Malachi 1 6

Malachi 1:6 kjv

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Malachi 1:6 nkjv

"A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?'

Malachi 1:6 niv

"A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you priests who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'

Malachi 1:6 esv

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'

Malachi 1:6 nlt

The LORD of Heaven's Armies says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! "But you ask, 'How have we ever shown contempt for your name?'

Malachi 1 verses

Malachi 1 6 Meaning

Malachi 1:6 begins a direct address from God, challenging the spiritual apathy of His people, with a specific indictment against the priests. It uses universal societal norms – a son honoring his father and a servant reverencing his master – to highlight the profound disrespect shown to God. God asks rhetorically why, if He holds the roles of Father and Master, He is not accorded the honor and reverence due to Him. The verse culminates by explicitly naming the priests as those "who despise My name," signifying their profound contempt for God's character, authority, and very being, which was manifest in their compromised worship and casual service.

Malachi 1 6 Context

Malachi, meaning "my messenger," addresses the disheartened and complacent Jewish community in Judah approximately a century after their return from Babylonian exile (late 5th century BC, likely contemporaneous with Ezra and Nehemiah). The temple had been rebuilt, but the glorious prophecies of restoration seemed unfulfilled, leading to spiritual indifference and moral laxity among the people, particularly the priests. This verse opens a series of disputations characteristic of the book, where God makes a charge, the people retort with a seemingly naive question ("How have we despised your name?"), and God provides evidence of their sin. Malachi 1 specifically highlights their offering of blemished sacrifices (Mal 1:7-8), neglect of tithes (Mal 3:8-10), and corrupt administration of justice. The charge in verse 6 serves as the foundational accusation, underscoring the severe implications of their casual disregard for the Creator and their covenant obligations, particularly the priests who were meant to uphold sacred worship and model devotion. This historical setting showcases a people grappling with post-exilic disillusionment, leading to a mechanistic and heartless performance of religious duties, thereby denying God the honor and reverence truly due to Him.

Malachi 1 6 Word analysis

• A son honors his father: This phrase establishes a fundamental and widely recognized principle of filial respect. "Honors" (Hebrew: yekhabed, from kabad) implies treating with gravity, recognizing inherent worth, and demonstrating high esteem through obedience and reverence. It directly correlates with the commandment to honor parents, a cornerstone of Mosaic Law.

• and a servant his master: This extends the societal parallel, describing the deference due from a subordinate to one in authority. "Servant" (Hebrew: 'eved) here means a bondservant or slave, implying an absolute obligation and subservience. "Master" (Hebrew: 'adon) denotes absolute ownership and authoritative rule, requiring loyalty and submission.

• If then I am a father, where is my honor?: God poses a rhetorical question, applying the established human norm to Himself. The question is designed to expose the gross inconsistency and lack of self-awareness in their conduct towards Him. It implies God, as the ultimate Father, deserves the highest possible honor.

• And if I am a master, where is my reverence?: The parallel question uses "reverence" (Hebrew: mora') which is stronger than honor, denoting awe, dread, and a profound respectful fear. It points to a failure to acknowledge God's absolute authority, might, and majesty.

• Says the Lord of hosts: This powerful divine title (Hebrew: Yahweh Ts'va'ot), frequently used by prophets and especially in Malachi, emphasizes God's supreme sovereignty over all celestial and earthly armies and powers. Its inclusion underscores the immense authority and majesty of the One being offended, making their disrespect profoundly serious.

• to you, O priests, who despise my name: This is the direct, damning indictment. The "priests" (Hebrew: kohanim) were the custodians of God's worship and law, designated intermediaries. Their spiritual negligence was therefore exceptionally grave. "Despise" (Hebrew: bozeh, from bazah) signifies treating with contempt, scorn, or regarding as utterly worthless. To "despise My name" (Hebrew: shemi) is to disrespect God's very being, character, reputation, and authority itself, manifested by treating His sacred things lightly and performing their duties with apathy.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "A son honors...a servant his master.": This is an a fortiori argument (or qal va-chomer). If mere human relationships elicit a fundamental level of respect and honor, how much more should this apply to the Creator of those relationships and the Giver of all life and sustenance? It establishes an irrefutable premise.
  • "If then I am a father...if I am a master...": These rhetorical questions force introspection, highlighting the undeniable truth of God's identity in relation to them. They reveal the profound illogicality and moral blindness of the priests' actions and attitudes, daring them to reconcile their behavior with God's clear roles.
  • "where is my honor? ... where is my reverence?": These precise questions diagnose the nature of the relational breakdown. Their actions showed they had withheld the appropriate expressions of "honor" (respect for worth) and "reverence" (awe for authority), demonstrating a comprehensive failure to acknowledge God's proper place.
  • "Says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.": This culmination delivers the verdict, naming both the specific offended party (the omnipotent God) and the specific offenders (the very priests charged with His sacred service). The explicit charge of "despise my name" crystallizes the sin as an insult to God's essence and entire being, forming the bedrock upon which all subsequent rebukes in the book are built.

Malachi 1 6 Bonus section

The structure of Malachi as a series of disputations or legal arguments (assertion, people's rhetorical question, God's detailed response) begins directly with Malachi 1:6, immediately establishing a dialogue of challenge and defense. This opening charge highlights that God's primary concern is not just the outward form of worship but the inner attitude of the heart. The spiritual indifference that led to despising God's "name" was a subtle but profound covenant breach. The prophets before Malachi also emphasized the sacred responsibility of priests (e.g., Ezekiel 22:26; Hosea 4:6), and Malachi's unique emphasis on the specific term "Lord of hosts" repeatedly stresses God's authority in the face of widespread disrespect, setting the tone for the final prophetic book of the Old Testament. The ultimate problem was a diminished view of who God is, which led to a diminished view of worship and, consequently, of the entire covenant relationship.

Malachi 1 6 Commentary

Malachi 1:6 serves as God's solemn and confrontational opening statement to His people in a time of spiritual declension. It draws a clear contrast between fundamental human decency and the shocking disrespect shown to the Divine. By evoking the widely accepted principles of filial honor and servant's reverence, God lays bare the severe spiritual deficit in post-exilic Judah, particularly within its priesthood. The rhetorical questions underscore the obvious: if earthly relationships demand such respect, how much more should the Almighty God, who acts as both a loving Father and sovereign Master, be esteemed?

The pointed accusation directed "to you, O priests, who despise my name," is foundational. It exposes not merely an occasional lapse but a deep-seated attitude of contempt for God Himself. To "despise God's name" is to devalue His very character, His covenant, and His authority. This contempt was tangibly demonstrated in their performance of their sacred duties—offering blemished sacrifices, performing rituals devoid of genuine devotion, and failing to guide the people in righteousness. As spiritual leaders, their negligence set a terrible example and brought God's name into disrepute among the people. The powerful title "Lord of hosts" (Yahweh Sabaoth) used in this verse serves to reinforce God's immeasurable power and unchallenged supremacy, magnifying the priests' offense into an act of grave insubordination against the King of the universe.

• Examples:
  • A pastor routinely delivering sermons without preparation, indicating disrespect for the Word of God and the congregation.
  • A church leader showing favoritism or compromising biblical standards, thereby "despising" God's holiness by their actions.