g Meaning of Heb. uncertain. The stone apparently symbolizes the God-given power of the future Davidic ruler; see below 4.6–7.
a-a Emendation yields “bowl above it has.”
b The explanation is given in the last sentence of v. 10.
c A grandson of King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3.17–19) and the secular head of the repatriated community (Hag. 1.1; etc.).
d I.e., Zerubbabel will succeed by means of spiritual gifts conferred upon him by the LORD; cf. Isa. 11.2. ff.
e-e Meaning of Heb. uncertain; others “plummet.”
f Meaning of Heb. uncertain; literally “ears” (as of grain).
g Emendation yields “oil”; cf. v. 14.
h Or “funnels”; through them the oil runs from the olive trees into the bowl of vv. 2 and 3.
i-i I.e., the high priest and the king (cf. 3.8–9 with note); lit. “sons of oil.”
a-a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b Heb. ephah, a measure of capacity.
c Septuagint and Syriac read “guilt.”
d I.e., Babylonia; cf. Gen. 10.10; 11.2, 9.
a-a Change of vocalization yields “will go out.”
b-b Cf. ’ahor, “west,” Isa. 9.11. Emendation yields “the region of the west.”
c-c Emendation yields “the bay ones will go out to the region of the east.”
d-d Cf. postbiblical nahath ruah, “gratification.” Emendation yields, “done the LORD’s pleasure.”
e I.e., Babylonia, whose communication with Judah was via North Mesopotamia and Syria; cf. 2.10–11.
f Emendation yields “the gift of.”
g See note at 3.8.
h-h Septuagint reads “on his right side.”
i The Syriac version reads “Heldai”; cf. v. 10.
j In v. 10, “Josiah.”
a-a Emendation yields “sent Regem-melech and his men.”
b Because of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem; cf. 2 Kings 25.8 ff.
a Cf. Hag. 1.6.
b I.e., a standard by which men curse or bless; cf. Gen. 12.2 and note.
c Commemorating, respectively, the events of 2 Kings 25.3 ff. (Jer. 52.6 ff.); 2 Kings 25.8 ff. (Jer. 52.12 ff.); 2 Kings 25.25 ff. (Jer. 41); 2 Kings 25.1 ff. (Jer. 52.4).
a I.e., on the land of Hadrach and Damascus.
b-b Heb. mamzer; cf. note at Deut. 23.3.
c-c Change of vocalization yields “as a garrison.”
d-d Emendation yields “of their suffering”; cf. 1 Sam. 1.11.
e Heb. “I.”
f Cf. Deut. 20.10–12 and note.
g Exact meaning and connection of vv. 11–12 uncertain.
h Taking shillahti as a second-person singular feminine form, with Septuagint; cf. Judg. 5.7 with note.
i I.e., a pit that serves as a dungeon rather than a cistern (both are called bor in Heb.).
j Perhaps a nickname (“fortress”) for Samaria (Heb. Shomeron).
k I.e., Judah.
l Lit. “tempests of wind”; for teman in the sense of wind, cf. Job 9.9; 39.26.
m The meaning of much of the rest of the chapter is uncertain.
n-n Some Septuagint mss. read “drink blood like.”
a-a Septuagint reads “in its season/The early rain and the late.” Cf. Deut. 11.14.
b Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
c-c Emendation yields “[producing] food for men,/Grass in the fields for cattle.” Cf. Deut. 11.14–15.
d Idols consulted for oracles; cf. 1 Sam. 15.23; Ezek. 21.26.
e I.e., oppressive leaders; cf. Ezek. 34.17 ff.
f-f Emendation yields “shields and bucklers.”
g-g Emendation yields “And when Ephraim is victorious,/They….”
h I.e., Judah and Ephraim.
i-i Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “have glory”; cf. Isa. 45.25.
a-a Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
b-b Emendation yields “for the sheep dealers”; cf. the word rendered “trader” in 14.21.
c-c Emendation yields “a third of the flock.”
d Perhaps alluding to the prediction of 14.1–3.
e-e Emendation yields “the sheep dealers.”
f Emendation yields “hired.”
g Two mss. of the Septuagint have “Jerusalem”; cf. 12.2–3; 14.14.
a-a Emendation yields “open the eyes of Judah while I strike all.”
b-b Emendation yields “We will save the dwellers of Jerusalem with the help of.”
c Emendation yields “safety.”
d-d For the idiom cf. Gen. 43.30; it is also attested in postbiblical Hebrew.
e Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
f Usually “Megiddo.”
g In this way, apparently, they will prevail upon the LORD to spare the remnant of the besieging nations; cf. v. 10.
a-a To which abnormal human behavior was attributed.
b Heb. “They.”
c In imitation of Elijah; cf. 2 Kings 1.8.
d-d I.e., I was addicted to wine like Noah, the tiller of the soil (cf. Gen. 9.20–21), hence my hallucinations and ravings; cf. Prov. 23.33.
e-e Connecting ’adam with ’adom “red” (cf. Prov. 23.31); but meaning of Heb. uncertain.
f-f Lit. “sores between your arms”; cf. 2 Kings 9.24. Sores are sometimes symptoms of hysteria.
g Presumably for making drunken scenes; cf. Prov. 23.35.
h Vv. 7–9 would read well after 11.17.
i-i Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
a Jerusalem is addressed.
b Vocalizing [we] nistam with Targum, Septuagint, and an old Heb. ms. Other mss. and printed editions read, “You [pl.] shall flee [to] the Valley in the Hills, for the Valley of the Hills shall reach up to Azal. You shall flee as you fled because of the earthquake. …”
c Meaning of verse uncertain; cf. Job 21.26.
d I.e., the Dead Sea; cf. Joel 2.20.
e I.e., the Mediterranean Sea; cf. Joel 2.20.
f I.e., the LORD alone shall be worshiped and shall be invoked by His true name.
g I.e., shall be depressed like the Jordan Valley.
h-h I.e., from the northern border of the Kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 15.22; 2 Kings 23.8) to the southern border (Josh. 15.32; 19.7).
i-i Brought up from v. 11 for clarity.
j Because Egypt is not dependent on rain, it will suffer some other punishment, presumably that described in v. 12.
k To sell ritually pure vessels.
Malachi
1 A pronouncement: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
2I have shown you love, said the LORD. But you ask, “How have You shown us love?” After all—declares the LORD—Esau is Jacob’s brother; yet I have accepted Jacob 3and have rejected Esau. I have made his hills a desolation, his territory a-a home for beasts-a of the desert. 4If Edom thinks, “Though crushed, we can build the ruins again,” thus said the LORD of Hosts: They may build, but I will tear down. And so they shall be known as the region of wickedness, the people damned forever of the LORD. 5Your eyes shall behold it, and you shall declare, “Great is the LORD beyond the borders of Israel!”
6A son should honor his father, and a slaveb his master. Now if I am a father, where is the honor due Me? And if I am a master, where is the reverence due Me?— said the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who scorn My name. But you ask, “How have we scorned Your name?” 7You offer defiled food on My altar. But you ask, “How have we defiled You?”c By saying, “The table of the LORD can be treated with scorn.” 8When you present a blind animal for sacrifice—it doesn’t matter! When you present a lame or sick one—it doesn’t matter! Just offer it to your governor: Will he accept you? Will he show you favor?— said the LORD of Hosts. 9And now implore the favor of God! Will He be gracious to us? This is what you have done—will He accept any of you?
The LORD of Hosts has said: 10If only you would lock My doors, and not kindle fire on My altar to no purpose! I take no pleasure in you— said the LORD of Hosts—and I will accept no offering from you. 11For from where the sun rises to where it sets, My name is honored among the nations, and everywhere incense and pure oblation are offered to My name; for My name is honored among the nations—said the LORD of Hosts. 12But you profane it when you say, “The table of the LORD is defiled and the meat,a the food, can be treated with scorn.” 13You say, “Oh, what a bother!” And so you degradea it—said the LORD of Hosts— and you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; and you offer such as an oblation. Will I accept it from you?— said the LORD.
14A curse on the cheat who has an [unblemished] male in his flock, but for his vow sacrifices a blemished animal to the LORD! For I am a great King—said the LORD of Hosts—and My name is revered among the nations.
2 And now, O priests, this charge is for you: 2Unless you obey and unless you lay it to heart, and do honor to My name—said the LORD of Hosts—I will send a curse and turn your blessings into curses. (Indeed, I have turned them into curses, because you do not lay it to heart.) 3I will a-put your seed under a ban,-a and I will strew dung upon your faces, the dung of your festal sacrifices, and you shall be carried out to its [heap].
4Know, then, that I have sent this charge to you that My covenant with Levi may endure—said the LORD of Hosts. 5I had with him a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave to him, and of reverence, which he showed Me. For he stood in awe of My name.
6bProper rulings were in his mouth,
And nothing perverse was on his lips;
He served Me with complete loyalty
And held the many back from iniquity.
7c-For the lips of a priest guard knowledge,
And men seek rulings from his mouth;-c
For he is a messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
8But you have turned away from that course: You have made the many stumble through your rulings;d you have corrupted the covenant of the Levites—said the LORD of Hosts. 9And I, in turn, have made you despicable and vile in the eyes of all the people, because you disregard My ways and show partiality in your rulings.
10Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we break faith with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors? 11Judah has broken faith; abhorrent things have been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned what is holy to
