Malachi 2:4
in Malachi 2Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.
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.
⋯
This verse in Malachi 2
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThis commandment - That in the first verse; to drive such priests from his presence and his service. That my covenant might be with Levi - I gave the priesthood and the service of my altar to that tribe.
This site's exposition
And now this decree is for you, O priests
on Malachi 2:1-4
The second dispute turns on the priests: "And now this decree is for you, O priests". If they will not honor His name, the LORD will "curse your blessings," and He has "already begun to curse them". Verse 4 names the aim, that "My covenant with Levi may continue".
This site's exposition
My covenant with Levi
Levi here stands for the priestly tribe as a whole. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the warning as given to keep that covenant in force. Wesley reads it as God upholding the covenant on His side by punishing those who break it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 3, 4.) Behold, I will cast the branch to you, and I will scatter the refuse of your solemnities upon your faces, and it shall take you away with it. And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with Levi, says the Lord of hosts.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
My covenant - If you will not confirm, and keep Levi's covenant among you, I will make it firm on my part, by punishing the violators of it.
The ordinance of marriage, which is common to the world of mankind, and was instituted for the maintaining and keeping up of that; this was profaned both by the priests and by the people, in marrying strangers (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Here is a recital of the covenant God made with that sacred tribe, which was their commission for their work and the patent of their honour: The Lord of hosts sent a commandment to them, for the establishing of this covenant (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
), for his covenant is said to be the word which he commanded ( Ps. cv. 8 ); and he sent this commandment by the prophet at this time for the re-establishing of it, that it might not be cut off for their persisting in the violation of it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
ye shall know--by bitter experience of consequences, that it was with this design I admonished you, in order "that My covenant with Levi might be" maintained; that is, that it was for your own good (which would be ensured by your maintaining the Levitical command) I admonished you, that ye should return to your duty [MAURER] (compare Mal 2:5, 6).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you: - this, which He had just uttered. They who believe not God when threatening, know that He is in earnest and not to be trifled with, through His punishing. “That My covenant might be with Levi.” God willed to punish those who at that time rebelled against Him, that He might spare those who should come after them. He chastened the fathers, who showed their contempt toward Him, that their sons, taking warning thereby, might not be cut off. He continues to say, what the covenant was, which He willed still to be, if they would repent.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם | vida'tem | and you will know | H3045 → | |
| כִּ֚י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שִׁלַּ֣חְתִּי | shilachti | I have sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾaleikhem | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּצְוָ֣ה | hamitzvah | the commandment | H4687 → | |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| לִֽהְי֤וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּרִיתִי֙ | beriti | covenant my | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| לֵוִ֔י | levi | Levi | H3878 → | 59 times |
| אָמַ֖ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָאֽוֹת׃ | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕םand you will know
vida'temH3045 →
כִּ֚יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
שִׁלַּ֣חְתִּיI have sent
shilachtiH7971 →845 times
אֲלֵיכֶ֔םto you
ʾaleikhemH413 →5510 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
הַמִּצְוָ֣הthe commandment
hamitzvahH4687 →
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
לִֽהְי֤וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
בְּרִיתִי֙covenant my
beritiH1285 →284 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
לֵוִ֔יLevi
leviH3878 →59 times
אָמַ֖רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָאֽוֹת׃of hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 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 3:12His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
it leads to
- Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of…
- Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
- Luke 3:17
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- Isaiah 41:16
You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
- Jeremiah 51:2
I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster.
- Malachi 4:1
Through
Ezekiel 38:23I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 9:16
The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah
- Revelation 19:1–6
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!
- Ezekiel 38:16
You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the latter days, O Gog, that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations…
- Psalms 9:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Malachi
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Twelve Minor Prophets; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Malachi; 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.