Malachi 2:4 kjv
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 2:4 nkjv
Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue," Says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 2:4 niv
And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 2:4 esv
So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 2:4 nlt
Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
Malachi 2 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mal 2:1-3 | "And now, O priests, this commandment is for you... I will rebuke... I will scatter..." | Context of the commandment and judgment |
| Mal 2:5-7 | "My covenant with him was one of life and peace... He kept the law... For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge..." | The ideal of the Levitical covenant |
| Num 3:9 | "You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel." | Levi given for priestly service |
| Num 18:7 | "But you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for all that concerns the altar..." | Priestly duty to the sanctuary |
| Deut 33:8-11 | "And of Levi he said, 'Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one...' " | Moses' blessing on Levi, faithful role |
| Jer 33:20-21 | "If you can break My covenant with the day... so also My covenant with David My servant and with the Levites..." | God's unwavering covenants |
| Neh 13:29 | "Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites." | Breach of the Levitical covenant |
| Lev 10:11 | "And so that you may teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them..." | Priests' teaching responsibility |
| Deut 17:9-11 | "You shall come to the Levitical priests... and they shall declare to you the verdict." | Priestly role in justice |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | "...I promised that your house and the house of your father should minister before Me forever. But now the LORD declares..." | Consequence of priestly disobedience |
| Jer 2:8 | "The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' " | Priestly negligence |
| Isa 24:5 | "The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant." | Breach of covenant bringing judgment |
| Deut 7:9 | "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love..." | God's faithfulness to covenants |
| Psa 89:34 | "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips." | God's unchanging nature with covenants |
| Ezek 20:37 | "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." | Judgment as a means of covenant renewal |
| Heb 7:12 | "For when there is a change in the priesthood, there must be also a change in the law." | Shift from Levitical to Christ's priesthood |
| Heb 8:6 | "...the ministry Jesus has obtained is as much more excellent than the old..." | Christ's superior New Covenant ministry |
| Heb 9:15 | "Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant..." | Christ inaugurating a new covenant |
| Heb 10:12 | "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God..." | Christ's finished priestly work |
| Rev 1:6 | "and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory..." | Believers as spiritual priests |
Malachi 2 verses
Malachi 2 4 Meaning
Malachi 2:4 signifies God's divine purpose behind the strong words of rebuke and impending judgment directed towards the priests: it is to ensure the preservation and continuation of His covenant with Levi. The intended outcome of this corrective discipline is to bring the priests back into faithful adherence to the responsibilities and privileges established by their sacred priestly covenant.
Malachi 2 4 Context
Malachi 2 continues God's legal dispute, or rib, against the priests of post-exilic Judah. Following an indictment against the people for defiling worship (Mal 1:6-14), the Lord specifically turns His attention to the Levitical priesthood. In Malachi 2:1-3, God issues a severe warning: if the priests do not take His honor seriously and stop defiling His name through their compromised service and corrupted offerings, He will bring a curse upon them, blight their blessings, and spread refuse on their faces. Malachi 2:4 directly follows this ominous threat, explaining why this impending judgment is necessary. It clarifies that the judgment is not punitive for punishment's sake but redemptive in its ultimate goal: to enforce the continuity and integrity of the foundational covenant established with the tribe of Levi, upon which the nation's spiritual well-being depended.
Malachi 2 4 Word analysis
- "And you shall know" (וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם - viyda‘tem): This is a prophetic future tense, implying an experiential and certain knowledge. It means "you will come to know" or "you will surely learn." This knowledge is not theoretical but will be gained through the unfolding of the events foretold, specifically the promised judgment. It's a knowing that comes from experiencing God's sovereign power and commitment.
- "that I have sent" (כִּ֧י אָנֹכִ֛י שָׁלַ֛חְתִּי - ki anochi shalachthiy): Emphasizes divine authorship and active agency. God is the one sending this message of consequence.
- "this commandment" (אֵת־הַמִּצְוָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את - 'et-hammitsvah hazzoth): Mitsvah (commandment) here is singular, referring to the entire message conveyed through the prophet Malachi, particularly the preceding threats of judgment and the following stipulations regarding the priestly covenant. It's a divine decree and a clear articulation of His will concerning their faithfulness.
- "to you" (אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם - 'alëchem): Directly addressed to the priests, highlighting their specific accountability.
- "that My covenant with Levi may continue" (לִהְיֹ֣ות בְּרִיתִ֣י אֶת־לֵוִ֔י - lihĕyôṯ bĕrîtî ’eṯ-lēwî):
- "continue" (lihĕyôṯ - from hayah, "to be, to become, to exist, to endure"). The emphasis is on the covenant being or remaining faithful to its original purpose and character, not simply on its existence in name. It means to bring about its effective fulfillment and ensure its sacred order.
- "My covenant with Levi": Refers to the specific covenant of priesthood. This covenant guaranteed Levi's descendants perpetual access to serve in the sanctuary and officiate sacrificial rites (e.g., Num 3:9, 18:7). This was a covenant of "life and peace" (Mal 2:5) with the understanding that the priests would be faithful to their duties, maintain holiness, and teach God's law. Its "continuance" implies its proper functioning and adherence to its sacred stipulations.
Words-Group analysis:
- "And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you": This phrase underscores God's sovereignty and His deliberate communication. The priests' realization of God's active involvement will be undeniable, leading to an experiential conviction of His judgment's validity and source. It moves beyond simple hearing to a compelled understanding through divine action.
- "that My covenant with Levi may continue": This reveals God's ultimate purpose behind the judgment. His intent is not to abolish the priesthood but to purge it so that its integrity and function are restored according to His initial divine design. It highlights God's faithfulness to His enduring covenant, even when the covenant-keepers are faithless, by seeking to purify the breach rather than abandon the promise.
Malachi 2 4 Bonus section
- The phrase "And you shall know" connects to a frequent biblical theme where God's actions, particularly in judgment, lead people to recognize His identity and authority ("then you will know that I am the LORD," e.g., Ezek 6:7). Here, it specifically applies to the priests understanding the gravity of their dereliction and the divine origin of the prophetic message.
- The "continuance" of the covenant with Levi does not imply an acceptance of the corrupted priesthood but rather God's determination to see the purpose of the covenant fulfilled through a purified, obedient line, whether that be the existing line chastened or a remnant renewed. This reflects God's steadfastness to His promises despite human unfaithfulness, working to uphold His divine standards.
- The very act of Malachi's prophecy serves as this "commandment" or declaration from God. It's the divine word revealing both the problem and the solution through purification, underscoring the vital link between prophecy and divine intervention in covenant relations.
Malachi 2 4 Commentary
Malachi 2:4 is a critical verse that explains God's intention behind the impending judgment on the priests: it's not abandonment, but restoration of the covenant's integrity. The "covenant with Levi" denotes the divine institution of the priesthood, granting its members the solemn privilege and weighty responsibility of mediating between God and His people, upholding holiness, teaching God's law, and officiating worship. While God's commitment to the priestly line itself was enduring (Jer 33:20-22), the benefits and proper function of that priesthood were conditional upon the faithfulness of individual priests. The current generation had desecrated the temple service and misled the people (Mal 2:8-9). Therefore, God's corrective discipline—the "commandment" he "sent"—aimed to cleanse the priesthood so that it might once again truly embody the "covenant of life and peace" (Mal 2:5), allowing His established spiritual order to continue. This verse thus demonstrates God's unwavering commitment to His divine arrangements and His active pursuit of holiness in those who represent Him, even when severe action is required.