Malachi 2:13
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Malachi 2:13
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Chapter Context
Malachi 2 is a prophetic disputation chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of sacrifice, hope, discipleship. Written during the mid-5th century BCE (c. 460-430 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Post-exilic community struggled with religious apathy and intermarriage challenges.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-17: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it demonstrates God's faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Malachi and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Malachi 2:13
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Analysis
And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out—the second indictment addresses the consequences of the first. Having divorced their Jewish wives (v. 14) to marry pagan women (v. 11), the guilty men now bring their abandoned wives' lamentations to the temple. The divorced women come weeping before God's altar, their tears literally covering it—a powerful image of injustice crying out to heaven, like Abel's blood (Genesis 4:10).
Insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand—לִפְנוֹת אֶל־הַמִּנְחָה (lifnot el-haminchah, to turn toward the offering) is denied. God refuses to accept sacrifices from men who've broken covenant with their wives. The רָצוֹן (ratson, favor/good will) required for acceptable worship is withdrawn. This is covenant lawsuit: the women's tears testify against their husbands, and God sides with the oppressed.
Historical Context
The practice appears to be economically motivated 'trading up'—divorcing faithful Jewish wives (often mothers of grown children, per v. 15) to form advantageous alliances with wealthier pagan families. The social disruption was severe: abandoned women had few means of support in ancient society. Their only recourse was to come to the temple and appeal to God as defender of widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22-24).
Reflection
- How does God's rejection of worship from covenant-breakers challenge contemporary worship culture that ignores relational sin?
- In what ways do the 'tears of the oppressed' cover God's altar today, making corporate worship unacceptable?
- Why does injustice toward the vulnerable (divorced wives) take precedence over ritual correctness in God's evaluation?
Word Studies
- Altar: מִזְבֵּחַ (Mizbeach) H4196 - Altar, place of sacrifice
Cross-References
- Sacrifice: Jeremiah 14:12