Malachi 1:10
Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
Original Language Analysis
מִ֤י
H4310
מִ֤י
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
1 of 20
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
גַם
H1571
גַם
Strong's:
H1571
Word #:
2 of 20
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
וְיִסְגֹּ֣ר
Who is there even among you that would shut
H5462
וְיִסְגֹּ֣ר
Who is there even among you that would shut
Strong's:
H5462
Word #:
4 of 20
to shut up; figuratively, to surrender
וְלֹֽא
H3808
וְלֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
6 of 20
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
תָאִ֥ירוּ
for nought neither do ye kindle
H215
תָאִ֥ירוּ
for nought neither do ye kindle
Strong's:
H215
Word #:
7 of 20
to be (causative, make) luminous (literally and metaphorically)
חִנָּ֑ם
for nought
H2600
חִנָּ֑ם
for nought
Strong's:
H2600
Word #:
9 of 20
gratis, i.e., devoid of cost, reason or advantage
חֵ֜פֶץ
I have no pleasure
H2656
חֵ֜פֶץ
I have no pleasure
Strong's:
H2656
Word #:
12 of 20
pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind)
יְהוָ֣ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֣ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
15 of 20
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
צְבָא֔וֹת
of hosts
H6635
צְבָא֔וֹת
of hosts
Strong's:
H6635
Word #:
16 of 20
a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (speci
וּמִנְחָ֖ה
an offering
H4503
וּמִנְחָ֖ה
an offering
Strong's:
H4503
Word #:
17 of 20
a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
18 of 20
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Cross References
Jeremiah 6:20To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.Hosea 5:6They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.1 Peter 5:2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;Micah 3:11The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.Jeremiah 14:12When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.Jeremiah 8:10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Historical Context
Malachi's prophecy pointed toward the end of the Levitical system. The priests' corruption demonstrated that the old covenant couldn't produce the righteousness it demanded. Within 400-500 years of Malachi, Christ came as the perfect High Priest offering a perfect sacrifice—Himself. His death and resurrection inaugurated the new covenant, making animal sacrifices unnecessary. When Roman armies destroyed the Jerusalem temple in AD 70, the sacrificial system ended permanently. God literally shut the doors. Yet believers now form a spiritual temple where acceptable worship occurs through Christ (1 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 13:15-16, Romans 12:1).
Questions for Reflection
- What does God's rejection of corrupt worship teach about the necessity of heart devotion beyond external ritual?
- How does this verse anticipate the end of the old covenant sacrificial system and the need for Christ's perfect sacrifice?
- What makes worship acceptable to God under the new covenant?
Analysis & Commentary
Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. God wishes someone would shut the doors (סֹגֵר דְּלָתוֹת, soger delatot)—the temple doors—to end the travesty of corrupt worship. The phrase for nought (חִנָּם, ḥinnam) means freely, without payment, gratuitously. No priest would serve without compensation, yet they serve God carelessly. They kindle fire on mine altar (תָּאִירוּ מִזְבְּחִי, ta'iru mizvḥi) only for profit, not devotion.
God's verdict is devastating: I have no pleasure in you (אֵין־לִי חֵפֶץ בָּכֶם, ein-li ḥefetz bakhem). חֵפֶץ (ḥefetz) means pleasure, delight, desire. God takes no pleasure in mercenary priests or defiled sacrifices. The consequence: neither will I accept an offering at your hand (וּמִנְחָה לֹא־אֶרְצֶה מִיֶּדְכֶם, u-minḥah lo-ertzeh miyyed khem). God rejects their worship entirely. רָצָה (ratzah) means to accept, be pleased with, find favor in. No divine acceptance, no efficacy, no mediation—just empty ritual.
This anticipates God's ultimate rejection of the old covenant sacrificial system. Christ's sacrifice made animal sacrifices obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-18). The temple's destruction in AD 70 literally shut its doors forever, fulfilling Malachi's wish.