Malachi 2 · Verse 8

Malachi 2:8

But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:8, King James Version

Malachi 2:8 in other translations

BSBBut you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.
WEBBut you have turned away from the path. You have caused many to stumble in the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Armies.
ASVBut ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.
YLTAnd ye, ye have turned from the way, Ye have caused many to stumble in the law, Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, Said Jehovah of Hosts.
DARBYBut ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.
BBEBut you are turned out of the way; you have made the law hard for numbers of people; you have made the agreement of Levi of no value, says the Lord of armies.
WebsterBut ye have departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

What does Malachi 2:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Malachi 2:5-9

5-9. He describes the promises, and also the conditions of the covenant; Levi's observance of the conditions and reward (compare Nu 25:11-13, Phinehas' zeal); and on the other hand the violation of the conditions, and consequent punishment of the present priests. "Life" here includes the perpetuity implied in Nu 25:13, "everlasting priesthood." "Peace" is specified both here and there. Maurer thus explains it; the…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 But ye are departed out of the way - Ye are become impure yourselves, and ye have led others into iniquity.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Malachi 2:1-9

What is here said of the covenant of priesthood, is true of the covenant of grace made with all believers, as spiritual priests. It is a covenant of life and peace; it assures all believers of all happiness, both in this world and in that to come. It is an honour to God's servants to be employed as his messengers. The priest's lips should not keep knowledge from his people, but keep it for them. The people are all…

Read the full comment on Malachi 2:1-9 →

Malachi 2:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאַתֶּם֙ve.'a.Temand youH859
סַרְתֶּ֣םsar.Temyou have turned asideH5493
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַדֶּ֔רֶךְha.De.rekhthe wayH1870
הִכְשַׁלְתֶּ֥םhikh.shal.Temyou have caused to stumbleH3782
רַבִּ֖יםra.Bimmany [people]H7227
בַּתּוֹרָ֑הba.to.Rahby the instructionH8451
שִֽׁחַתֶּם֙shi.cha.Temyou have corruptedH7843
בְּרִ֣יתbe.Rit[the] covenant ofH1285
הַלֵּוִ֔יha.le.Vi<the> LeviH3878
אָמַ֖ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָאֽוֹת\׃tze.va.'otof hostsH6635

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Malachi 2:8

  • Nehemiah 13:29

    Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

  • Jeremiah 18:15

    Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;

  • Jeremiah 17:5

    Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

  • Ezekiel 44:10

    And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.

  • Isaiah 30:11

    Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

  • Malachi 2:5

    My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

  • 1 Samuel 2:17

    Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

  • Isaiah 59:13

    In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

  • Luke 11:45-46

    Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

  • Matthew 15:2-5

    Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

  • Malachi 2:9-10

    Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

  • 1 Samuel 2:24

    Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye are.
Ps 18:21; 119:102; Isa 30:11; 59:13; Jer 17:5,13; Eze 44:10
Da 9:5,6; Heb 3:12
ye have caused.
9; 1Sa 2:17,24,30; Isa 9:16; Jer 18:15; 23:11-15; Mt 15:2-5
Lu 11:45,46; Ro 2:19-24; 14:21
stumble at. or, fall in. ye have corrupted.
5,10; Le 21:15; Ne 13:29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Malachi 2:7

    For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

  • Malachi 2:8

    But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Malachi 2:9

    Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

Read all of Malachi 2

Malachi 2:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas vosotros os habéis apartado del camino; habéis hecho tropezar á muchos en la ley; habéis corrompido el pacto de Leví, dice Jehová de los ejércitos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mais vous vous êtes écartés du chemin, vous avez fait broncher beaucoup de gens à l’égard de la loi, vous avez corrompu l’alliance de Lévi, dit l’ Éternel des armées.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ihr aber seid abgewichen von dem Wege, habt viele straucheln gemacht im Gesetz, ihr habt den Bund Levis zerstört, spricht Jehova der Heerscharen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Vos autem recessistis de via, et scandalizastis plurimos in lege: irritum fecistis pactum Levi, dicit Dominus exercituum.