Bible Strands
Malachi 2:5
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Lord addresses the priests of Israel, declaring that His command to them ensures the continuation of the covenant established with Levi.
The words — The text centers on בְּרִיתִי (be.riti), literally "my covenant," and מוֹרָא (mo'ra), literally "fear" or "reverence," which the verse presents as the covenant's defining character and the priest's required posture.
The thread — This covenant of life and peace reappears in Numbers 25:12 as a grant to Phinehas and in Ezekiel 34:25 and 37:26 as an everlasting promise of security for God's people.
Why it lands — The passage requires recipients of divine instruction to respond with active reverence and to uphold truthful teaching that turns others from iniquity.
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
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Numbers 25:12 Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace.
- Ezekiel 37:26 And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.
- Ezekiel 34:25 I will make with them a covenant of peace and rid the land of wild animals, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forest.
- Exodus 32:26 So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
- Numbers 16:9 Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel and brought you near to Himself to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them?
- Numbers 3:45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.
- Numbers 8:15 After you have cleansed them and presented them as a wave offering, they may come to serve at the Tent of Meeting.
- Numbers 18:8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute.
- Deuteronomy 33:8 Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
- Psalms 106:30 But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.