Malachi 1:14

“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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD of Hosts addresses Israel through Malachi, immediately after they called the offering a "nuisance" and brought stolen, lame, or sick animals (1:13).

The words — נֹכֵל (no.Khel), "deceiver," from the root נכל, "to cheat," names the one who keeps the best for himself and substitutes a blemished animal (מָשְׁחָת, ma.she.Chat) for the Lord.

The thread — Ecclesiastes 5:4 commands prompt fulfillment of vows, and Acts 5:1–11 shows Ananias and Sapphira judged for deceiving in a gift; 2 Corinthians 8:12 grounds acceptable giving in what one actually has.

Why it lands — The verse strips away the pretense that a blemished sacrifice offered under a vow is "acceptable"; it demands that what you give to God be the same quality you would keep for yourself.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאָר֣וּרve./'a.Rurand/ [be] cursed נוֹכֵ֗לno.Khel[one who] deals deceptively וְיֵ֤שׁve./Yeshand/ there בְּעֶדְרוֹ֙be./'ed.R/oamong/ flock/ his זָכָ֔רza.Khar[is] a male וְנֹדֵ֛רve./no.Derand/ [one who] makes a vow וְזֹבֵ֥חַve./zo.Ve.achand/ [one who] sacrifices מָשְׁחָ֖תma.she.Chata blemished [animal]לַֽאדֹנָ֑יla./do.Naito/ [the] Lord כִּי֩kifor מֶ֨לֶךְMe.lekh[am] a king גָּד֜וֹלga.Dolgreat אָ֗נִי'A.niI אָמַר֙'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh צְבָא֔וֹתtze.va.'otof hosts וּשְׁמִ֖יu./she.M/iand/ name/ my נוֹרָ֥אno.Ra'[is] feared בַגּוֹיִֽם׃va./go.Yimamong the/ nations

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

Acts 5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
Psalms 76:12 He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.
Malachi 1:8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.
Luke 12:46 The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Leviticus 22:18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites and tell them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or any foreign resident who presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, whether to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,
Joshua 7:11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
Psalms 47:2 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!
Jeremiah 10:10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.