SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:8
Y cuando ofrecéis el animal ciego para sacrificar, ¿no es malo? Asimismo cuando ofrecéis el cojo o el enfermo, ¿no es malo? Preséntalo, pues, a tu príncipe; ¿acaso se agradará de ti, o le serás acepto? Dijo el SEÑOR de los ejércitos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Malachi 1:8
Verse 8. Offer it now unto thy governor] tjp pechath, a word signifying a lieutenant, or viceroy, among the Chaldeans, Syrians, and Persians; for neither at this time, nor ever after, was there a king in Israel.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, [is it] not evil ? etc.] Certainly it is, according to the law in ( Leviticus 22:22) or, as Kimchi interprets it, when they bring to you a lamb that is blind for sacrifice to offer it up, ye say, this is not evil; but it is good to offer it up, because the table is contemptible. The sense is, that, however evil this may be in itself, according to them it was good enough to be offered up upon the altar; which proves that they despised the name of the Lord, offered polluted bread or sacrifice on his altar, and had his table in contempt: and if ye offer the lame and sick, [is it] not evil ? verily it is, by the law of God, which forbids the offering of such things, ( Leviticus 22:21,22) ( Deuteronomy 15:21) this was always observed, in all sacrifices under the law, that they were perfect, and without any blemish, whether of the flock, or of the herd; and this was strictly observed, even by the Heathens themselves: so Achilles, in Homer f24 , speaks of the perfect lambs and goats they offered in sacrifice; and particularly they were not to be lame, or to halt; such were reckoned choice and excellent sacrifices, which were larger and better fed than others; and which were not lame, nor diseased, nor sickly; for things future could not be known, they say, but from a sound victim f25 ; for they pretended to have knowledge of them, by the entrails of the sacrifices. So Pliny observes, that this is to be remarked, that calves brought to the altar on men’s shoulders are not to be sacrificed; nor are the gods appeased by one that halts; in short, it is said f27 , whatever is not perfect and sound is not to be offered to them; and, besides these here mentioned in the text, there were many others, which the Jews especially observed, which rendered creatures unfit for sacrifice. Maimonides f28 reckons up no less than fifty blemishes, by reason of which the priests under the law might not offer a creature for sacrifice: no doubt but the laws of Moses concerning this matter had a respect to the pure, perfect, and spotless sacrifice of Christ, which the legal ones were typical of; and teach us this lesson, that, without a complete sacrifice, no atonement or satisfaction for sin could be made: or, it is not evil in your eyes, as Aben Ezra glosses it; which is the same as before: offer it now unto thy governor ; to Zerubbabel, who was governor of Judea at this time, ( Haggai 1:1) for they had no king. The meaning is, offer a lamb or any other creature that is blind, sick, and lame; make a present of it to him that had the government of them; make trial this way, and see how acceptable it would be to him: will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts ; will he thank thee for it, or have any respect to thee on account of it? but, on the contrary, will he not resent it as an affront to him? and if so it would be with an earthly prince, how can it be thought that to offer the blind, lame, and sick, should be acceptable to the King of kings, and Lord of lords?
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-14 - We may each charge upon ourselves what is here charged upon the priests. Our relation to God, as our Father and Master, strongl obliges us to fear and honour him. But they were so scornful that the derided reproof. Sinners ruin themselves by trying to baffle their convictions. Those who live in careless neglect of holy ordinances, wh attend on them without reverence, and go from them under no concern, in effect say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. They despised God' name in what they did. It is evident that these understood not the meaning of the sacrifices, as shadowing forth the unblemished Lamb of God; they grudged the expense, thinking all thrown away which did no turn to their profit. If we worship God ignorantly, and withou understanding, we bring the blind for sacrifice; if we do it carelessly, if we are cold, dull, and dead in it, we bring the sick; i we rest in the bodily exercise, and do not make heart-work of it, we bring the lame; and if we suffer vain thoughts and distractions to lodge within us, we bring the torn. And is not this evil? Is it not great affront to God, and a great wrong and injury to our own souls? I order to the acceptance of our actions with God, it is not enough to d that which, for the matter of it, is good; but we must do it from right principle, in a right manner, and for a right end. Our constan mercies from God, make worse our slothfulness and niggardliness, in ou returns of duty to God. A spiritual worship shall be established Incense shall be offered to God's name, which signifies prayer an praise. And it shall be a pure offering. When the hour came, in whic the true worshippers worshipped the Father in Spirit and in truth, the this incense was offered, even this pure offering. We may rely on God' mercy for pardon as to the past, but not for indulgence to sin in future. If there be a willing mind, it will be accepted, thoug defective; but if any be a deceiver, devoting his best to Satan and to his lusts, he is under a curse. Men now, though in a different way profane the name of the Lord, pollute his table, and show contempt for his worship __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
וכי 3588 תגשׁון 5066 עור 5787 לזבח 2076 אין 369 רע 7451 וכי 3588 תגישׁו 5066 פסח 6455 וחלה 2470 אין 369 רע 7451 הקריבהו 7126 נא 4994 לפחתך 6346 הירצך 7521 או 176 הישׂא 5375 פניך 6440 אמר 559 יהוה 3069 צבאות׃ 6635
