The Pulpit Commentary — Malachi — Section 23

and tho note on Ha.g. ii, 11), He is the was at this time no question about mar, meeeunger of the Lord. Ho nnnonnces ringe with thesA nations, but with Ce.naan• God'R will to men, explaining thl'l Law to ites, Moabites, Egyptians, and so on. But meet the vo.ried circnmstancos which occur the parallelism with the following clause in clo.ily lile; he intervenes betwee11 God shows that by the Father is meant Almighty and man, offering man's worship to the God (comp. eh. i. 6; Deut. xxxii. 6; Iso.. Lord. So Haggai (i. 13) is ea.lied "the !xiii. 16). Hath not one God created us l Lord's messenger," or angel. Some see Hath not God taken us as his peculiar hero an allusion to Male.chi's own name or people, so as to call us his sons and hiR office (see Introduction, § II. ; comp. Deut. firstbom (comp. Exod. iv. 22, 2~; Deut. xxi. 5; 2 Chron. xvii. 0). xxxii. 18; Isa. i. 2; Jer. iii. 19)? Of Ver. 8.-But ye are departed out of the course, God created all men; but the Jews way. The priests of this time had fa.r alone recognized him as Cree.tor. The declined from the high ideal set forth in prophet's proposition is that all Israelites vers. 6, 7, the "way" in which God would were spiritual brothers and sisters, equally have had them to walk. Ye have caused loved and chosen by God. From this he many to stumble a.t (in) the law. By their argues that in sinning against one another, example a.nd teaching they had made the they offended their common Father, and La.w a. stumbling-block, causing many to broke the family compact. Deal treacher- err, wbile they fancied they were not ously. Act faithlessly against one another. infringing God's oomme.ndments. Sep- He does not yet say in what this treachery tuagint, 'Ha-9,~<TCITE 'll'ol\l\ous Iv voµ.q,, " Ye consists, but adds, by profaning the cove- me.de many weak [equivalent to /ia-9,vdia-au] nant of our fathers. He unites himself in the Law." Ye have corrupted the with them, because he enffered in their sin. oovenant of Levi (see ver. 5). They broke They violated the covenant by which God their part of the covenant, therefore Jehovah chose them to be his peculiar people and held himself no longer bound by it. They placed himself in mysterious relation to tlid not pay him due reverence and obedi- them, on condition that they should keep ence ; he withdrew the blessings promised themselves aloof from the evil nations to Levi, as threatened ( ver. 2). around them, and a.void a.II connection with Ver. 9.-Contemptible. The glory of the them and their practices. By intermarriages priesthood and the honour that belonged to with the heathen, they profaned this cove- it (Ecclus. xiv. 7, etc.) were now turned into nant. This evil was one which Ezra had disgrace a.nd contempt, when men compared done his best to eradicate, using most the actual with the ideal. "Them that stringent measures for its suppression (Ezra honour me I will honour, and they that ix., x.); Nehemiah, too, contended against despise me shall be lightly esteemed" those who had contracted these marriages, (1 Sam. ii. 30). Have been partial in the when he found on his return to Jerusalem law; Revised Version, have had re8pect of many such transgressors (Neh. xiii. 23-28); persons in the law; or, in yoor teaching, and now the prophet lifts np his voice in ae vers. 6, 8. The prophet no.mes one the canse of purity and obedience. The specie.I sin of the priests, and that the warning against these mixed unions is found most flagrant-perversion of judgment, in Exod. xxxiv. 16; Deut. vii. 3; Josh. pe.rtia!Hy in the administration of the Law. xxiii.12, 13. The so.me complaint is found in Micah iii. Ver. 11.-J'udah, the whole nation, is 11 (comp. 2 Ohron. xix. 7). guilty of this crime, has broken her promised faith. The special sin, mixed marriages, Vere. 10-16.-Part II. CoNDEMN.&.TION is named at the end of the verse. In OF PRIESTS A.ND PEOPLE FOR ALIEN M.&.B- Israel and in J'eruse.lem. The mention of BliGES A.ND FOB DIVORCES. Israel, the sacred covenant name, is meant to make the contrast between profession and Ver. 10.-Bave we not all one l!'ather I practice more marked. But some critics In proceeding to his new subject, the viola- would hero cancel the word "Israel," as tions of the law of marriage, the prophet being a clel'iool error (see note, Zech. i. 19). pursues his habitual method. He starts Jerusalem is named us the centre of the with a general principle, hel'e assuming an theocracy, which !('llVe its tone to the interroge.tivo form, and on it builds his people. For J'udah hath profaned the holi- rebuke. The priests were guilty, if not of ness ( sa11ctuai11) of the Lord which he loved profane marriu.ges, at any rate of sinful (loveth); Septuagint, 'E{3,{3f1M.,u,v 'lovliar neglect in not warning the people against ,,.a /i-y,a Kvplov, •v oTs 11-yci1n10-,, "Judah pro- them. Many tllke the "one father" to be fone,\ the holy things of the Loni in which Abrahllm (Isa. Ii. 2), and it is no objection he delighted." l\fony con~i,ler th,,t by the to this view that he wns also the progenitor "sunctuary '' is meant the telllple, iut" of Ishmu.elites, Edomites, eto., becau,e there whioh these heathen wives had penetrated, 22 THE BOOK OF MALAOHI. [CH, ll,' 1-17