Section 1:6–2:9

The LORD rebuked the priests

Paragraph 1:6–14

In this paragraph the LORD rebuked the priests because they were bringing imperfect animals to sacrifice to him. By doing this they showed that they did not respect or honor him.

This part of the speech was addressed most strongly to the priests. However Malachi 1:13–14 shows that the people were included too.

1:6c–d

But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?: These two questions are rhetorical questions. Their functions are:

(a) to show that honor is unquestionably due to the LORD,

(b) to rebuke the hearers,

(c) and to introduce the topic about which the LORD would speak.

In some languages it may be necessary to change the form of the question so that the same functions are communicated. For example, Good News Translation uses a more natural English style:

why don’t you honor me?…why don’t you respect me? (Good News Translation)

In other languages it may be better to use statements rather than questions to communicate these functions.

honor: The Hebrew word kabod which the Berean Standard Bible translates as honor is used frequently in the Hebrew Bible to talk about God’s glory and majesty. It also means “dignity.”

your fear of Me: The Hebrew word moraʾ which the Berean Standard Bible translates as fear can also mean “reverence,” “awe.” So it is translated in many English versions as “respect.”

General Comment on 1:6a–d

Notice the two pairs of parallel statements 1:6a–b and 1:6c–d. Twice the text uses two similar statements together for emphasis. This increases the impact on the hearer, and it highlights an important point:

6a A son honors his father, and

6b a servant ⌊honors⌋ his master.

6c But if I am a father, where is My honor ?

6d And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?

1:6e

says the LORD of Hosts: The speech clause, says the LORD of Hosts (or “says the LORD”), occurs many times throughout the text. This emphasizes the fact that this is a direct message from the LORD. See note 1 in “Literary structure and recurring features in Malachi” in the Introduction.

Notice that in the Berean Standard Bible this clause occurs after the speech. This is good English style. However Good News Translation placed this phrase at the beginning of the verse to make it clear who is speaking and to whom:

The Lord Almighty says to the priests… (Good News Translation)

You should place it wherever is natural in your language.

the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 1:4d concerning this special title for the LORD. Translate it in the same way here.

1:6f

you priests: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates you priests is a vocative —the LORD was addressing the priests directly. In some languages vocative phrases are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence. You should place the phrase where it would be natural in your language.

priests: The main function of a Jewish priest was to be the mediator between the people and the LORD, and make sacrifices to the LORD on behalf of the people.

who despise My name: By describing the priests this way, the text summarizes their failure to honor the LORD.

despise: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as despise means “to hold in contempt,” that is, to consider something unimportant.

My name: In the Hebrew Bible, the phrase “the LORD’s name” or My name refers to the LORD himself or his authority. When the priests despised the name of the LORD, they were despising the LORD himself and treating him with contempt. Good News Translation simply uses “me” instead of My name.

1:6g

But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’: This is a rhetorical question. Its function is to disagree with the LORD’s statement. The priests were claiming that they had not despised the LORD’s name. If you do not use rhetorical questions in this way in your language, it may be necessary to express the idea with a statement. For example:

Yet you say, “We have not despised your name.”

In this statement the LORD quoted the priests’ words. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for the statement. One way to do this would be:

Yet you claim that you have not despised my name.

Your name: The Hebrew phrase which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Your name refers to the LORD himself or his authority. See also the note on 1:6f. When the priests despised the name of the LORD, they were despising the LORD himself.

Good News Translation simply uses “you” instead of Your name. You may also do this if it would be clearer in your translation.

© 2007 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.