Malachi 1:13
in Malachi 1You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye say also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah.
KJV
Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.
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This verse in Malachi 1
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
What a weariness! - What an onerous service it is! The service of God is its own reward. If not, it becomes a greater toil, with less reward from this earth, than the things of this earth. Our only choice is between love and weariness. And ye have snuffed - (puffed) at it , i. e., at the altar; as a thing contemptible. “Ye, have brought that which was taken by violence.” In despising any positive law of God, they despised the lawgiver; and so, from contempt of the ceremonial law, they went on to break the moral law.
This site's exposition
But ye have profaned it
on Malachi 1:12-14
But ye have profaned it turns from the nations' future honour back to Judah's present contempt, the table of the Lord called polluted and its fruit, his meat, contemptible in their own mouths. What a weariness is it, they say, snuffing at the service and bringing the torn, the lame, and the sick as if the Lord could not tell the difference, or would not care. The Lord answers as a great King rather than an indulgent father, cursed be the deceiver who vows a sound animal and sacrifices a corrupt one, for my name is dreadful among the heathen, the same Gentiles of verse 11 now standing as a rebuke to the very people who should have known better.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
But every Lord's day do ye gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.
(Verse 10 seqq.) I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say: 'The table of the Lord is polluted, and its fruit, its food, is despised.'
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Wherein have I wearied thee? But their own wicked hearts made it a weariness; and they were, as Doeg, detained before the Lord; they would rather have been any where else. Note, Those are highly injurious, both to God and themselves, who are weary of his service and worship, and snuff at it.
), the torn, and the lame, and the sick, that was ready to die of itself. They looked no further than the burning of the sacrifice, and they pleaded that it was a pity to burn it if it was good for any thing else.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The L ORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. The prophecy of this book is entitled, The burden of the word of the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What a weariness - What a toil and drudgery to observe every point of the law. This - With such minds snuffing at my service, and with such sacrifices, unfit for mine altar.
Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it?....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Also Isa 43:22-24, wherein He shows that it is they who have "wearied" Him, not He who has wearied them. snuffed at--despised. it--the table of the Lord, and the meat on it (Mal 1:12). torn--namely, by beasts, which it was not lawful to eat, much less to offer (Ex 22:31). thus . . . offering--Hebrew, mincha; the unbloody offering of flour, &c.
Ye have snuffed at it - A metaphor taken from cattle which do not like their fodder. They blow strongly through their nose upon it; and after this neither they nor any other cattle will eat it. Ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick - There had never been such abominations in the Divine worship before. What was of no worth in itself, and what could not be used by its owner, was brought to God’s altar, and offered for sacrifice! Was not the punishment of these wretches less than their crimes?
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And you say, “Here is a weary one” An emaciated animal, and we are poor and cannot afford the choicest for [our] vows. So did Jonathan render: This is what we have brought from our toil.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
and its expression is “Its food is contemptible.” The expression of the altar that is fluent on your lips is always, “Its food is contemptible”; that [is all] you say about it. You have already spread this slander, and you have strongly attached this expression to My altar.
he who deals craftily Plots deceitfully, with guile, before Me, saying, “I have none better than this.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲמַרְתֶּם֩ | vaamartem | and you say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֨ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| מַתְּלָאָ֜ה | matelaah | what weariness! | H4100 →H8513 → | 752 times |
| וְהִפַּחְתֶּ֣ם | vehipachtem | and you sniff at | H5301 → | |
| אוֹת֗וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָמַר֙ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֔וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| וַהֲבֵאתֶ֣ם | vahavetem | and you bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| גָּז֗וּל | gazul | a stolen [animal] | H1497 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַפִּסֵּ֙חַ֙ | hapiseach | the lame [animal] | H6455 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַ֣חוֹלֶ֔ה | hacholeh | the sick [animal] | H2470 → | 76 times |
| וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖ם | vahavetem | and you bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּנְחָ֑ה | haminchah | the offering | H4503 → | 211 times |
| הַאֶרְצֶ֥ה | haertzeh | ¿ will I accept | H7521 → | 56 times |
| אוֹתָ֛הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִיֶּדְכֶ֖ם | miyedkhem | from hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ ס | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַאֲמַרְתֶּם֩and you say
vaamartemH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֨הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
מַתְּלָאָ֜הwhat weariness!
וְהִפַּחְתֶּ֣םand you sniff at
vehipachtemH5301 →
אוֹת֗וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
אָמַר֙he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֔וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֣םand you bring
vahavetemH935 →2568 times
גָּז֗וּלa stolen [animal]
gazulH1497 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַפִּסֵּ֙חַ֙the lame [animal]
hapiseachH6455 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַ֣חוֹלֶ֔הthe sick [animal]
hacholehH2470 →76 times
וַהֲבֵאתֶ֖םand you bring
vahavetemH935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּנְחָ֑הthe offering
haminchahH4503 →211 times
הַאֶרְצֶ֥ה¿ will I accept
haertzehH7521 →56 times
אוֹתָ֛הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
מִיֶּדְכֶ֖םfrom hand your
miyedkhemH3027 →1618 times
אָמַ֥רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָֽה׃ סYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 6:16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
it leads to
- Isaiah 58:3–5
“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress…
- Matthew 9:14–15
At that time John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
- Nehemiah 1:4
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
- Daniel 9:3
So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
- Luke 18:12
I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
- Isaiah 58:3–5
Through
Micah 6:3‘My people, what have I done to you? Testify against Me how I have wearied you!
it leads to
- Jeremiah 2:5
This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?
- Isaiah 43:22–23
But you have not called on Me, O Jacob, because you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.
- Psalms 81:13
If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways,
- Jeremiah 2:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Malachi
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Didache, The Didache, Chapter 14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Malachi; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.