Malachi 2:13

My Notes

What Does Malachi 2:13 Mean?

"And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand." The altar is COVERED with tears — but whose tears? The wives who were divorced (verse 14-16). The men divorced their wives to marry foreign women, and the abandoned wives came to God's altar weeping. Their tears COVER the altar. And God's response: He no longer regards the men's offerings. The tears of the wronged have disqualified the worship of the wrongdoers.

The phrase "covering the altar of the LORD with tears" (kassot dim'ah et mizbach YHWH — covering with tears the altar of the LORD) creates a devastating image: the altar — the place of sacrifice and worship — is SOAKED in the tears of abandoned wives. The tears aren't metaphorical. The women came to the Temple. They wept at the altar. Their grief physically covered the place of worship. The altar that should receive offerings receives tears instead.

The "he regardeth not the offering any more" (me'ein od penot el hamminhah — there is no more turning toward the offering) means God has LOOKED AWAY: the offerings the men bring are no longer regarded. God doesn't turn toward them. God doesn't receive them with goodwill. The tears of the divorced wives have made the husbands' worship WORTHLESS. The crying of the wronged silences the worship of the wrongdoer.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Whose tears are covering the altar where you worship?
• 2.What does God hearing tears over offerings teach about the relationship between justice and worship?
• 3.How does the wronged person's weeping CANCELLING the wrongdoer's worship describe divine priorities?
• 4.What relationship have you damaged that might be affecting how God receives your worship?

Devotional

The altar is covered with tears. The divorced wives' weeping has soaked God's altar. And because of THOSE tears, God doesn't regard the men's offerings anymore. The worship of the wrongdoer is cancelled by the weeping of the wronged. The tears speak louder than the sacrifices.

The 'covering the altar with tears' is the image that undoes everything: the altar should be covered with offerings — grain, oil, blood, the prescribed elements of worship. Instead, it's covered with TEARS — the weeping of women whose husbands divorced them to marry foreign wives. The women came to God's altar because they had nowhere else to go. The altar that should have received their husbands' devotion received their tears instead.

The 'he regardeth not the offering' is the CONSEQUENCE of the tears: the men still bring offerings. They still perform the rituals. They still show up at the altar. But God has TURNED AWAY. He won't look. He won't receive. The offerings are technically correct and spiritually worthless — because the altar they're placed on is already covered with the tears of the people the offerers wronged.

The connection is explicit: your worship is rejected BECAUSE of the tears your behavior produced. The tears and the offerings can't coexist on the same altar. The weeping of the wronged drowns out the worship of the wrongdoer. God hears the tears over the prayers. God sees the weeping over the offerings. The tears win.

Whose tears are covering the altar where you worship — and are they the reason God isn't regarding your offering?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture