Malachi 2:8

2:8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; ¹  you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” ²  says the Lord who rules over all.

Malachi 2:1

The Sacrilege of the Priestly Message

2:1 “Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

Malachi 2:1

The Sacrilege of the Priestly Message

2:1 “Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

Jeremiah 5:30-31

5:30 “Something horrible and shocking

is going on in the land of Judah:

5:31 The prophets prophesy lies.

The priests exercise power by their own authority. ³ 

And my people love to have it this way.

But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! ⁴ 

Jeremiah 23:11

23:11 Moreover, ⁵  the Lord says, ⁶ 

“Both the prophets and priests are godless.

I have even found them doing evil in my temple!

Ezekiel 22:26

22:26 Her priests abuse my law and have desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish between the holy and the profane, ⁷  or recognize any distinction between the unclean and the clean. They ignore ⁸  my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their midst.

Hosea 4:6

4:6 You have destroyed ⁹  my people

by failing to acknowledge me!

Because you refuse to acknowledge me, ¹⁰ 

I will reject you as my priests.

Because you reject ¹¹  the law of your God,

I will reject ¹²  your descendants.

Hosea 5:1

Announcement of Sin and Judgment

5:1 Hear this, you priests!

Pay attention, you Israelites! ¹³ 

Listen closely, ¹⁴  O king! ¹⁵ 

For judgment is about to overtake you! ¹⁶ 

For you were like a trap ¹⁷  to Mizpah, ¹⁸ 

like a net ¹⁹  spread out to catch Tabor. ²⁰ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn The definite article embedded within בַּתּוֹרָה (battorah) may suggest that the Torah is in mind and not just “ordinary” priestly instruction, though it might refer to the instruction previously mentioned (v. 7).

[2:8]  ² tn Or “the Levitical covenant.”

[5:31]  ³ tn Heb “they shall rule at their hands.” Since the word “hand” can be used figuratively for authority or mean “side” and the pronoun “them” can refer to the priests themselves or the prophets, the following translations have also been suggested: “the priests rule under their [the prophets’] directions,” or “the priests rule in league with them [the prophets].” From the rest of the book it would appear that the prophets did not exercise authority over the priests nor did they exercise the same authority over the people that the priests did. Hence it probably mean “by their own hand/power/authority.”

[5:31]  ⁴ tn Heb “But what will you do at its end?” The rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “Nothing!”

[23:11]  ⁵ tn The particle כִּי (ki) which begins this verse is parallel to the one at the beginning of the preceding verse. However, the connection is too distant to render it “for.” “Moreover” is intended to draw the parallel. The words “the Lord says” (Heb “Oracle of the Lord”) have been drawn up to the front to introduce the shift in speaker from Jeremiah, who describes his agitated state, to God, who describes the sins of the prophets and priests and his consequent judgment on them.

[23:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[22:26]  ⁷ tn Or “between the consecrated and the common.”

[22:26]  ⁸ tn Heb “hide their eyes from.” The idiom means to disregard or ignore something or someone (see Lev 20:4; 1 Sam 12:3; Prov 28:27; Isa 1:15).

[4:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “they have destroyed” or “my people are destroyed” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[4:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Because you reject knowledge”; NLT “because they don’t know me.”

[4:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “have forgotten”; NAB, NIV “have ignored.”

[4:6]  ¹² tn Heb “forget” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “forget to bless.”

[5:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “O house of Israel” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV); NLT “all of Israel’s leaders.”

[5:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Use the ear”; ASV “give ear.”

[5:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “O house of the king” (so KJV); NIV “O royal house.”

[5:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for the judgment is to you”; or “For this accusation is against you.” Cf. NIV “This judgment is against you.”

[5:1]  ¹⁷ sn The noun פַּח (pakh, “trap”) is used (1) literally of a bird-trap, used in similes and metaphors (Amos 3:5; Prov 7:23; Eccl 9:12), and (2) figuratively to refer to (a) calamities and plots (Job 18:9; 22:10; Pss 91:3; 119:110; 124:7; 140:6; 141:9; 142:4; Prov 22:5; Isa 24:17-18; Jer 18:22; 48:43-44; Hos 9:8) and (b) a source of calamity (Josh 23:13; Pss 11:6; 69:23; Isa 8:14; Hos 5:1; BDB 809 s.v. פַּח).

[5:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “you were a trap to Mizpah.”

[5:1]  ¹⁹ sn The noun רֶשֶׁת (reshet, “net”) is used (1) literally of a net used to catch birds (Prov 1:17) and (2) in figurative descriptions of the wicked plotting to ensnare their victims (Prov 29:5; Pss 9:16; 10:9; 25:15; 31:5; 35:7; 57:7; 140:6; Job 18:8; BDB 440 s.v. רֶשֶׁת).

[5:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and a net spread out over Tabor.”