Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Reproof for the non-payment of tithes and offerings, which is the cause of their national calamities, and promise of prosperity on their paying them. Verse 7. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away. Ye live as your fathers did when they brought on themselves the Babylonian captivity, and ye wish to follow in their steps. This shows that nothing but God's unchanging long-suffering had prevented their being long ago "consumed" (Malachi 3:6).
Return unto me - in penitence.
And I will return unto you - in blessings.
But ye said, Wherein shall we return? - (cf. Malachi 1:7; Malachi 2:17; Malachi 3:8; Malachi 3:13). The same insensibility to their guilt continues: they speak in the tone of injured innocence, as if God calumniated them.
Verse 8. Will a man rob God - literally, cover х qaaba` (H6906)], hence, defraud. Do ye call defrauding God no sin to be "returned" from? (Malachi 3:7.) Ye have done so to me in respect to the tithes due to me-namely, the tenth of all the reminder after the first-fruits were paid, which tenth was paid to the Levites for their support (Leviticus 27:30-33): a tenth paid by the Levies to the priests (Numbers 18:26-28): a second tenth paid by the people for the entertainment of the Levites and their own families at the tabernacle (Deuteronomy 12:18): another tithe every third year for the poor, etc. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29).
Offerings - the first-fruits, not less than one-sixtieth part of the core, wine, and oil (Deuteronomy 18:4). The priests had this perquisite, also the tenth of the tithes, which were the Levites' perquisite. But they appropriated all the tithes, robbing the Levites of their due nine-tenths; as they did also, according to Josephus, before the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus. Thus doubly was God defrauded-the priests not discharging aright their sacrificial duties, and robbing God of the services of the Levites, who were driven away by destitution, (Grotius). The priests connived at the people's blemished offerings (Malachi 1:7-10; Malachi 1:13-14) and neglect of the due payment of the Levites' tithes, in order to ingratiate themselves with the people, and get to themselves whatever offerings were presented. This was the first abuse rectified by Nehemiah on his return to Jerusalem, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 13:6-13).
Verse 9. Ye are cursed with a curse - (Malachi 2:2). As ye despoil me, so I despoil you, as I threatened I would, if ye continued to disregard me. In trying to defraud God we only defraud ourselves. The eagle who robbed the altar set fire to her nest from the burning coal that adhered to the stolen flesh. So men who retain God's money in their treasuries will find it a losing possession. No man over yet lost by serving God with a whole heart, nor gained by serving Him with a half one. We may comprise with conscience for the half the price, but God will not endorse the compromise; and, like Ananias and Sapphire, we shall loss not only what we thought we had purchased so cheaply, but also the price we paid for it. If we would have God "open" His treasury we must open ours. One cause of the barrenness of the Church is the parsimony of its members (Moore).
Verse 10. Bring ye all the tithes - if ye desire to be prospered by the Lord (Proverbs 3:9-10).
Into the storehouse - (margin, 2 Chronicles 31:11: cf. 1 Chronicles 26:20; Nehemiah 10:38). "Eliashib the priest, having oversight of the chamber of the house of God," having become "allied to Tobiah," had, in Nehemiah's absence, given him the use of the "great chamber" which had been previously used as the "storehouse" of the tithes which ought to have been paid to the Levites. Malachi here supports Nehemiah in his resolute restoration of the chamber to its right use. Nehemiah "cast forth all the stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber," and cleansed it (Nehemiah 13:4-12), and caused "all Judah to bring the tithe of the grain, new wine, and the oil unto the treasuries" (margin, ''(storehouses'). Prove me now herewith - with this, by doing so. Test me whether I will keep my promise of blessing you, on condition of your doing your part. God was the same promise-keeping God now as in the days of Hezekiah, to whom "Azariah the chief print said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty; for the Lord hath blessed His people, and that which is left is this great store" (2 Chronicles 31:10).
If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing - (2 Kings 7:2), literally, empty out: image from a vessel completely emptied of its contents; no blessing being kept back.
That there shall not be room enough to receive it, х `ad (H5703) bªliy (H1097) daay (H1767)] - literally, even to not ... sufficiency - i:e., either, as the English version. Or, even so as that there should be 'not' merely 'sufficiency,' but super-abundance (Jerome, Maurer). Gesenius, not so well, translates, 'even to a failure of sufficiency,' which in the case of God could never arise, and therefore means forever, perpetually; so Psalms 72:7, "Abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth" - literally х `ad (H5703) bªliy (H1097) yaareeach (H3394)], until there be no moon, or until a failure of the moon, which is never to be, and therefore means forever. I prefer the English version.
Verse 11. And I will rebuke the devourer (note, Malachi 2:3). I will no longer 'rebuke' (English version, "corrupt") the seed,' but will rebuke every agency that could hurt it (Amos 4:9).
Verse 12. And all nations shall call you blessed - fulfilling the blessing (Deuteronomy 33:29; Zechariah 8:13).
For ye shall be a delightsome land - (Daniel 8:9).