Malachi 2:11
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
Original Language Analysis
בָּגְדָ֣ה
hath dealt treacherously
H898
בָּגְדָ֣ה
hath dealt treacherously
Strong's:
H898
Word #:
1 of 17
to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillage
יְהוּדָ֗ה
Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֗ה
Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
2 of 17
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
וְתוֹעֵבָ֛ה
and an abomination
H8441
וְתוֹעֵבָ֛ה
and an abomination
Strong's:
H8441
Word #:
3 of 17
properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e., (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol
נֶעֶשְׂתָ֥ה
is committed
H6213
נֶעֶשְׂתָ֥ה
is committed
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
4 of 17
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
in Israel
H3478
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
in Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
5 of 17
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
וּבִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
and in Jerusalem
H3389
וּבִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
and in Jerusalem
Strong's:
H3389
Word #:
6 of 17
jerushalaim or jerushalem, the capital city of palestine
כִּ֣י׀
H3588
כִּ֣י׀
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
7 of 17
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
חִלֵּ֣ל
hath profaned
H2490
חִלֵּ֣ל
hath profaned
Strong's:
H2490
Word #:
8 of 17
properly, to bore, i.e., (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin
יְהוּדָ֗ה
Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֗ה
Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
9 of 17
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
קֹ֤דֶשׁ
the holiness
H6944
קֹ֤דֶשׁ
the holiness
Strong's:
H6944
Word #:
10 of 17
a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
11 of 17
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
12 of 17
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
בַּת
the daughter
H1323
בַּת
the daughter
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
15 of 17
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
Historical Context
The returned exiles faced pressure to intermarry with 'the people of the land' for economic and political security. These marriages to women who worshiped Canaanite, Moabite, and Ammonite deities threatened to replay the pre-exilic apostasy that had led to Babylonian judgment. Ezra's discovery of this widespread practice (Ezra 9:1-2) led to a covenant to put away foreign wives—a traumatic but necessary measure to preserve Israel's theological purity.
Questions for Reflection
- How do modern 'mixed marriages' (believer with unbeliever) parallel the theological compromise Malachi condemns?
- What 'strange gods' do contemporary Christians effectively 'marry' through compromising partnerships and alliances?
- Why does God characterize covenant-breaking relationships as 'profaning' His holiness rather than mere personal choice?
Analysis & Commentary
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed—the תּוֹעֵבָה (to'evah, abomination) typically describes idolatrous practices that provoke God's revulsion (Deuteronomy 7:25-26). Malachi equates covenant-breaking with idolatry itself. For Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved—the קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, holiness/sanctuary) likely refers both to the temple and to Israel as God's holy people, His treasured possession set apart from the nations.
And hath married the daughter of a strange god—נֵכָר (nekar, foreign/strange) describes not mere ethnicity but pagan religious affiliation. These marriages weren't culturally diverse unions but covenant compromises that brought idolatry into Israelite homes. The violation wasn't racial but theological—taking wives who served other deities undermined Israel's distinct witness as Yahweh's covenant people, repeating Solomon's catastrophic error (1 Kings 11:1-8).