Malachi 1:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.

NIV: "Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"—says the Lord Almighty.

NASB: But now, do indeed plead for God’s favor, so that He will be gracious to us. With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?' says the Lord of armies.

CSB: "And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us? Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?" asks the Lord of Armies.

NLT: Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?' asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

KJV: And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.

NKJV: “But now entreat God’s favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi is criticizing the priests for offering improper sacrifices to God. In fact, what they are offering is explicitly forbidden by Old Testament Law. Even worse than that, these animals are flawed enough that even other people would reject them as an offering (Malachi 1:8). This is part of the first message of this prophecy, accusing Israel's priesthood of being disrespectful and indifferent towards God.

Here, Malachi asks a rhetorical question. Of course, if one brings an insulting offering, they can't expect the favor of God. Part of Israel's spiritual problem at this point in history is bitterness. They have been defeated by foreign nations, and are suffering economic troubles. Rather than look at the entire context of their covenant with God, the Jewish people are blaming God for their mistakes. They have even begun to forget all God has done to preserve them from destruction (Malachi 1:2). This accusation is part of their hardship: they're "despising" God and His temple, but demanding that He favor them at the same time.

Malachi 1:6—2:9 is directed specifically at the priests of Israel. Despite having knowledge of the Old Testament Law, they are offering improper sacrifices to God. Instead of following the requirements for pure offerings, they are sacrificing animals so defective that a mere politician would not accept them. This shows their apathy and disrespect towards God. In response, God warns that He will be praised properly, even if it's by the Gentiles, even if it's in spite of His own chosen people. This includes a threat to humiliate the priesthood, if they don't lead the people as they have been instructed.

Chapter 1 begins the first of three main messages in the book of Malachi. This is addressed to the priests, who have failed to do their duty. They are allowing improper sacrifices, they are not teaching the people, and they are acting in legalism and apathy. If the priests do not change, they will be under the curse of God. God's love for Israel is demonstrated by the counter-example of Edom. Edom's complete destruction was foretold in the book of Obadiah. This shows that God can punish disobedience with annihilation, but has not done so for Israel.

Malachi's structure is complex, and chapter divisions are not helpful in seeing the pattern. There are three primary messages in this book, the first running from Malachi 1:2 through Malachi 2:9. Most of chapter one is the first message, directed to the priests of Israel. This is an important first step, since the priests were responsible for teaching the people. Failures by the priests would inevitably lead to failures by the people. The second and third messages are delivered more generally to the nation of Israel.

Malachi is the last message of prophecy given to Israel prior to 400 years of silence. Israel has rebuilt the temple, following the invasions of Babylon, but they are still under foreign oppression. Israel's spiritual condition, however, is dire. Hosea depicted Israel as prone to failure, but repentant. Later, Ezekiel exposed Israel's blatant disobedience. By the time of Malachi, Israel has passed into numbness and apathy. Unlike other Old Testament prophets, Malachi takes the form of a dialogue, where Israel responds to accusations as if unaware that they've occurred. The next prophetic voice from God would not come until the ministry of John the Baptist.