The Pulpit Commentary — Malachi — Section 41

throughout the world, hut he employs the "sons of Ja.cob," to remind them of the terms with whi<'-h the Jewish people were covenant mRde with their grcot ancestor, converAAnt to t>Xpress the worship of the new which WM the portion of all true Isrnelitea covenant (comp. eh. i. 11, and note there). (comp. Jer. xxxiii. 20, 21). Orolli would Yer. 5.-I will oome near to you to read, "Ye have not ma.de e.n e11d," i.e. of judgment. They had asked, "Where is your sins; so virtue.By the Septuagint, the God of judgment?" (oh. ii. 17). He which joins this clause to the followiug tells them that his judgment shall extend verse. But the present toxt is most pro- be,nnd the Le..-ites even unto all the b1tbly oorrect. people; they will theu see whether, as thev supposed, the evil went unpunished. The Vers. 7-12.-§ 2. God indeed. is faithful announo<·ment applies especially to the to his promises, but the people's own conduct circumstances of Malachi's time, though, of has occasioned the with11olding of favou,·s; c.rnrse, it bas an extended reference. Swift they have been shamefully negligent in the witness. God's judgments fall swiftly and matter of tithes and ojerings; let them unexpectedly; e.nd when they fall the amend their practice, and they shall be tiinner is et once conricted, and no con- bl&sed.. cealment, excuse, or subterfuge is possible. " How terrible is that jndgment," says St. Ver. 7.-Ye are gone away (ha'De turned Jerome, "where God is at once Witness mide) from mine ordinances. Disobec.lience nod Judge I " SorcererB ; .,.,h tf>a.pp.u:aos was no new offence; they had ulwa.ys from (Septue.fcint) ; maleficis (Vlllc,"llte) ; see early de.ys been persistent in wickedness; Exod. vii. 11; xxii. 18; Deut. xviii. 10. and if the performance of God's sure promise The Jews had grown familiar with magical woa delayed, this was bece.use they had not arts during the Captirity; the.t they prac- fulfilled the conditions on which rested its tised them le.ter we learn from .Acts viii. accomplishment. Return unto me, and I 9 ; xiii. 6. Adulterers. They who were will return unto you (Zech. i. 3, where see ready to marry heathen wives would not be note). Man must co-operate with God's likely t.o be restrained by e.ny le.w from preventing graoe, and then God gives him gratifying their passions. False swearers; further grace unto repentance and amend- Septuagint, "those who swear fe.lsely by my ment. Here, if the people followed the name," which is from Zech. v. 4 (comp. preaching of the prophets and obeyed the Lev. xix. 12; and see note on Zech. v. 3). promptings of the Holy Spirit. God promises Oppress the hireling, Defraud him of his to bless e.nd so.ve them. Wherein shall we just wages (see Deut. xxiv. 14, 15; Jas. v. return 1 Here is the Pharise.ical spirit, o.s 4). The widow, e.nd the fatherless (Exod. in eh. i. 6, etc. They do not e.oknowledge nii. 22; Deut. xxiv. 17). Turn aside (bow their offence; they consider the.t they are down) the stranger ; Septuagint, " pervert righteous e.nd need no repentance. the judgment of the stranger;" Vulge.te, Ver. 8.-Will a man rob God 1 The opprimunt peregrinum (Exod. x.rii. 21 ; prophet shows the people how they he.ve Deut. x:z:vii. 19; A.mos v. 12). And fear not departed from God, in not keeping even the me. This was the root of all the evil outward observances of religion. The word Ver. 6.-J'or I am the Lord, I ohange not; translated" rob," defraud, fouad also in Prov. or, Jelwr;ah, I change not. This is to show nii. 23, etc., is rendered in the Septuagint, that God performs his promises, e.nd 1M"epv1i,, "trip up," "supplant;" Vulga.te, effectually disposes of the allegation in eh. si ajfliget homo Deum, or, as St. Jerome first ii. 17, that he pnt no difference between the translated, " si affiget homo Deum," and evil and the good. The great principles of referred the words to the crucifixion of our right e.nd wrong never alter; they are as Lord. lll tithes and offerings. These were everlasting as he who gave them. God here due to the Lord, e.nd therefore in withhold- 11peaks of himself by his covenant name, ing them they were defrauding not me.n but which expresses his eternal, independent God. (For tithe, see Lev. xxvii. 80, etc.: being, "the Father of lights, with whom Numb. xvili. 21. See the comple.int of is no ve.riahleness, neither shadow of turn- Nehemiah. eh. xiii, 10-12.) The "offer• ing" (Je.s. i 17). Therefore ye BOIII of ing" meant is the hee.ve offering, the breast laoob are not cODBumed. Because God's and shoulder of the peace offering, which eternal purpose stands good, e.nd his "gifts were the priests' portion (Exod. xm. 27; and calling are without repentance" (Rom. Lev. vii H, 32-34; comp. Neh. L 37-89), xi. 2~), therefore the Israelites ere indeed Ver. 9.-Ye are cursed with a (the) ourse. chasti.Sf-.d e.nd corrected, but not wholly The effect of the curse was scarcity and cc,1,sumed; they have a ple.ce and a nation, barrenness, e.s we see from vers. 10-12 a,"1 the great promises ma.de to their fore- (comp. eh. ii. 2; Hog. i. 6). The Vulgate fatl,ers will all be fulfilled in due time aBBuwes the result : In penui·ia 1'08 maledicti (Ji,r. m. II ; Micah vii. 20). He calls them utu. The next clause gives the ree.son of th@ OJI, Ut. 1-18.] TllE BOOK OF MALACHI.