'I have loved you, says Hashem — yet you say: Wherein have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother? A son honors his father: if I be a Father, where is My honor? You offer polluted bread and the blind and the lame — 'for from the rising of the sun even to its going down, My name is great among the nations.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The burden of the word of Hashem to Israel by Malachi.
verse value 1262
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "burden·of" (מַשָּׂ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "burden·of" (מַשָּׂ֥א), "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה), "to·Israel" (אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi). First appearance of the root יהוה ("the·word·of·Hashem") in Malachi. First appearance of the root איל ("to·Israel") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: מַשָּׂ֥א [burden·of] (341) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [to·Israel] (572) + בְּיַ֖ד [in·hand·of] (16) + מַלְאָכִֽי [Malachi] (101) = 1262.
Rashi
“Burden of the word of the LORD.” Porport in the vernacular [Old French], meaning a matter entrusted to Malachi to carry it to the children of Israel.
“Through Malachi.” It had already been entrusted to him a long time before. From here our Sages derived, in a baraita of the Mekhilta, that all the prophets stood at Mount Sinai, and there the prophecies were given over to them. And so it says (Isaiah 48:16): “From the time it came to be, I was there; and now the Lord GOD has sent me.”
Ibn Ezra
Some say that this refers to Ezra. And according to my opinion: it is his name as it is written, and he is the last of the prophets. And because of this, it cautioned, "Remember the Torah of My servant Moses," for with his death, prophecy ceased from Israel.
"Burden." A prophecy. And the one who says that he prophesied concerning Israel before they were exiled to Assyria, on the grounds that he [Malachi] did not live during the Second Temple period, has not spoken correctly. For behold, in Ezra it is written: "And the children of Israel did so," and they were mostly Judah and Benjamin. Furthermore, it is written: "For Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god," and this refers to the matter of the foreign wives that is written about in Ezra. Moreover, he said concerning Edom: "And I have made his mountains a desolation," and this occurred after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Radak
"The burden of the word of GOD to Israel, through Malachi." Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are those who prophesied in the Second Temple. In Haggai and Zechariah, the time of their prophecy is written, but in Malachi it is not written. It is possible that he was the last of them, and so it appears, for the building of the Temple is not mentioned in his words, as Haggai and Zechariah are mentioned, as it is written: "and Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, the prophets, prophesied" (Ezra 5:1), and it says: "the inhabitants of Judah built and prospered through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo" (Ezra 6:14). And our Sages of blessed memory said: "Malachi is Ezra." Yet we have not found in any place that he is called a prophet, but rather Ezra the Scribe.
"To Israel." The explanation is to reprove them for their deeds, for the generation that went up from Babylonia, the majority of whom held fast to deeds that were not good, as they took foreign women, as Ezra reproved them in this matter; and likewise Malachi reproved them in this matter, as it is stated, "And he who marries the daughter of a foreign god"; and also regarding the desecration of Sabbaths, they were not careful, and in other matters, as it is written in the Book of Ezra.
Metzudat David
“By the hand of Malachi.” “[The word] sent by the hand of Malachi”:
Metzudat Zion
“Burden.” [This denotes] prophecy. And in order to add clarification, it says “the word of the Lord.”
Malbim
Regarding "burden," our Sages of blessed memory disagreed as to who this prophet was. And according to all of them, he prophesied after the building of the Temple, and he was the last of the prophets, as will be explained at the end of the book.
I have loved you, says Hashem. Yet you say: ‘Wherein have you loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? Says Hashem; Yet I loved Jacob;
verse value 3697
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "said" (אָמַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "I·love" (אָהַ֤בְתִּי), "you·loved·us" (אֲהַבְתָּ֑נוּ), "not·brother" (הֲלוֹא־אָ֨ח). The root אהב appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi). First appearance of the root אהב ("I·love") in Malachi. First appearance of the root אמר ("said") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·loved·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 6 words. Full calculation: אָהַ֤בְתִּי [I·love] (418) + אֶתְכֶם֙ [you] (461) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·say] (687) + בַּמָּ֣ה [what] (47) + אֲהַבְתָּ֑נוּ [you·loved·us] (464) + הֲלוֹא־אָ֨ח [not·brother] (51) + עֵשָׂ֤ו [Esau] (376) + לְיַֽעֲקֹב֙ [to·Jacob] (212) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה [says·Hashem] (117) + וָאֹהַ֖ב [and·I·loved] (14) + אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב [Jacob] (583) = 3697.
Rashi
“And He loved Jacob.” [This is to say that He] gave him the land, “a desirable land, the beauty of the hosts of nations” (Jeremiah 3:19), a land that all the hosts of the idolatrous nations desire.
Ibn Ezra
"I have loved" – The reason is that Esau and Jacob were brothers, sons of one father. I swore to uphold My covenant with Isaac, and I loved Jacob, giving him the Land of Canaan, which I had sworn to his forefathers to give to their offspring. I expelled Esau from the Land of the Lord, and I gave him Mount Seir for the honor of his father, and because of his wickedness, I made his mountains desolate. Thus it is called "the border of wickedness." And now, you, the children of Jacob, behold, you have returned to the Land of the Covenant.
Radak
"I loved you," and you say, "In what have You loved us?" The explanation is: If you were to say, "In what have You loved us?"—behold, Esau was a brother to Jacob; the sons of Isaac were brothers, and I, who love them, chose Jacob and his seed after him, even though they provoke Me to anger, and I gave to the seed of Jacob the land which I swore to Abraham and to Isaac.
Metzudat David
"And you shall say." This means: And if you were to say, "In what way did You love us? On account of ourselves"—that is to say, even though You have done much kindness for us, this is not on account of love for ourselves, but rather on account of the love for the fathers and mothers.
“Are they not brothers?” etc. This is as if He said to you: “Shall I not answer you? Was Esau not Jacob’s brother, from the same father and the same mother, and did they not share one lineage with the patriarchs and matriarchs? And yet, I loved Jacob alone.”
Malbim
"I have loved you" — because the Lord has an ancient love for Israel on account of the love for their forefathers, He informed them that the essence of this love is that He loves them specifically, without regard to that ancient love, which is not attributed to them but only to their forefathers. But I have loved you in your own right. And you said, "In what way has He loved us?" Who can determine that the love is attributed to us in our own right? And by what means do we know that it is not on account of the ancient love for the forefathers? To this, He responds: "Was not Esau Jacob's brother, yet He loved Jacob?" If the love were only on account of the forefathers, surely Esau too would have a share in this love; so why does He love only Jacob? And lest they say that the love is from both aspects combined—that He loves them in their own right on account of their deeds, together with the combination of their forefathers' deeds and love for them, and that it still does not apply to them alone, but only to them in combination with the love for their forefathers—to this He responds: "Was not..."
But Esau I hated, And made his mountains a desolation, And gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.
verse value 4941
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "devastation" (שְׁמָמָ֔ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·possession" (וְאֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ, 8 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "and·Esau" (וְאֶת־עֵשָׂ֖ו), "I·hate" (שָׂנֵ֑אתִי), "and·I·put" (וָאָשִׂ֤ים). 8 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עשה ("and·Esau") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·hate', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְאֶת־עֵשָׂ֖ו [and·Esau] (783) + שָׂנֵ֑אתִי [I·hate] (761) + וָאָשִׂ֤ים [and·I·put] (357) + אֶת־הָרָיו֙ [his·mountains] (622) + שְׁמָמָ֔ה [devastation] (385) + וְאֶת־נַחֲלָת֖וֹ [and·possession] (901) + לְתַנּ֥וֹת [to·jackals·of] (886) + מִדְבָּֽר [wilderness] (246) = 4941.
Rashi
"And I have hated Esau." [This refers] to pushing him into the land of Seir on account of his brother Jacob. And it is the custom of the world that one who has two sons chooses for the firstborn a fine portion.
“And I will make his mountains desolate.” They are not like the mountains of Israel.
“A haunt for jackals of the wilderness.” A dwelling place of jackals.
Ibn Ezra
"[A home] for jackals of the wilderness" – "tannot" are the females, "tannim" are the males.
Radak
“And I have hated Esau.” [This is so] according to his deeds and the deeds of his seed after him, and I did not want them to share with his brother Jacob in the Land of Canaan; rather, I gave him as an inheritance Mount Seir, and [the same] to his seed after him. And when they increased in doing evil to Israel and rejoiced in their destruction and their exile, I hated them.
"And I will make his mountains a desolation." Since his land is called Mount Seir, it says "his mountains" [in the plural]. And although your land was also desolate, you nevertheless returned to it and you dwell in it; but they shall never return to their land, for it shall be desolate forever. And [as for] "a home for the wilderness jackals" — behold, you shall see that I have loved the seed of Jacob and hated the seed of Esau.
"A home for the wilderness jackals." [Meaning] that jackals and ostriches shall dwell in their land, as in the wilderness.
Metzudat David
“And I have hated Esau.” And if it were solely on account of the love for the fathers and mothers, I would have been obligated to love Esau as well. But the truth is that I love you also on account of yourselves, in conjunction with My love for you on account of the fathers and mothers.
"And I will make..." Now he explains why he hated Esau, and says: "See now, that the two of you were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar; and behold, have you not returned to your land? But the inhabitants of Seir I will yet make desolate, and its inheritance shall become a dwelling place for the jackals found in the wilderness."
Metzudat Zion
"Letannot." From the language of "tannin," which is a type of serpent.
Malbim
"Esau I hated": Even if one were to posit that [God] does not love Esau because love is lacking on account of his deeds, and the love for the patriarchs alone would not suffice to cause Him to love him unless it were joined with His own love for him, nevertheless, it is at least fitting that He should not hate Esau, given that He has some measure of love for him by virtue of the love for his forefathers. Therefore, [the verse implies] that the love for Israel is solely due to their very essence, which nullifies the love for the patriarchs in which Esau has a share, and it is transformed into enmity and hatred toward Esau, after he did not make his deeds worthy. And it brings proof that He hated Esau from the fact that He says, "I will make his hills a desolation."
Whereas Edom says: ‘We are beaten down, But we will return and build the waste places’; Thus says Hashem of hosts: They shall build, but I will throw down; And they shall be called The border of wickedness, And The people whom Hashem execrates for ever.
verse value 5908
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 96 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֤ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "though·says" (כִּי־תֹאמַ֨ר, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 16 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "though·says" (כִּי־תֹאמַ֨ר), "Edom" (אֱד֜וֹם), "we·were·beaten·down" (רֻשַּׁ֗שְׁנוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "though·says" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root שוב ("and·we·will·return") in Malachi. First appearance of the root בנה ("and·let·us·build") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·tear·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 8 words.
Rashi
“When Edom says, ‘We have been crushed.’” And if the destroyers of the Temple should say, ‘From the beginning we were poor, but now that we have grown rich from the plunder of Jerusalem, let us go back and rebuild our ruins’ — thus says the LORD, etc.
Ibn Ezra
"Ki, rashesenu" – from the root of "rash" (poor) and wealth.
"And they shall call them" – the callers [i.e., an indefinite subject].
Radak
"When you say, 'Edom, we have been crushed.' And if you say, 'The community of Edom, we have been crushed,' even though we are crushed and impoverished, and our land lies desolate, yet we shall return and rebuild the ruins, just as Israel did."
Thus says the Lord of Hosts: “They will build, and I will tear down.” If they build, I will tear down.
And they called their boundary “the border of wickedness.” That is to say, the entire world refers to their land as “the border of wickedness,” because, due to the wickedness of its inhabitants, it lies desolate forever. For their wickedness grew great before the Lord, in that they betrayed their brothers, the children of Jacob. And God, blessed be He, commanded Israel: “You shall not abhor the Edomite, for he is your brother.” Yet they did them evil in every way they could, and rejoiced in their destruction and exile, as it is stated in the prophecy of Obadiah. Therefore, the Lord’s wrath was kindled against them forever.
And the "vav" of "and we will return" is like the "vav" of "and Abraham lifted up his eyes," and others like them. And Jonathan [Targum Yonatan] rendered it with an addition that he added: "for the Edomites will say, 'We have become impoverished; now we have grown rich — let us return and rebuild the ruins.'"
Metzudat David
"If Edom says." If the destroyers of the Temple were to say: "Behold, now we are poor and destitute, and our land lies in ruins, but we shall yet return and rebuild the ruins"—for they would say this did not come about because of the LORD's hatred of us, that the destruction should be permanent; rather, it came by chance, and as it came, so shall it depart.
"They shall build." This means that indeed they will rebuild the desolated places and exercise great dominion; but in the end of the matter, I shall utterly destroy them, and they shall never again return to their former state.
"And they shall call them." From the enormity of their destruction, everyone will recognize that it came from the LORD, because they acted wickedly against Him; and he shall call them a border, and the people who were indignant against the LORD—forever they shall be called so, for it shall never again return to be restored.
Metzudat Zion
"We have been crushed." From the language of "poor" and "needy," and similarly, "one who pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth" (Proverbs 13:7):
Gevul. The matter of a district:
Anger. A matter of wrath:
Malbim
"When you say, 'Edom [says]...'" — so that they will not claim that all of this is not proof that it is due to the hatred that the Lord bears toward Esau; for one might argue that it is due to the astrological configuration and the constellation that does not prosper Esau, or that it is by chance. And from this there is no proof other than that He does not love Esau to watch over him with a specific providence to nullify from him the evil of the astrological configuration. But it is not proven from this that He hates him and actively does him harm. And this is what He says: 'When Edom says, "We have been shattered,"' — meaning that this did not come from the Lord and His hatred, but rather we were shattered due to nature or the constellation; and 'we will rebuild our ruins' — when our constellation rises from its lowliness, or when our strength prevails from the side of nature. 'Thus says the Lord': He answers them, 'They will build, but I will destroy.' Even though, according to nature, it would be required that they build, I will destroy due to providence, because of My hatred for them. And [the verse continues,] 'and they shall call them a region of wickedness' — [meaning] they will be called so because the cause of their destruction is for two reasons: 1) Because there is set a boundary of wickedness, opposite the boundary of the Lord, where He established the dwelling of holiness and righteousness, and where the Lord commanded the blessing; there is the boundary of the dwelling of wickedness and evil, the portion of Azazel, where there will always be desolation and waste. 2) Because they are the people upon whom the Lord was angry forever, due to their evil deeds.
And your eyes shall see, And you shall say: ‘Hashem is great beyond the border of Israel.’
verse value 2791
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·upon" (מֵעַ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·your·eyes" (וְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "and·your·eyes" (וְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם), "they·will·see" (תִּרְאֶ֑ינָה), "tell" (תֹּֽאמְרוּ֙). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "tell" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi). First appearance of the root ראה ("they·will·see") in Malachi. First appearance of the root אתה ("and·you") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·will·see', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם [and·your·eyes] (206) + תִּרְאֶ֑ינָה [they·will·see] (666) + וְאַתֶּ֤ם [and·you] (447) + תֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ [tell] (647) + יִגְדַּ֣ל [be·magnified] (47) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מֵעַ֖ל [from·upon] (140) + לִגְב֥וּל [to·border·of] (71) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 2791.
Rashi
“Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel.” He will show His greatness beyond our borders, to make known that we are His people. And Targum renders: “The glory of the LORD shall increase, and He shall widen the border of the land of Israel.”
Ibn Ezra
"And your eyes" – see this, and it would have been fitting that you acknowledge the Name and say, "Let the Lord be magnified."
It is possible that "beyond the border of Israel" is connected with "and you." Thus, it means: "You who dwell beyond the border, you shall say: 'Great is the Lord.'" And after explaining how the Lord loved Jacob, God turns to rebuke the honored ones among them, who are the teachers of the Torah, namely the priests.
Radak
"And your eyes shall see." Explanation: "Shall see" refers to seeing it in its state of destruction.
"And you shall say, 'Let the Lord be magnified.'" Explanation: "And you"—at that time you shall say, "Let the Lord be magnified beyond the borders of Israel." That is to say, you shall ascribe praise and greatness, for you dwell within your borders, while their borders lie in ruins; your border shall be called the border of Israel, and their border shall be called the border of wickedness.
Metzudat David
"And your eyes shall see." [You shall see] the enormity of its destruction.
"And you shall say, etc." This means that when you will be beyond the border of Israel in the time of the future redemption, then you shall say: "Now the Lord will be magnified in doing wonders continually."
Malbim
"And your eyes shall see the vengeance that the Lord will execute upon Edom," in accordance with the principle: "You shall see the retribution of the wicked." And you shall say, "Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel," for just as the wickedness shall be humbled and its border shall become a desolate ruin, so too does the Lord grow in His glory beyond the border of Israel, for when one rises, the other falls, in accordance with [the phrase], "I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste."
A son honours his father, And a servant his master; If then I be a father, Where is My honour? And if I be a master, Where is My fear? Says Hashem of hosts To you, O priests, that despise My name. And you say: ‘Wherein have we despised Your name?’
verse value 3836
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 100 letters. Notable word values: "he·shall·honor" (יְכַבֵּ֥ד) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "son·of" (בֵּ֛ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·if·masters" (וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, I. 11 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "son·of" (בֵּ֛ן), "he·shall·honor" (יְכַבֵּ֥ד), "and·servant" (וְעֶ֣בֶד). The root אדון appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root אב ("father") in Malachi. First appearance of the root עבד ("and·servant") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 19 words.
Rashi
“Son.” There is upon him the obligation to honor his father, and likewise a slave must honor his master. And you are called “sons” and “slaves.” Now, if I am your father, where is My honor?
The Lord of Hosts has said to you: You are the priests who despise My name.
“And you shall say, ‘In what have we despised?’” – meaning, I know that you will say to me, ‘In what have we despised?’ – behold, the very contempt [is evident].
Ibn Ezra
"A son shall honor his father" – It is known through the intellect of the heart that the son is obligated to honor the father, and the slave is compelled by his master; and the response is: "In what way have we scorned Your name?"
Radak
“A son shall honor his father, and a servant his master.” The explanation is that he shall fear his master, as it is stated, “Where is My fear?” And when it says, “A son shall honor his father, and a servant his master,” this is according to the well-known path of reason: it is fitting for a son to honor his father, and a servant is obligated to fear his master.
To you, priests, who despise My Name. He turned the honor of the son to the father; He first admonished the priests, for they were supposed to admonish and teach, as it is said, “And you shall come to the priests, the Levites” (Deut. 17:9). Not only are you not admonishing, but you are actually supporting the hands of the wicked who bring a despised offering.
"And you shall say, 'In what way have we despised Your Name?'" And the answer is in their statement, "The table of the LORD is despised." However, [the text] first mentions the defilement they engage in, which is what it says, "They present [defiled bread]," etc.
Metzudat David
“Let the son honor.” The verse is interpreted upward, to say: Since it is so that I love you for your own sake, is it not the way of a son to honor his father, because his father loved him?
Metzudat Zion
"Adonim" (My Lords). It is the way of Scripture to mention the name of Adonai in the plural form, and similarly, "Adonei Yosef" (Genesis 39:20).
Malbim
"Son," it says: "Behold, the son honors his father and is careful of his [father's] honor out of the love with which he loves his father; and a servant (honors) his master out of fear, because he rules over him and he fears his punishment. Therefore, he will not do anything that is hateful in his eyes. Now, if I am a father to you, since you are like children before Me, serving out of love, where is My honor? And if I am a master to you, since you are not in the measure of love, at any rate, should you not be required to fear My punishment, inasmuch as I am the Master of the entire world? Where is My awe? These two questions the Lord of Hosts said to you, the priests. And He explains the two questions: The question 'If I am a father, where is My honor?'—the Lord said to you, the priests, 'You who despise My name.' And the second question, 'If I am a master, where is My awe?' (the Lord said to you, the priests)."
You offer polluted bread upon Mine altar. And you say: ‘Wherein have we polluted you?’ In that you say: ‘The table of Hashem is contemptible.’
verse value 2359
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "bread" (לֶ֣חֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·altar" (עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "offering" (מַגִּישִׁ֤ים), "upon·altar" (עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙), "bread" (לֶ֣חֶם). The root גאל appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi). First appearance of the root נגש ("offering") in Malachi. First appearance of the root מזבח ("upon·altar") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'polluted·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: מַגִּישִׁ֤ים [offering] (403) + עַֽל־מִזְבְּחִי֙ [upon·altar] (167) + לֶ֣חֶם [bread] (78) + מְגֹאָ֔ל [redeemed] (74) + וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם [and·you·shall·say] (687) + בַּמֶּ֣ה [in·what] (47) + גֵאַלְנ֑וּךָ [polluted·you] (110) + בֶּאֱמׇרְכֶ֕ם [in·your·saying] (303) + שֻׁלְחַ֥ן [table] (388) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + נִבְזֶ֥ה [contemptible] (64) + הֽוּא [you] (12) = 2359.
Rashi
"Who present [defiled bread] on My altar, etc.": "And you say." That is to say, if you were to say, 'In what have we defiled You?' — [meaning:] we have defiled for You the bread of Your altar — I answer you: for by this you have defiled Me, in that you say, 'The table of the LORD, it is despised.' They would show contempt by dividing, each with his fellow, the meal-offerings and the sacred things, saying: 'Since it is forbidden for us to divide one meal-offering against another, or one sacrifice against another' — and it is a bother and a toil to divide up every single meal-offering for the sake of the olive's-bulk or the double portion that comes to each and every one.
Ibn Ezra
"Presenting" – that you are presenting [offerings]. And why do you say: "How have we defiled You?" This is the defilement, and this is what you did because My altar is despised in your eyes, and it is the table. And in Ezekiel it is written concerning the altar: "This is the table that is before the Lord."
Radak
"Presented": "defiled bread." A sacrifice, like "the bread of your God" — "the bread of your God," "the bread of the fire-offering," "My offering," "My bread" — [here] "defiled" means detestable and filthy, and it is [caused by] the lame, the blind, and the sick [animal].
"And you shall say, 'In what way have we defiled You?'" And how can you say, "In what way have we defiled You?" If you defile [it] with the blood of My altar, behold, you are defiling Me.
The table of the Lord. It is the altar, as it is also stated in Ezekiel regarding the altar: "This is the table that is before the Lord."
"It is despised." This means that they offer there the blood and the fats, which are despised things, and they do not take to heart why God, blessed be He, commanded them to offer blood and fats.
Metzudat David
"And you shall say." And if you were to say: "In what matter do we detest and defile Your sacrifices?"
In your saying. This means: I will answer you according to what you say: “The table of the Lord”—which is the altar, upon which they arrange the sacrifice for the Most High—is despised, because blood was sprinkled upon it and fat was offered on it, and the soul of man loathes them.
Metzudat Zion
They present. They offer:
Bread. So too, everything that is offered upon the altar is called “bread,” as it is stated: “My bread, My offerings” (Numbers 28:2).
"Defiled." It means "detestable and filthy," like [the phrase] "rebellious and defiled" (Zephaniah 3:1).
"We have defiled You." That is to say: "We have defiled and made abominable Your sacrifices."
Shelchan. This means the altar, upon which the offering is arranged for the Lord, similar to how one arranges items on a table, as it is stated: “And He spoke to me, ‘This is the table...’” (Ezekiel 41:22).
Malbim
They offer upon My altar defiled bread, meaning that from the perspective of honor and love of the Lord, it is not fitting that you should degrade My Name, for this is the opposite of honor; and from the perspective of awe, it is not fitting that you should offer defiled bread, for you ought to fear punishment. Regarding these two questions, He says, "And you say, 'In what way have we degraded Your Name?' And you say, 'In what way have we defiled You?'"—indicating that you deny this. He clarifies for them that they have degraded His Name and that they offered defiled bread. In response to the question "In what way have we degraded Your Name?" He answers, "By saying, 'The Lord's table is despised,'" meaning that you say that the sacrifice that comes upon the Lord's table—that is, upon the altar (as stated by Ezekiel, "This is the table that is before the Lord")—is a despised thing, upon which they offer contemptible items, fat and blood. By this, you degrade His Name and His honor. In response to the question "In what way have we defiled You?" He answers.
And when you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil! And when you offer the lame and sick, is it no evil! Present it now to your governor; will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person? Says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 5233
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 82 letters. Notable word values: "and·for" (וְכִ֥י) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "evil" (רָ֔ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·when·you·offer" (וְכִי־תַגִּישׁ֨וּן, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 270: evil, evil. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "and·when·you·offer" (וְכִי־תַגִּישׁ֨וּן), "blind" (עִוֵּ֤ר), "to·slaughter" (לִזְבֹּ֙חַ֙). The root כי appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root כי ("and·when·you·offer") in Malachi. First appearance of the root אין ("nothing") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 10 words.
Rashi
There is no evil. And is this thing not evil?
Ibn Ezra
And indeed, there is no evil in your eyes.
"To your governor" – like: the governor of Judah.
הירצך - that He may love you in His heart.
"Or will he show you favor" – [meaning] to grant your request.
Radak
"And when you present [it]." When they bring to you a blind sheep to slaughter and offer as a sacrifice, you say, "There is nothing wrong with it; it is good to offer it," because the table is despised, and the offering is not defective such that it should be despised, and yet you present it upon My altar. You ought to have said to those who bring it, "It is defective to offer it," as it is written in the Torah: "One that is blind or broken… you shall not offer these to the LORD." But you show favor to those who bring it, and you accept the inferior, and you say, "There is nothing wrong."
"Bring it now to your governor." How can you say that it is not a bad thing to offer it before Me? And if you offer it to your governor, a creature of flesh and blood, will he accept you with that same gift, or will he show you favor because of it? If you ask him for something, he will hate you because of it, and he will be angry with you. "Your governor" [פחתך] is related to "the governor of Judah" [פחת יהודה]; the segol under the פ stands in place of a large patach; and it means the ruler and the authority, as in the Targum: "your authority."
Metzudat David
“And when you present a blind [animal].” And because of this, even when you present a blind [animal] for sacrifice, it is not evil in your eyes, since the altar is despised in your eyes; it is as if saying, “Behold, in this you detest My offering,” and this is the desecration of My Name.
"Bring it near." Examine the matter for yourself, and bring one of these as a gift to your governor — would he be pleased with you, through this gift, to remove from you your guilt for the transgression you committed against him? Or would he show you favor, to honor you, for such a gift, if you brought it to him without any prior wrongdoing?
"Hashem said." This means: Thus said Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
"Lame." [Meaning] crippled and limping:
“Your governor.” The term denotes a ruler and sovereign, as in “the governor of Judah” (Haggai 1:1).
"Lift up your countenance." This language is used to denote honor, as it is written, "an elder and a man of honor" (Isaiah 3:2-3).
Malbim
"And if you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is this not evil? And even more so, if you present one that is lame and sick, whose defect is more apparent than that of a blind animal — is this not evil either? Indeed, in this you present defiled bread [i.e., a flawed offering], since a blemished animal is not desired for a sacrifice. 'Offer it now to your governor.' If you were to bring such a tribute before the governor of Judah, who is a mere mortal (flesh and blood), 'Would he accept you?'—that is, would he accept such a tribute favorably? Or, 'Would he show you favor?' Even if you were a person worthy of having favor shown to you, he would no longer show you favor once his anger had been aroused against you because of this insult."
And now, I pray you, entreat the favour of God That He may be gracious to us!— This has been of your doing.— Will He accept any of your persons? Says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 3181
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 55 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "this" (זֹּ֔את, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·may·He·be·gracious·to·us" (וִֽיחׇנֵּ֑נוּ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "entreat·now" (חַלּוּ־נָ֥א), "the·face·of·God" (פְנֵי־אֵ֖ל), "and·may·He·be·gracious·to·us" (וִֽיחׇנֵּ֑נוּ). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root עתה ("now") in Malachi. First appearance of the root היה ("was") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·may·He·be·gracious·to·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 9 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֛ה [now] (481) + חַלּוּ־נָ֥א [entreat·now] (95) + פְנֵי־אֵ֖ל [the·face·of·God] (171) + וִֽיחׇנֵּ֑נוּ [and·may·He·be·gracious·to·us] (130) + מִיֶּדְכֶם֙ [from·your·hand] (114) + הָ֣יְתָה [was] (420) + זֹּ֔את [this] (408) + הֲיִשָּׂ֤א [will·lift] (316) + מִכֶּם֙ [from·you] (100) + פָּנִ֔ים [face] (180) + אָמַ֖ר [said] (241) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + צְבָאֽוֹת [hosts] (499) = 3181.
Rashi
“And now, entreat the favor of [God].” And now, you priests who commit this evil, how can it enter your hearts to be Israel's emissaries to seek compassion for them? Behold, it was from your hand that this evil came!
"Will He accept?" [I.e., will He accept] your faces — to hear prayer from your mouths, and to show favor to those who sent you.
Ibn Ezra
"And now" – it was the practice of righteous priests to pray on behalf of Israel, as it is written in the book of Joel: "Let the priests weep" [Joel 2:17], and there it is written: "And the LORD was zealous for His land" [Joel 2:18]. And the meaning of "entreat now the favor of the LORD" concerns the curse with which we are cursed, as it is written further in this same verse: "that He may be gracious to us," for because of you this evil has come; and this is the meaning of "it was from your hand that this happened to you."
Radak
"And now, if you return to Him and seek His face with a sincere heart, He will still show mercy to you and do good for you." And it is said, "and may He be gracious to us," for the prophet shares in their distress. Furthermore, this is to include himself within the general category of Israel, as our teacher Moses, of blessed memory, said, "Forgive our iniquity and our sin." And he learned this matter from God, blessed be He, as He said to him, "How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and My teachings?"
"This was from your own hand. This is the curse that is upon you, as it is stated below, 'And also its curses are from your own hand.' This is the curse that you bring about by doing evil in the eyes of the Lord; therefore, He sends a curse upon you."
"Will He show you favor?" Do you perhaps imagine that He will show favor to any one of you, so as not to rebuke you for your evil deeds? But He shows no favor and takes no bribe. And Targum Yonatan renders it: "Will favor be shown to you?" And so Onkelos translated "who shows no favor" [Deut. 10:17]: "There is none who receives faces before Him" [i.e., shows no favoritism]. It is not fitting to attribute to Him the showing of favor.
Metzudat David
"And now, please entreat." Make a test, and plead on our behalf before God, whether He will show us favor because of your prayer. Is it not that the curse now being sent forth comes on your account? And would He, because of you, show us favor? Is it not that an accuser cannot become a defender?
Metzudat Zion
Chalu. The matter of prayer is like "And Moses entreated" (Exodus 32:11):
"And may He be gracious to us." From the language of pardon and compassion.
Malbim
And now, if a mere mortal (flesh and blood) would not accept such a tribute, how can you imagine that you will supplicate the favor of God with this tribute, and He will be gracious to us? [This is said] with astonishment [i.e., as a rhetorical question]. And this corresponds to what was said, "Will He accept you?" and to what was said, "Will He show you favor?" He explains: since it was from your own hand that this came about—that you, the priests, caused Him to become angry with you by what you brought before Him, a blemished animal—how then will He show you favor?
Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors, That you might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, Says Hashem of hosts, Neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
verse value 3394
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·kindle" (וְלֹא־תָאִ֥ירוּ, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "who?" (מִ֤י), "also·among·you" (גַם־בָּכֶם֙), "and·let·him·shut" (וְיִסְגֹּ֣ר). The root בכם appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root מי ("who?") in Malachi. First appearance of the root בכם ("also·among·you") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'freely', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Rashi
“Who among you will also close the doors?” I wish that a good man would arise among you to close the doors of My Sanctuary, so that this abominable offering would not be brought there.
"And you shall not light My altar for nothing." [Meaning:] with fires that I take no pleasure in, for behold I have no desire in you. And our Sages expounded in the Sifra: A person says to his fellow, "Shut this door for me," he does not demand payment for it; "Light this lamp for me," he does not ask for payment for it. But you — who among you has shut My doors for nothing, or not lit My altar for nothing? How much more so, you would not do for nothing things that are normally done for payment. Therefore, I have no desire in you.
Ibn Ezra
"Who would give that others, or one of you, would be so, that others or one of you would close the gates of the Temple Court."
"And you shall not kindle" – [this means] "you shall kindle," derived from the root of "I saw light," and all [such terms] are derived from the root "light."
Radak
"Is there also among you" — meaning, are you so wicked? Would that there were among you even one man who would take to heart the matter of the abhorrent sacrifices.
"And he shall shut the doors." He shall shut the doors of the Temple Court, so that no person shall bring an offering there, for it is better that they not bring an offering at all than that they bring it in a despised state.
“And you shall not kindle upon My altar a vain fire.” “And you shall not kindle” – just as women who come to light it, they kindle it; the meaning is: in vain you will kindle fire upon the altar, for the sacrifice that you will offer upon it will not be acceptable to you, nor to those who bring it. This is what it says: “I have no pleasure in you,” for your deeds are evil and your offering is not acceptable; even if it were good, how much more so since it is evil, and I have no pleasure or desire, neither in your offering nor in you.
Metzudat David
“Who is there among you?” Would that there were someone among you who would close the gates of the Temple, so that no one would come there to trample upon its courtyard!
"And you shall not kindle." You shall not light a fire on My altar for no purpose.
“I have no desire for you to come and appear before Me in the Temple; and if so, it would have been proper to close the gates of the Temple.”
"I will not desire." I will not accept them from your hands willingly, as if to say, "Why then do you kindle fire upon My altar in vain?"
Metzudat Zion
“Kindle.” This means “light up,” as it is said, “Women shall come to light her” (Isaiah 27:11).
Chefetz. The matter of desire:
"And the Minchah." So too, all sacrifices that are brought as a Minchah or as a gift are called "Minchah." And likewise, "and the offering of [Judah and Jerusalem] shall be pleasing to the LORD" (below, ch. 3):
Malbim
"Who among you will close the doors?" He adds to say that, besides the sacrifice, it is also fitting for you, on your part, to close the doors—do not come to My house. And if you do come there, it is fitting that you not kindle My altar in vain. He explains against whom "Who among you will close the doors?" applies: for I have no desire in you, and I do not want you to come to My house. And against "Do not kindle My altar in vain," he explains: "For I have no pleasure in your offerings," even if they were without blemish. And this also serves to limit what was stated regarding "Will He accept you?" or "Will He regard you?" And against "Will He regard you," and as it is stated "Will He regard you?" he says: "Who among you" who thinks that I will regard him favorably because he is esteemed in My sight—let him close the doors and not come to My house, for I have no desire in you. And against what was stated "Will He accept you?" he says: "And do not kindle My altar," for I have no pleasure in your offerings.
For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; And in every place offerings are presented to My name, Even pure oblations; For My name is great among the nations, Says Hashem of hosts.
verse value 4454
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 85 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֥ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·the·rising·of·the·sun" (מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֜מֶשׁ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 350: my·name, my·name. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "from·the·rising·of·the·sun" (מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֜מֶשׁ), "and·until·its·entrance" (וְעַד־מְבוֹא֗וֹ), "and·in·every·place" (וּבְכׇל־מָק֗וֹם). The root שם appears 3 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root גדול ("great") in Malachi. First appearance of the root גוי ("among·the·nations") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pure', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
"My Name is great among the nations." Our Sages said that [the nations] call Me "God of gods"; even one who practices idolatry knows (that there is a God) Who is over all [the idols]. And in every place they bring freewill offerings to My Name, even the idolaters. And our Sages explained: these are the Torah scholars who engage in the laws of the [Temple] service in every place; and likewise all the prayers of Israel that are prayed in every place are to Me like a pure meal-offering. And so did Yonatan render in the Targum: "And whenever you do My will, I accept your prayers, and My great Name is sanctified through you, and your prayer is like a pure offering before Me." And so the verse explains: "And why do you profane My Name, when it is great among the nations?" And I love you and cherish you, in that wherever you pray before Me, even in exile, it is offered up and presented to My Name.
"And a pure meal-offering." It is Mine, for through you My Name is revered among the nations, yet you profane Me and My Name.
Ibn Ezra
"For from the rising of the sun"— from the end of the earth to the end of the earth, so is the settlement, and in every place, had I commanded [it], they would offer to Me a precious thing, a burnt offering would be presented before Me, and a pure meal offering; or a burnt offering there, like incense, and they would heed My voice to magnify My great Name. Afterwards, the wise teacher explained to me regarding this verse a very accurate interpretation, which is closely connected to the matter: for the prophet, concerning the disgrace and the defilement, since they were desecrating the Name, therefore he says: for in all the settlement, from the rising of the sun to its setting, great is My Name among the nations, and honored; and in every place in the world, this thing is reckoned in My eyes, that they honor and magnify My Name, as if in every place they would bring before Me, for My Name, every burnt offering and presented offering worthy of My honor.
"And a pure meal-offering" – Not as you are doing, to bring before Me bread that is defiled, and a blind animal, and a lame animal, and a sick animal; and it is not evil in your eyes. And why do you not set your hearts to mind? Great is My Name among the nations, and you profane it.
Radak
"For from the rising of the sun until its setting." All inhabited land extends from east to west, but it is not so from north to south, for it is not entirely inhabited.
"My Name is great among the nations." For even though they worship the heavenly host, they acknowledge Me as the First Cause; it is only that they worship them according to their understanding, so that they may serve as intermediaries between Me and them. And our Sages of blessed memory stated that they call Him "the God of gods."
"And in every place, incense is offered and presented to My name." If I had commanded them as I commanded you, they would offer sacrifices and present offerings to My name, and moreover, they would present a pure offering, not as you do, that you present an impure and abominable offering. Or its interpretation is: even though they offer sacrifices and present offerings to idolatry, their intention is for My name.
Metzudat David
"For from the rising of the sun." From the place where the sun rises until the place where it sets, My name is great among the idolaters, for they all acknowledge Him, blessed be He, as the First Cause that influences them all; only some of them consider that the governance of the lower world comes entirely from the arrangement of the heavens.
And in every place where an offering is burned, it is brought before Me. The verse teaches that what the worshippers of foreign gods burn as offerings to the celestial bodies, in order to appease them, their intention is that through this they will honor and serve their primary cause. And in this they are truly mistaken, for the light of the Torah and prophecy did not shine upon them.
"And a pure meal-offering." And what they bring for the sacrifice and offering is pure and clean according to their opinion, which appears in their eyes.
"For My name is great among the nations." Therefore, according to their error, they will offer a pure offering to the heavenly bodies.
Metzudat Zion
"His coming." The matter of "setting" is like "when the sun had set" (Genesis 21):
muktar. The word is from the root of ketoret (incense offering):
Mugash. The matter of the offering:
Malbim
"For from the rising of the sun to its setting" — although all the nations serve idolatry, nevertheless My name is great among the nations, for they all know that there is a First Cause supreme over all, and they call Him 'God of gods.' However, they say that His honor does not extend to overseeing the lowly, and that He has entrusted the governance of this lowly world to His servants, like a king who entrusts governance to his ministers and servants and desires that they be honored because they are those who stand close to the king, and they are the intermediaries between Him and the people, and their honor is the honor of the king. Likewise, all that they burn incense to the stars and constellations is because they say that these are those close to the First Cause and receive the emanation from Him. And this is what it says: 'And in every place incense is offered, presented, to My name.' That which is presented to My name is what is offered incense — that is to say, they burn sacrifices to whoever is presented and close to the Name of the Lord. And whoever they consider to be presented to the Name of the Lord, to him they burn incense; that is, they burn incense to him. And on this account they burn incense to the heavenly host, whom they consider to be presented and close to the Name of the Lord. And they burn to them a pure and clean offering, not one with a blemish or things that are unclean and insignificant. And this is because 'My name is great among the nations,' to the extent that they honor all that is presented to His name and close to Him.
But you profane it, In that you say: ‘The table of Hashem is polluted, And the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible.’
verse value 2055
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "you" (ה֔וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "profaning" (מְחַלְּלִ֣ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 74: redeemed, and·its·fruit. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "profaning" (מְחַלְּלִ֣ים), "my·lord" (אֲדֹנָי֙), "and·its·fruit" (וְנִיב֖וֹ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·your·saying" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi). First appearance of the root חלל ("profaning") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְאַתֶּ֖ם [and·you] (447) + מְחַלְּלִ֣ים [profaning] (158) + אוֹת֑וֹ [him] (413) + בֶּאֱמׇרְכֶ֗ם [in·your·saying] (303) + שֻׁלְחַ֤ן [table] (388) + אֲדֹנָי֙ [my·lord] (65) + מְגֹאָ֣ל [redeemed] (74) + ה֔וּא [you] (12) + וְנִיב֖וֹ [and·its·fruit] (74) + נִבְזֶ֥ה [contemptible] (64) + אׇכְלֽוֹ [his·food] (57) = 2055.
Rashi
"And its byword — its food — is despised." The byword about the altar that is current on your lips: this refers to the Tamid [daily offering]; "its food is despised" — you say about it, meaning: you have already spread this slander about it, and you have maintained this byword regarding My altar.
"Its food." [Meaning] its food/its nourishment.
Ibn Ezra
"And you ... it is defiled, and its produce is despised, its food" – the meaning is doubled: "and its produce" – it is its bread, from the root of "increase." And so too, "the fruit of the lips," which is the fruit of the lips, for every thing has its fruit according to its nature.
Radak
“And you profane it.” This is the opposite of the nations, who honor and magnify My Name. For is there a greater profanation than that you say, “The Lord’s table is defiled,” which means it is despised?
"And his speech is despised, they eat it." His speech, that is, his words, like the "speech of the lips," meaning the words of the priest who offers the sacrifice. What are they? That which he always says: "It is despised, they eat it." That is to say, the bread of the altar, and "they eat it" refers to the fat and blood, which are defiled and despised. And there are those who explain that "his speech" is from the root of "tenuvah" (produce). And the Targum says: "In a pot it is, and in their pots is the portion from it."
Metzudat David
"And you." But you profane the Lord by saying that the Lord's table, which is the altar, is detestable, because blood was sprinkled upon it and fat was offered up in smoke upon it, things in which the human soul takes disgust. And because of this, you also offer up blemished animals, as stated above.
"And its utterance." This means: the saying about the altar that is customary in your mouths to speak of it is to say, "Behold, its food that is placed upon it is despised and detestable." And this is a repetition of the matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"And its utterance." The meaning is "speech," as in "Creator of the utterance of the lips" (Isaiah 57:19):
"Its food." [Same as] "its food":
Malbim
"And you profane it" — you profane the Name of the Lord by saying, "The Lord's table is defiled," for even though you offer to Him Himself, and not to those presented to His name [i.e., to intermediaries, as the nations do], nevertheless His table, which is the altar, is what is presented to His name, and it is fitting that you honor it. Yet you say that it is defiled. "And its fruit is despised, its food" — this means that on the Lord's table, which is the altar, there were two matters: a) things offered on the altar to the Lord, such as the fat and blood of the sacrifices, and regarding these you say that they are defiled; b) its fruits and produce, namely the sacred meat eaten by the priests, such as the meat of the sin-offering and the guilt-offering, and that which is eaten by the owners, such as the meat of the minor sancta, which they eat from the "high table," as it is stated, "The priests eat from the high table." And this is its "fruit" — meaning its produce and the fruit of the table — regarding this you say that its food is despised: you despise the food of the sacred meat, and it is despised in your eyes.
You say also: ‘Behold, what a weariness is it!’ And you have snuffed at it, Says Hashem of hosts; And you have brought that which was taken by violence, And the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring the offering; Should I accept this of your hand? Says Hashem.
verse value 6519
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 95 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֨ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·sick" (וְאֶת־הַ֣חוֹלֶ֔ה, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 454: and·you·shall·bring, and·you·shall·bring. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "what a weariness" (מַתְּלָאָ֜ה), "and·have·snuffed" (וְהִפַּחְתֶּ֣ם), "seized" (גָּז֗וּל). The root אמר appears 3 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "and·you·shall·say" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root הן ("they") in Malachi. First appearance of the root בוא ("and·you·shall·bring") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·gift', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 5 words.
Rashi
And you shall say, "Behold, it is a meager offering." [This refers to] a lean animal, for we are poor and unable to obtain [offerings] of choice for our vows. And so too does the Targum [render it]: "This is what we have brought out of our weariness."
"And you shall diminish it." This is one of the eighteen words of the Scribes' Emendation: [the text] should have read "Me," but Scripture euphemized it and wrote "it." "And you shall diminish" and "you shall cause grief" are expressions of a "failing of the soul" (cf. Job 11:20).
"Me." And "My table":
Ibn Ezra
"And you shall say" – "Metelah" is written without the letter heh, similar to "This" in the phrase "What is this in your hand?" – "What is this affliction?" – because of the curse, there is no bread to place on the table.
“And you diminish it” – meaning that it is like soot, and it lacks sufficient substance.
"And you shall bring" – Behold, the table is bare, and upon the altar is [merely] a meal offering; it is not as I desired.
Radak
"And you shall say." Now he shall reprove Israel, who bring the offering: you shall say, when you bring the lamb to the Azarah (the Court), "Behold, it is burdensome." That is to say, each one shall say to his fellow when he brings the offering, "How much effort and burden I have endured from this lamb that I carried on my shoulders," meaning that it was fat and fleshy.
"And you shall diminish it." They threw it on the ground in a contemptuous manner. And so Targum Yonatan renders it: "and you cast it off" — like [the phrase] "and the LORD shook off" (Exodus 14:27), whose Targum is "and the LORD cast off." And there are those who explain it from the sense of "mafach nefesh" (deflation of spirit), meaning grief of soul; that is, you shall pain and grieve the soul of the owner of the lamb, because you stole it, as it says, "and you bring the stolen." And my father and teacher, of blessed memory, explained "and you shall diminish it" from the sense of one who blows on a charcoal fire; that is, they say that they are weary and worn out from the burden of the offering they carried on their shoulders, claiming that it is fat and fleshy, whereas it is the opposite, for it is so lean and thin of flesh that if you blew on it, it would fall to the ground. And Targum Yonatan renders "behold, what a weariness" as: "this is what we have brought, out of our weariness."
Metzudat David
"And you shall say, 'Behold, it has wearied me.'" This means that when you bring as an offering a lean and emaciated lamb, you will lie and say, "Behold, I have become weary and exhausted from the burden of the lamb that I carried on my shoulders, for it was fat and fleshy." And your words are a source of frustration to the Omnipresent, blessed be He, for you have the audacity to lie before Him.
"And you have diminished it." This is a scribal correction (tikkun sofrim); the proper reading should be "Me," and without the correction it would mean that he was saying: "Behold, He is not fleshy and heavy to carry, for He is lean and light to carry, until you can shake Him with a puff of the mouth's breath." And this is a matter of exaggeration.
"And you shall bring." Even you bring before [the altar] a stolen sacrifice, a lame animal, and a sick animal.
"And you shall bring the meal-offering." This means: Since you will bring the sacrifice and the gift from one of these, how can I accept it favorably from your hands?
Metzudat Zion
Metelah. The meaning is weariness and toil, as in "all this trouble" (Exodus 18):
"And you have snuffed at it." The meaning is grief and sorrow, like "a failing of the soul" (Job 11), or it is from the language of blowing [hafachah] and a gusting of wind:
Malbim
"And you shall say" — the explanation of Abarbanel is that they were inflating the sacrificial animal, meaning they were blowing air between the skin and the flesh so that it would appear fat. And when they brought it upon their shoulder, he would say, "Behold, what a burden," meaning that it was a great burden and toil for him to carry it due to its excessive weight. In truth, however, they had inflated it, and it was full of air. Besides the fact that they brought a lean and inflated sacrifice, they also brought stolen property, which is a commandment fulfilled through a transgression, and they brought the lame and the diseased, which are disqualified for sacrifice. And they brought with it the meal offering, which is the libation meal offering, for the meal offering indicates that the sacrifice is accepted before the Lord as a pleasing aroma; [yet He says,] "Will I accept it from your hands?" since the body of the sacrifice is disqualified.
But cursed be he that deals craftily, Whereas he has in his flock a male, And vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a blemished thing; For I am a great King, Says Hashem of hosts, And My name is feared among the nations.
verse value 4134
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4134 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּי֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·cursed" (וְאָר֣וּר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, among·the·nations. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Malachi. Unique to this verse in Malachi (hapax): "and·cursed" (וְאָר֣וּר), "dealing·craftily" (נוֹכֵ֗ל), "and·there·is" (וְיֵ֤שׁ). 19 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 46x in Malachi); "said" (root אמר, 40x in Malachi); "hosts" (root צבא, 23x in Malachi). First appearance of the root ארר ("and·cursed") in Malachi. First appearance of the root שחת ("blemished") in Malachi. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 10 words.
Rashi
"The cheat." He schemes with deceit, with false words, before Me, saying, "I have nothing better than this."
And there is a male in his flock: a ram fit for a burnt-offering, yet he vows [a different] offering.
"mishchat. A blemished one, like (Leviticus 22): 'their blemish is in them.'"
Ibn Ezra
"And cursed is the cunning man, and there is in his flock" – "cunning" is derived from the root of "their cunning," meaning through deceit.
"Zachar" – which means it is unblemished.
"And blemished" – like something that is cast away.
Radak
"And cursed is the swindler." [This refers to] one who devises an evil thought and acts with cunning. Similarly, from the geminate [dagesh] form: "which they practiced deceit against you" (Numbers 25:18), [and] "they conspired against him to kill him" (cf. Genesis 37:18). And so the Targum renders it: "to kill him with cunning."
"And there is a male in his flock." Explanation: An unblemished male; and likewise, "like wool" means like white wool, a matter learned from its context; and there are many like it.
"And he who vows and sacrifices a blemished offering." The one who vows: because there is an offering that is fit for a voluntary offering but is not fit for a vow, such as one with an extended or stunted limb; therefore it states "and he who vows," to teach that even for a vow one brings an offering that is blemished. "Blemished" means that it has a defect, related to the sense of "corruption," like "for their corruption is in them," except that here it is a noun, whereas there it is a verb.
"For I am a great king. And how could you dishonor me?"
"And My name is awesome among the nations." And you, whom I have loved more than all the nations, shall not fear Me.
Metzudat David
"And cursed is the one who deceives." Cursed is the one who schemes by claiming that he does not possess a choice animal for sacrifice beyond what he has brought, whereas in truth there is in his flock a choice, good male animal fit for a burnt-offering.
And he vows. And it is [the one who] vows and offers to the Lord a sheep that is damaged and emaciated:
For I am a great king. And it is therefore fitting to offer before Me from the choicest.
"And My name is awesome among the nations." All the idolaters fear Me.
Metzudat Zion
And cursed. The matter of a curse:
"The cheat." The meaning is cunning, like "and they plotted against him" (Genesis 37):
Malbim
And cursed is the swindler, the vessel that schemes to devise crafty schemes of iniquity by completing it, and there is in his flock a male, yet he has no excuse, for he has no other sacrifice, and he vows and offers a blemished offering to the Lord. He schemes for evil in three matters: 1) He was fit to bring as a voluntary offering the male found in his flock, namely, to say, "Behold, this one," which is called a voluntary offering, but instead he makes a vow, saying, "Behold, I am obligated to bring a sacrifice," and he waits until a time when the male is no longer found in his flock. 2) He was fit to bring it as a burnt offering, which is entirely consumed on the altar, but instead he brings a peace offering, namely, one whose meat is for the owners. 3) He was fit, in any case, to bring an unblemished sacrifice, but instead he brings a blemished one, which is a blemished animal. Therefore, this swindler shall be cursed, for I am a great King, and according to the greatness of the King, the punishment for one who profanes His honor is increased, and My name is awesome also among the nations; how then should not a man of the children of Israel tremble before Me?
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim