Maleakhi 2:8

2:8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; ¹  you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” ²  says the Lord who rules over all.

Maleakhi 3:11

3:11 Then I will stop the plague ³  from ruining your crops, ⁴  and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Maleakhi 1:3-4

1:3 and rejected Esau. ⁵  I turned Esau’s ⁶  mountains into a deserted wasteland ⁷  and gave his territory ⁸  to the wild jackals.”

1:4 Edom ⁹  says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all ¹⁰  responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as ¹¹  the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.

Maleakhi 1:14

1:14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,” ¹²  says the Lord who rules over all, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

[2:8]  ¹ tn The definite article embedded within בַּתּוֹרָה (battorah) may suggest that the Torah is in mind and not just “ordinary” priestly instruction, though it might refer to the instruction previously mentioned (v. 7).

[2:8]  ² tn Or “the Levitical covenant.”

[3:11]  ³ tn Heb “the eater” (אֹכֵל, ’okhel), a general term for any kind of threat to crops and livelihood. This is understood as a reference to a locust plague by a number of English versions: NAB, NRSV “the locust”; NIV “pests”; NCV, TEV “insects.”

[3:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “and I will rebuke for you the eater and it will not ruin for you the fruit of the ground.”

[1:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “and I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.” The context indicates this is technical covenant vocabulary in which “love” and “hate” are synonymous with “choose” and “reject” respectively (see Deut 7:8; Jer 31:3; Hos 3:1; 9:15; 11:1).

[1:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “I set his mountains as a desolation.”

[1:3]  ⁸ tn Or “inheritance” (so NIV, NLT).

[1:4]  ⁹ sn Edom, a “brother” nation to Israel, became almost paradigmatic of hostility toward Israel and God (see Num 20:14-21; Deut 2:8; Jer 49:7-22; Ezek 25:12-14; Amos 1:11-12; Obad 10-12).

[1:4]  ¹⁰ sn The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Malachi (24 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yÿhvah tsÿva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so KJV, NAB, NASB; cf. NIV NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123-57.

[1:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and they will call them.” The third person plural subject is indefinite; one could translate, “and people will call them.”

[1:14]  ¹² sn The epithet great king was used to describe the Hittite rulers on their covenant documents and so, in the covenant ideology of Malachi, is an apt description of the Lord.