Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
The priests cannot evade their guilt by blaming the people's coldness. They were appointed to teach the right way; when they dissembled, their silence was consent, and they robbed God's people of His fear, letting spurious sacrifices corrupt the whole worship. The command falls on them first.
AI summary
Commenting on Malachi 2:1-17
False hearts breed false hands. A man who cheats God in his tithes has already broken his conscience; the bonds that hold him to his brother snap just as easily. These Jews dealt treacherously with one another because they had first dealt treacherously with their God, and by marrying heathen women and casting off their own wives, they violated the sacred covenant itself.
AI summary
Commenting on Malachi 2:10-17
Whether the one Father means Adam, Abraham, Jacob, or God Himself, the conclusion is the same and unanswerable: common origin forbids partiality in judgment. The rich and poor share one Creator; to show respect of persons is to break faith with one another and profane the very law your fathers received at Sinai.
AI summary