4:3–5), is displeasing to Jehovah. Mal.1:11. For from the east of the sun to the west my name will be great among the nations, and in every place they will offer incense to my name, a pure sacrifice; My name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. How great is the crime of the priests, who desecrate the sanctity of the name of God with their neglect of sacrifices, this can be seen from the fact that over time this name from east to west, that is, throughout the whole earth (Zechariah 8.7) will be glorified (greatly) among all (pagan) nations. Everywhere there will be incense, that is, the burning of all offerings (incense is an inaccurate expression) in honor of the name of God, all nations will offer pure sacrifices to God, and not the kind that the Jewish priests now offer. In agreement with the majority of the Fathers of the Church, we see here a foreshadowing of the establishment of true reverence for God in the Church of Christ and true worship. In addition, many fathers and teachers of the Church saw here a prophecy about the establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Mal.1:12. And you blaspheme him by saying: “The Lord’s table is not worthy of respect, and the income from it is insignificant food.” The prophet adds to the previous denunciation of the priests that they themselves (to themselves) say that the Lord’s table, that is, the altar, has already been desecrated (this is how the words of the priests should be translated instead of Russian: “not worth respect”), and even they themselves are reluctant to eat the portions left to them from the sacrifices. Mal.1:13. Moreover, you say: “That’s how much work!” and you despise it, says the Lord of hosts, and offer stolen, lame and sick things, and bring gifts of grain of the same nature: can I accept this from your hands with grace? says the Lord. The Russian translation here accurately conveys the idea of ​​the Masoretic text. The priests say that it is difficult for them to choose which animal is suitable for sacrifice and which is not (that's how much work). But a more correct thought is contained in the LXX text: “and this is from suffering.” According to this text, this contains the apology that the priests came up with when the prophet reproached them for sacrificing blind and lame animals to God. They said that they allowed this only due to the difficult circumstances in which the bringers were. Tikhomirov, recognizing the Slavic reading (according to the LXX) as correct, translates the entire verse this way: and you say: “this is done due to difficult circumstances.” And you despise Me, says Jehovah of hosts: bring the stolen, the lame and the sick - and offer sacrifice. Will I accept it from your hands? says Jehovah." Mal.1:14. Cursed is the deceitful one who has an uncorrupted male in his flock, and he has made a vow, and sacrifices to the Lord what is corrupted: for I am a great King, and My name is terrible among the nations. Now the prophet denounces the ordinary Israelis for their disdain for the altar of Jehovah. It turns out that the bringers also had good animals, moreover, of the male sex (the male sex was preferred to the female), and, however, the Jews kept such animals for themselves, sacrificing animals with defects. – “I am the great King” – repetition of the thought of verse 11. The Prophet attaches such importance to the external order of sacrifice, of course, because the lack of attention to this order, established by law, testified to the lack of internal reverence for God in the Jewish society of that time. It is remarkable that the prophet predicts the greatest revolution in the matter of reverence for God. Previously, only Jerusalem was considered the legal place for the performance of Divine services and the family of Aaron - the legitimate performer of Divine services. Now the prophet foresees the possibility of bringing a true pure sacrifice to God in every place, and not just in Jerusalem. In connection with this is, of course, the abolition of the order by virtue of which only priests from the Aaronic family could make sacrifices. Over time, sacrifices will be made, obviously, not only by the descendants of Aaron, but also by other persons, from different tribes and peoples (v. 11). Is it not clear that Malachi is a harbinger of the destruction of the national and local boundaries of true worship of God, which the Lord Jesus Christ announced with complete clarity (John 4:23–24)? You might be interested in: