The Meaning of Malachi 1:7 Explained

Malachi 1:7

KJV: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

YLT: Ye are bringing nigh on Mine altar polluted bread, And ye have said: 'In what have we polluted Thee?' In your saying: 'The table of Jehovah -- it is despicable,'

Darby: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.

ASV: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.

Discover Malachi 1:7

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Malachi 1:7?

MEANING: What does Malachi 1:7 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Malachi 1:7 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Malachi 1:7?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye offer  polluted  bread  upon mine altar;  and ye say,  Wherein have we polluted  thee? In that ye say,  The table  of the LORD  [is] contemptible. 

What does Malachi 1:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord responded through Malachi that the priests had despised the Lord by presenting defiled sacrifices to Him (cf. Leviticus 22:2; Leviticus 22:17-30; Leviticus 22:32). Defiled sacrifices were sacrifices that were not ritually clean or acceptable, as the Law specified. By doing this they defiled (made unclean) the altar of burnt offerings and the Lord. The Law referred to the offerings as food for God ( Leviticus 21:6), though obviously He did not eat them. The use of "food" for "sacrifice" and "table" for "altar" continues the human analogies already begun in Malachi 1:6. Moreover, these terms also connote covenant relationships because covenants were usually ratified when the participants, typically a king and his vassals, ate a meal together. [1]
"What does this say to professed Christians who spend hundreds of dollars annually, perhaps thousands, on gifts for themselves, their family, and their friends, but give God a dollar a week when the offering plate is passed?" [2]

Context Summary

Malachi 1:1-14 - Sincerity Of Worship Sought
The love referred to in these opening Malachi 1:1-5, was exemplified in the divine choice, that through Israel the whole world might be blessed. Hate does not mean positive dislike but a forfeiture of the supreme place of privilege and ministry. Esau's sensuous nature preferred the mess of pottage to the birthright, and this was characteristic of his people. In Malachi 1:6-14 the prophet turns to the priests. They despised God's name and without scruple offered on his altar the lame, the blind, and the sick. They did not hesitate to speak of the routine of Levitical service as a weariness. Notice the pathetic appeal of Malachi 1:10, r.v., "Oh that there were one to shut the doors of my house, that ye might not offer vain sacrifices!" In contrast to this indifference, the truly marvelous outlook in Malachi 1:11 is very significant. Far away from Jewish altars, God's name was revered in Gentile lands, and sacrifices were offered which He accepted. The words remind us of Acts 10:34-35. [source]

Chapter Summary: Malachi 1

1  Malachi complains of Israel's unkindness;
2  of their irreverence and profaneness

What do the individual words in Malachi 1:7 mean?

[You] offer on My altar food defiled but say in what [way] have we defiled You by saying the table of Yahweh contemptible is
מַגִּישִׁ֤ים עַֽל־ מִזְבְּחִי֙ לֶ֣חֶם מְגֹאָ֔ל וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֕ם שֻׁלְחַ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה נִבְזֶ֥ה הֽוּא

מַגִּישִׁ֤ים  [You]  offer 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
מִזְבְּחִי֙  My  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
לֶ֣חֶם  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
מְגֹאָ֔ל  defiled 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: גָּאַל  
Sense: to defile, pollute, desecrate.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם  but  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בַּמֶּ֣ה  in  what  [way] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
גֵֽאַלְנ֑וּךָ  have  we  defiled  You 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common plural, second person masculine singular
Root: גָּאַל  
Sense: to defile, pollute, desecrate.
בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֕ם  by  saying 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שֻׁלְחַ֥ן  the  table 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֻׁלְחָן  
Sense: table.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נִבְזֶ֥ה  contemptible 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּזָה 
Sense: to despise, hold in contempt, disdain.

What are the major concepts related to Malachi 1:7?

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Similar Scriptures for Malachi 1:7

Malachi 1:12 [6]
1 Corinthians 11:27-32 [5]
1 Corinthians 10:21 [4]
Malachi 1:8 [3]
1 Samuel 2:15-17 [3]
Deuteronomy 15:21 [2]
Ezekiel 41:22 [2]
Leviticus 21:6 [2]
Leviticus 2:11 [1]
1 Corinthians 11:21-22 [1]
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