The Pulpit Commentary — Malachi — Section 42

ourse. Tbla whole nation, Not imlividnRls thee 1 What have we said against thee in only, but the whole nation (he doe• not any our converaatinns with one another? longer oBII them God's people) wore im- Ver. 14.-It ia vain. It brings no acknow- plicated in thia ain. The LXX., rending leclgment or rewitrd. The Le.tin and Greek differently, hae, "The year ie ended, and Versions have, "He is vain who eervethGod." ye have brought," eto. Have kept his ordinance ( charge). Have done Ver. 10.-All the tithes; the whole tithe- what he ordered. They are either wilfully not merely n portion of it. God ia not served deceiving themselves and others by pretend- with partial eervioe. The Btorehouae. The ing an obedience which they never really tithes were brought to the temple, and laid paid ; or they think that the outward ob- up in the chamberH built to receive them (eee serve.nee of certain legal requirements is all Neh. x. 38, 39; xiii. 5, 12, 13; 2 Chron. xxxi. th11t ie required. Some think that an in- 11, 12). That there may be meat in mine terval of time sepe.ratea this from the last house. That they who minister about holy section, and that meanwhile they had me.de things may live of the thing• of the temple some efforts at improvement, expecting,how- (l Cor. ix. 13; Numb. xviii. 21). Prove me ever, immediate results in added blessings; now herewith. Do your part, perform your and as these did not come as qnickly as duties, and then eee if I will not reward your they hoped, they relapsed into their ol,\ obedience. Open you the windows of heaven. distrust. Have walked mournfully; i.e. in The expression implies not only the removal mourning apparel, as if fasting and monru- of drought by copious showers of rain, but ing for sin (Pa. xxxv. 13, 14; Job xxx. 28). the diffusion of heavenly blessing in large Septaagint, ·• Why went we as suppliants abundance. That there shall not be room (i1tl-ra.1)?" :Before the I.ord. Out of reverence enough to receive it; or, unto superabun- and awe of Jehovah, They attribnted a dance; Vulgate, usque ad abundantiam; certain virtne to voluntary fasts, without Septuagint, fo,s .,.o;; l1ta.vo,B:;,va.i, "until it any consideration of the spirit in which they suffice;" Syriac, "until ye eay, It ie enough." were observed (see the reproof of snob formal The Authorized Version retains the negation observances in Isa. 1viii. 4, etc.). in the sentence, 'and perhaps comes nearest Ver. 15.-We call the proud happy. Thie to the meaning of the original (comp. Luke ie still the speech of the murmurers. We, xii. 17, 18). they say, do not reckon the humble and Ver. 11.-The devourer. The locust (see meek blessed; we consider that the only Introduction to Joel, § I.). God would not blessed ones a.re the arrogant heathen, or only give a fruitful season, so that the crops free-thinkers, who meet with prosperity ancl sprang up well, but would guard them from happiness in this world. For the "proud,'' everything that could injure them before the LXX. has, ciAACYrpfovr, "strangers,'' they were gathered in. Septuagint, a,,..-.,..;,.,., which, doubtless, gives the meaning (comp. {)µ,iv •ls f3pw.-,v, whiob perhaps means, as Isa. xiii. 11). Are set up; literally, are Schleusner thinks, "I will give a charge built up-have weo.lth and families, and unto consumption for your good," though leave a name behind them (Ps. xvii. H; see Jerome renders, "divide.m vobis cibos." in the original, Gen. xvi. 2; xxx. 3; anc Ver. 12.-Sb.a.ll 011,ll you blessed ; or, happy, comp. Exod. i. 21; Jer. xii. 16, where the a.a ver. 15 ( comp. Deut. xxxiii. 29; Zech. phrase, "being built," inclndes all temporal viii. 13, 23). A delightsome land ; -y;j prosperity). They that tempt God a.re even B<AT/'M/ (Septuagint); literally, a land of delivered; they tempt God, and are delivered good pleasure-a land in which God is well (ver. 10). They try and provoke God by pleased (comp. Isa. !xii. 4; Jer. iii. 19). their impiety, a.ncl yet esoe.pe punishment. Septuagint, 'A.,.,.{o-T'f]o-a.v -rrp 8«i, 1tal ,.-~- Vere. 13-18.-§ 3. The impious murmur- 11110-a.v, "They resist God, and yet are safe." ing of the people is contrasted with the con- Ver. 16.-With these impious murmurers duct of those who fear God ; and the reward the prophet contrasts those who fear God, of the pious is set fo,·th. as above (eh. ii. 5-7) he set the picture of the true priest in oppositiou to his delineo.- Ver. 13.-Your words have been etout tiou of the evil ministers. Then. When against me. Ye have spoken hard words the impious made the above infidel remarks, of me (comp. Jude 15, where we read of" the the pious spake often, conversed together. hard speeches (cr1t>.11pwv) which un~odly What they said is not repeated, but it wt:1:1 sinners have spoken against" God). Some le.nguage well-pleasing uuto God, who specimens of these speeches are given in deigned to listen to their words, and to oon- answer to the usual soeptioe.l inquiry. They eole them by announcing the future destiny o.re of the same cho.raoter o.s those in ol.J. ii. of tho goou and the evil. They may have 17, an,! imply that the course of this world argued with these impious h1lkers, and is not clirectecl by a moral Governor. What warned others 11g,1iust them; or tbey may have we spoken so muoh (together) against have expostul11te<l as Jer. xii. 11 but yet with  'l'BE BOOK OF MALAOID. (OH, III, 1-18,