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Mal.1:1. Prophecy of the word of the Lord against Israel by the hand of His angel. My mind, says the Prophet, being embraced by God’s grace and becoming outside of everything human, received the foreshadowing about Israel, not in order to have this knowledge alone, but in order to proclaim to the Jews what was announced. That is why the Prophet called himself an Angel, as one who serves the words of God. Thus, having indicated the Lord speaking through the mouth of him, he exhorts the people to listen to what is spoken: Lay it on your hearts. That is, listen carefully to the words of God. Mal.1:2. “You have loved,” says the Lord, “and you asked: “Why have you loved us?” The Prophet did not say this because the people really proposed such a question, but this exposes the lack of appreciation of their hearts; because, taking advantage of such love from the God of all, they not only remained ungrateful to the Benefactor, but did not even recognize the very fact that they were loved. Therefore, the Prophet denounces their ungrateful heart, proving the excess of love shown from ancient times to their ancestors. Isn't Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord: I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. And you, who constantly feed on the legends of Moses, clearly know, says the Prophet, that Esau and your ancestor Jacob had the same father, came from the same womb, were contained in the same womb, but neither the sameness of nature, nor the time of birth, which was the same for both, disposed Me to have the same disposition towards them. On the contrary, when the father, following the laws of nature, strengthened the right of primacy to grant Esau, I arranged that Jacob received the eldership instead of him; because he hated Esau for his wickedness of character, but loved Jacob as a lover of virtue. And the race of Esau, because it was jealous of the character of its ancestor, was left neglected by Me; why he inhabited this desert. For this was expressed by the Prophet in the addendum: Mal.1:3. And they made its borders disappear and its heritage into deserted places. Mal.1:4. Even if he says: Idumite is ruined, and let us return, and we will rebuild its desolation, yet the Lord Almighty says: these shall they build, and I will destroy, and they shall be called the end of iniquity, and the people, against whom the Lord has taken arms for ever. If they attempt to rebuild their cities, then I will make their hopes false, and they will receive the desert as the fruit of lawlessness. For this is what the Prophet said: “And they will be called the limits of iniquity.” This curse will be borne from Me to the end. Mal.1:5. And they see your hair, and you say: The Lord is magnified above the border of Israel. Having seen this, you will know what kind of provision you received from Me for you. Thus showing the love he had for them, he exposes their great ingratitude. Mal.1:6. The son glorifies his father, and the servant fears his master: and if I am the father, then where is My glory? And if the Lord is I, then where is My fear? says the Lord Almighty. Two types of disposition take place in all subordinates, love and fear; but love is fitting for sons, fear for slaves. But I gave you this and that name; because he called you not only slaves, but also sons: “Az said: you are gods, and all are sons of the Most High” (Ps. 82:6); and: “they gave birth to sons and raised them up” (Is. 1:2); and: “My firstborn son Israel” (Ex. 4:22). Therefore, if it is pleasant for you to be called sons; then do the honor that you hasten to do to your father. If you consider yourself slaves; then why do you not have the fear that slaves should have, and, moreover, having such a Master who possesses everything visible and invisible? Hitherto the Prophet had reproached all the Jews; after this he begins to accuse them of being separate, and first denounces the crimes of the priests; because they were worthy of great reproach for the fact that they not only violated the law themselves, but also became a model of lawlessness for others. You are priests who despise My name. And we ask: why has Thy name been despised? Your neglect of priestly service inspires the people that I am insignificant and not worthy of any attention. But you don't feel it, and you don't want to know the crime. For this means what was said: “And you say: why has Thy name been despised?” Even if you did not really utter such words; then they had such thoughts. Then the Prophet explains what the contempt was. Mal.1:7. Bringing the bread of filth to My altar. And ask: what desecration am I talking about? I will always say to you: the table of the Lord is despised, and the food that was laid out is despised by nature. The word “filth” was translated by Aquila and Symmachus: “unclean,” that is, prepared not according to the law, but contrary to it. You dared to do this, not thinking that the meal dedicated to Me was venerable. For if they had given it due honor, then they would have given every care to what was offered to Me on it. Then, not as the Lord, but as a father, he complains about them for sacrificing blind and lame animals, when the law clearly commands to sacrifice healthy animals. And showing the excess of wickedness, he says: Mal.1:8. Bring it to your prince, will he accept the food? will food accept your face? says the Lord Almighty. If someone who is of the same nature as you considers such an honor an insult and mockery, and is not ashamed of your presence, but rejects a gift that is poorly given; then consider, what wickedness is it to offer anything like this to the Creator of all things? Then God advises to resort to repentance and promises His favor. Mal.1:9. And now humble the face of your God, and pray to Him: may he have mercy on you. And by giving them a more vivid sense of insolence, God intensifies the reproof. I blame you not for the iniquity of your fathers, but for what you still dare to do. Shall I receive your face from you? says the Lord Almighty. This should be read as a question: will I really have mercy on you without your repentance? Mal.1:10. Before you, too, the doors will be shut, and you will not kindle the fire of the altar to My tuna. Because you are suffering from extreme insensitivity; I know that I will remove you from My court, and I will, as it were, close a certain door for you, ceasing to serve according to the law. For I will not tolerate vain sacrifices being made, from which no one benefits. Thus, having foreshadowed the cessation of legal priesthood to the Jews, he predicts the pure and bloodless sacrifice of the pagans, and first speaks to the Jews themselves. My will is not in you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept sacrifice at your hands. Then he lets you see the piety of the pagans. Mal.1:11. From the east of the sun to the west, My name has been glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and the sacrifice is pure: My name has become famous among the nations, says the Lord Almighty. I will reject you completely; because I greatly abhor what you are doing; why do I also abhor the sacrifices you make? Instead of you, the whole universe will honor Me; because those who dwell throughout the entire earth, illuminated by the rising and setting sun, will everywhere offer Me incense and perform a sacred sacrifice that is pure and pleasing to Me. Everywhere they will recognize My Name and My will, and will give Me due honor. So the Lord said to the Samaritan woman: “Women have faith in Me, for the hour is coming, and now is, when, neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. The Spirit is God: and whoever worships Him is worthy to worship in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21:24). Blessed Paul, who was taught this, commands us to pray in every place, “lifting up our holy hands without anger or reflection” (1 Tim. 2:8). But the divine Malachi also clearly pointed out to us the piety that is now established; because the priestly service, which was limited to a place, ceased, but every place was recognized as convenient for serving God, the end and slaughter of wordless victims were accepted, and a single immaculate Lamb, taking away the sin of the world, and fragrant incense, as a certain symbol of virtue, were sacrificed. And the Jews, according to divine prophecy, are rejected; why does the Prophet say to them: “My name is made known among the nations.” Mal.1:12. But you defile it, saying: the table of the Lord is desecrated, and His food laid out was destroyed. You have fallen into such wickedness that you not only offer sacrifices illegally, but even call the meal dedicated to Me meaningless, and when you are accused of bringing such gifts, you dare to say: we collect this too with great effort and labor. For this I will deprive you of abundance in this too. For this is most expressed in the addendum: Mal.1:13. And rest: this is from suffering and I have breathed away, says the Lord Almighty. Then he curses those who have many sacrificial animals, and who have vowed to sacrifice them, but keep them with them, and instead bring crippled animals. But from the very works, says God, you must learn the greatness of My kingdom and dominion, which I will make known among all nations.