“Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!
Parallel translations
- WEB “But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
- KJV But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
- BSB “But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.
- NKJV “But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished— For I am a great King,” Says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.
- NASB “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the Lord of armies, “and My name is feared among the nations.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God curses the deceiver who vows a good animal yet sacrifices a defective one, for He is a great King whose name is feared among the nations.
Overview
The cheat who possesses an acceptable animal but offers an inferior one to God stands condemned, for such deceit insults the great King. God's universal majesty deserves our best, not our leftovers. The verse closes the first oracle by exalting God's kingship, a kingship perfectly honored and revealed in Christ, the King of kings.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 31
- Acts 5:1–10But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession,
- 2 Cor 8:12For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.
- Eccl 5:4–5When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
- Luke 12:46then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.
- Mal 1:8When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Ps 76:12He will cut off the spirit of princes. He is feared by the kings of the earth.
- Rev 21:8But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
- Luke 12:1–2Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- Mal 1:11For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Josh 7:11–12Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff.
- Ps 47:2For Yahweh Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth.
- Zech 14:9Yahweh will be King over all the earth. In that day Yahweh will be one, and his name one.
- Jer 10:10But Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to withstand his indignation.
- Lev 22:18–21“Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Whoever is of the house of Israel, or of the foreigners in Israel, who offers his offering, whether it is any of their vows, or any of their freewill offerings, which they offer to Yahweh for a burnt offering;
- Dan 4:37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are truth, and his ways justice; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
- Heb 12:29for our God is a consuming fire.
- Rev 15:4Who wouldn’t fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed.”
- Mark 12:41–44Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.
- Isa 57:15For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
- Deut 28:58If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH YOUR GOD;
- Dan 9:4I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
- 1 Tim 6:15which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
- Gen 27:12What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”
- Jer 48:10“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
- Ps 95:3For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods.
- Ps 48:2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
- Mal 3:9You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.
- Matt 5:35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
- Mark 14:8She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burying.
- Ps 68:35You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!
- Matt 24:51and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.
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Christ at the center
The messenger who prepares the way, the sun of righteousness rising with healing, and the Lord suddenly coming to his temple set the stage for the gospel that opens with John and Jesus.
How Malachi 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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