16<\/strong>. the God of Israel<\/em> ] who has given them His law. His relation to the people aggravates their guilt.<\/p>\n hateth putting away<\/em> ] Lit. For he (Jehovah) hateth putting away (divorce), saith Jehovah<\/strong>, &c.<\/p>\n It is true that divorce was permitted by the Law of Moses, in certain cases (Deu 24:1-4<\/span>); but that, as our Lord teaches, was only a concession to “the hardness of their hearts” (Mat 19:8<\/span>), and “from the beginning it was not so”. The rendering of A.V. margin, which is also that of the LXX. and Targum, “if he hate her, put her away”, makes the prophet call upon those whom he is rebuking to avail themselves of the provision of the Law, as the least of two evils: q.d. “better divorce her if you hate her, as the Law allows you to do, than retain her as your wife only to subject her to insult and cruelty”. But apart from other objections, this interpretation loses sight of the fact that the motive of divorce in the two cases was entirely different, and that such advice, in the case here under consideration, is tantamount to saying, “If you wish to marry a heathen woman, get rid of your lawful wife first by divorcing her.”<\/p>\n for one covereth his garment<\/em> ] Rather, and him that covereth his garment with violence<\/strong> (R.V.) (do I hate), saith the Lord of hosts<\/em>. Two things, in relation to the subject in hand, Almighty God declares that He hates. He hates “putting away”, for it is a violation of His primval law, “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” And He hates ill-treatment by the husband of his wife, which stains and pollutes, as it were, the garment of protection which he is bound to spread over her. By “his garment” many commentators understand “his wife”. But no such Hebrew use of the word has been adduced, and the Arabic use which is alleged is not conclusive.<\/p>\n He hateth putting away – <\/B>o<\/SUP> He had allowed it for the hardness of their hearts, yet only in the one case of some extreme bodily foulness discovered upon marriage, and which the woman, knowing the law, concealed at her own peril. Not subsequent illness or any consequences of it, however loathsome (as leprosy), were a ground of divorce, but only this concealed foulness, which the husband found upon marriage. The capricious tyrannical divorce, God saith, He hateth: a word Naturally used only as to sin, and so stamping such divorce as sin.<\/P> One covereth violence with his garment – <\/B>o<\/SUP> or, and violence covereth his garment, or, it might be, in the same sense, he covereth his garment with violence , so that it cannot be hid, nor washed away, nor removed, but envelopes him and his garment; and that, to his shame and punishment.<\/P> It was, as it were, an outer garment of violence, as Asaph says Psa 73:6<\/span>, violence covereth them as a garment; or David Psa 109:18<\/span>, he clothed himself with cursing as with a garment. It was like a garment with fretting leprosy, unclean and making unclean, to be burned with fire. Lev 13:47-58<\/span>. Contrariwise, the redeemed saints had Rev 7:14<\/span> washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Having declared Gods hatred of this their doing, he sums up in the same words, but more briefly; and this being so, ye shall take heed to your spirit, and not deal treacherously.<\/P> <\/p>\n Mal 2:16<\/span><\/p>\n For one covereth violence with his garment.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Evil covered up<\/strong><\/p>\n Sin indulged gathers force and violence. The oozing stream from the bursting reservoir becomes a torrent, and the torrent becomes a deluge. Lust leads to treachery, treachery to cruelty, cruelty to violence. There is a terrible momentum in evil. Impetuosity in sin is human energy diabolically directed. The Jews that had put away their wives drove them from their houses with violence, and though conscious of the evils they were committing, yet appealed to the Mosaic law of divorce (Deu 24:1<\/span>), and sought to make that law a garment to hide their sin. But the prophet reminded them that God was cognisant of their sin, and would reveal it.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>By appealing to the Scriptures. Its teachings are perverted, its examples are distorted, and its injunctions are separated from their context, and wrongly applied. Truth is woven into a garment of sophistries to hide their sin.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>By subterfuges and false explanations. Men think that their real characters are not known by their fellow-men. They try to make their vices appear virtues.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>By sheltering themselves behind the evil practices of the great. The lower classes make a garment of the vices of the upper, individual responsibility is forgotten. The moral character of a deed cannot be covered by prevailing customs, however elegant, nor by popular vices, however <\/strong>applauded or legalised.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>By exercising themselves in the indulgence of their passions. Excuses are the garments which some men ever wear. They excuse themselves–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> Because passions are not self-implanted.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> Because of their strength.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> Because they are generally yielded to.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Man is conscious of moral emotions. His evil acts trouble him. The loudest witness to a mans guilt is in himself.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Man is conscious of a sense of shame in guilt. Years of persistent vice can hardly prevent trembling confusion in the evil-doer when discovered in his sin. He is self-condemned and ashamed.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>This disposition often leads to an increase of guilt. Confession of sin brings mercy, cleansing, and <\/strong>peace; but the covering of sin, callousness, Divine displeasure, and ruin. It manifests obstinacy and determined rebellion. Men seek to cover up evil–<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> From fear of dishonour.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> To escape punishment.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> To silence conscience.<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> To avert the anger of God.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>His omniscience secures the detection of every evildoer.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>His justice secures the avenging of the wronged.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>His holiness secures the <\/strong>exposure and punishment of every wrong-doer, however carefully he may cover his violence as with a garment.<\/p>\n All covering of sin by man is folly. God alone can cover <\/strong>it by His mercy in Christ Jesus. (W. Osborne Lilley.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 16<\/span>. For the Lord – hateth putting away<\/B><\/I>] He abominates all such divorces, and him<\/I> that makes them.<\/P> <\/P> Covereth violence with his garment<\/B><\/I>] And he also notes<\/I> those who frame idle excuses to cover<\/I> the violence<\/I> they have done to the wives of their youth, by putting them away, and taking others in their place, whom they now<\/I> happen to like better, when their own wives have been worn down in domestic services.<\/P> <\/p>\n The prophet enforceth his former exhortation, Mal 2:15<\/span>, with the arguments laid here close together from the odiousness of the thing he exhorts them to forbear. It is odious to the Lord, who changeth not, but resents this evil practice as much as ever. God, Judge of wrongs and the wronged, hates such wrong. <\/P> God of Israel<\/B> by covenant, and in peculiar relation, and so much more engaged to punish it; and he now declares his hatred of these things. <\/P> Putting away; <\/B>divorce, such putting away of wives as these petulant Jews used to make way for some new wives. <\/P> For one covereth violence with his garment; <\/B>rather, and covering violence, &c., which God hates as much as divorcing or putting away. This superinducing of violence by a second wife taken in upon, or with, or over the first wife, called here a garment<\/I>, God hateth. In sum, neither your divorces nor your polygamy may with safety be practised, for God hateth both. <\/P> Therefore take heed to your spirit, <\/B>and therefore be advised, take heed, as you love your life, your souls, your peace, and welfare, that ye deal not treacherously; neither on dislike divorce, nor yet, with unbridled lust, take another wife in to the former; both are perfidious treachery against her, thy covenant, and thy God; and what canst thou expect from such courses that God hateth, but to be cut off. <\/P> <\/p>\n 16. putting away<\/B>that is,divorce. <\/P> for one covereth violencewith . . . garment<\/B>MAURERtranslates, “And (Jehovah hateth him who) covereth his garment(that is, his wife,<\/I> in Arabic<\/I> idiom; compare Ge20:16<\/span>, ‘He is to thee a covering<\/I> of thy eyes’; the husbandwas so to the wife, and the wife to the husband; also Deu 22:30<\/span>;Rth 3:9<\/span>; Eze 16:8<\/span>)with injury.” The Hebrew<\/I> favors “garment,”being accusative of the thing covered.<\/I> Compare with EnglishVersion,<\/I> Ps 73:6<\/span>, “violencecovereth them as a garment.” Their “violence” is theputting away of their wives; the “garment” with which theytry to cover it is the plea of Moses’ permission (De24:1<\/span>; compare Mt19:6-9<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n For the Lord the God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away<\/strong>,…. The divorcing of wives; for though this was suffered because of the hardness of their hearts, it was not approved of by the Lord; nor was it from the beginning; and it was disagreeable, and even hateful to him, Mt 19:8<\/span> in the margin of some Bibles the words are rendered, “if he hate her, put her away”; and so the Targum,<\/p>\n “but if thou hatest her, put her away;”<\/p>\n to which agree the Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, and Arabic versions; and this sense made mention of in both Talmuds, and is thought to be agreeable to the law in De 24:3<\/span> though the law there speaks of a fact that might be, and not of what ought to be; wherefore the former sense is best; and this other seems to have been at first calculated to favour the practice of the Jews, who put away their wives through hatred to them. The Jews were very much inclined to divorce their wives upon very trivial occasions; if they did not dress their food well, were not of good behaviour, or not so modest as became the daughters of Israel; if they did not find favour with their husbands; and, especially, if they had entertained a hatred of them: so says R. Judah k,<\/p>\n “if he hate her, let him put her away:”<\/p>\n but this is by some of them restrained to a second wife; for of the first they say,<\/p>\n “it is not proper to be hasty to put away a first wife; but a second, if he hates her, let him put her away l”<\/p>\n and R. Eleazer says m, whoever divorces his first wife, even the altar sheds tears for him, referring to the words in Mal 2:13<\/span> and divorces of this kind they only reckon lawful among the Israelites, and found it upon this passage; for so they make God to speak after this manner n,<\/p>\n “in Israel I have granted divorces; among the nations of the world I have not granted divorces. R. Chananiah, in the name of R. Phinehas, observes, that in every other section it is written, “the Lord of hosts”; but here it is written, “the God of Israel”, to teach thee that the holy blessed God does not put his name to divorces (or allow them) but in Israel only. R. Chayah Rabba says, the Gentiles have no divorces.”<\/p>\n But some of them have better understanding of these words, and more truly give the sense of them thus, as R. Jochanan does, who interprets them,<\/p>\n “the putting away of the wife is hateful o;”<\/p>\n it is so to God, and ought not to be done by men but in case of adultery, as our Lord has taught, Mt 5:32<\/span> and which was the doctrine of the school of Shammai in Christ’s time, who taught,<\/p>\n “that no man should divorce his wife, unless he found in her filthiness;”<\/p>\n i.e. that she was guilty of adultery; though this Maimonides restrains to the first wife, as before: but the house of Hillell, who lived in the same time, was of a different mind, and taught that<\/p>\n “if she burnt his food;”<\/p>\n either over dressed or over salted it, according to De 24:1<\/span>. R. Akiba says, if he found another more beautiful than her, according to<\/p>\n De 24:1<\/span>, he might divorce her p; of the form of a divorce,<\/p>\n [See comments on Mt 5:31]<\/span>. Those interpreters among Christians that go this way do not look upon this as an approbation of divorce, on account of hatred; but that so to do is better than to retain them with hatred of them, seeing it was connived at, or than to take other wives with them.<\/p>\n For [one] covereth violence with his garment<\/strong>, or “on his garment”,<\/p>\n saith the Lord of hosts<\/strong>; as he that puts away his wife does her an open injury, which though he may cover, pretending the law, which connives at divorces; yet the violence done to his wife is as manifest as the garment upon his back: though those who think the former words are an instruction to put away wives, when hated, consider this as a reason why they should do so; because, by retaining them, and yet hating them, and taking other wives to them, is doing them a real injury, whatever cover or pretence may be used; because, if dismissed, they might be loved by, and married to, other men. Aben Ezra seems to have hit the sense of these words, when he makes this to be the object of God’s hatred, as well as the former; his note is,<\/p>\n “the Lord hateth him that putteth away his wife that is pure, and he hates him that covereth; or God sees his violence which is done in secret.”<\/p>\n Mr. Pocock proposes a conjecture, which is very ingenious and probable, that as the words will bear the construction Aben Ezra gives, that God hates putting away, and hates that one should put violence upon or over his garment; by “garment” he thinks may be meant a man’s lawful wife, which is as a garment to him; and by “violence” a second wife, or other wives, taken to the injury, hurt, and vexation of the former; and the covering, or superinducing violence over the garment, is marrying an unlawful wife, over or with, or above his lawful one: and the sense is, that as God hates divorce, so he hates polygamy:<\/p>\n therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously<\/strong>;<\/p>\n [See comments on Mal 2:15]<\/span>.<\/p>\n k T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 90. 2. l Maimon. Hilchot Gerushin, c. 10, 21, 22. m T. Bab. Gittin, ib. n T. Hieros. Kiddushin, c. 1. fol. 58. 3. o T. Bab. Gittin, ut supra. p Misn. Gittin, c. 9. sect. 10.<\/p>\n Here again the Prophet exaggerates the crime which the priests regarded as nothing; for he says, that they sinned more grievously than if they had repudiated their wives. We indeed know that repudiation, properly speaking, had never been allowed by God; for though it was not punished under the law, yet it was not permitted. (236) It was the same as with a magistrate, who is constrained to bear many things which he does not approve; for we cannot so deal with mankind as to restrain all vices. It is indeed desirable, that no vice should be tolerated; but we must have a regard to what is possible. Hence Moses has specified no punishment, according to the heinousness of the crime, if one repudiated his wife; and yet it was never permitted. <\/p>\n But if a comparison be made, Malachi says, that it is a lighter crime to dismiss a wife than to marry many wives. We hence learn how abominable polygamy is in the sight of God. I do not consider polygamy to be what the foolish Papists have made it, who call not those polygamists who have many wives at the same time, but those who marry another when the former one is dead. This is gross ignorance. Polygamy, properly so called, is when a person takes many wives, as it was commonly done in the East: and those nations, we know, have always been libidinous, and never observe the marriage vow. As then their lasciviousness was so great that they were like brute beasts, every one married several wives; and this abuse continues at this day among the Turks and the Persian and other nations. Here, however, where God compares polygamy with divorce, he says that polygamy is the worse and more detestable crime; for the husband impurely connects himself with another woman, and then, not only deals unfaithfully with his wife to whom he is bound, but also forcibly detains her: thus his crime is doubled. For if he replies and says that he keeps the wife to whom he is bound, he is yet an adulterer as to the second wife: thus he blends, as they say, holy with profane things; and then to adultery and lasciviousness he adds cruelty, for he holds under his authority a miserable woman, who would prefer death to such a condition; for we know what power jealousy has over women. And when any one introduces a harlot, how can a lawful wife bear such an indignity without being miserably tormented? <\/p>\n This then is the reason why the Prophet now says, If thou hatest, dismiss; not that he grants indulgence to divorce, as we have said, but that he might by this circumstance enhance the crime; and hence he adds, For he covers by a cloak his violence. Some interpreters take violence here for spoil or prey, and think that the wife is thus called who is tyrannically compelled to remain with an adulterer, when yet she sees a harlot in her house, by whom she is driven from her conjugal bed: but this is too strained and too remote from the letter of the text. The Prophet here, I doubt not, shakes off from the Jews their false mask, because they thought that they could cover over their vice by retaining their first wives. “What else is this,” he says, “but to cover by a cloak your violence, or at least to excuse it? for ye do not openly manifest it: but God is not deceived, nor can his eye be dazzled by such a disguise: though then your iniquity is covered by a cloak, it is not yet hid from God; nay, it is thus doubled, because ye exercise your cruelty at home; for it would be better for robbers to remain in the wood and there to kill strangers, than to entice guests to their houses and to kill them there and to plunder them under the pretext of hospitality. This is the way in which you act; for ye destroy the bond of marriage, and ye afterwards deceive your miserable wives, and yet ye force them by your tyranny to continue at your houses, and thus ye torment your miserable wives, who might have enjoyed their freedom, if divorce had been granted them.” (237) <\/p>\n He concludes again with these words, Watch over your spirit; that is, “Take heed; for this is an intolerable wickedness before God, however you may endeavor to extenuate its heinousness.” <\/p>\n (236) This is not strictly correct, see Deu 24:2<\/span>; and our Savior allows that Moses “suffered” the Israelites to put away their wives, though he says that is was for the hardness of their hearts. See Mat 19:8<\/span>. — Ed. <\/p>\n (237) The interpretation given of the first clause of this verse is according to the Septuagint and the Targum, and has been adopted by Cyril, Jerome, Theodoret, Drusius, Grotius, Dathius, and others. Our version is derived from Jun. and Trem., and Piscator, and has been followed by Marckius, Lowth, Scott, Adam Clarke, Newcome, and Henderson. The second clause has been variously interpreted both by the ancients and the moderns. The Septuagint make “violence,” or wrong, the nominative to “cover,” and the Targum the accusative. “Iniquity shall cover his garment,” is the version of Jerome. “For he covers violence as with his garments,” has been the version of others; which corresponds with the Targum, as the former does with the Septuagint. <\/p>\n The most natural construction of the first part is no doubt what our version exhibits; the meaning of the second is less obvious: but they seem connected. What seems to be said is, — that God hates the divorcer, and him also who maltreats his wife without divorcing her. Then we may give this literal rendering, — <\/p>\n For he hates the divorcer, (or him who puts away,) Saith Jehovah, the God of Israel; And the coverer of outrage on his own garment, Saith Jehovah of hosts. <\/p>\n To speak of God here in the third person is in accordance with the preceding verses. “His own garment,” according to Venema, Dathius, and Henderson, is a figurative designation of a wife. See Rut 3:9<\/span>; Eze 16:8<\/span>. <\/p>\n The condemning of divorce is more suitable to this place, than any reference to its permission; because in the previous part the allusion is evidently made to the first institution of marriage, and not to any posterior modification. — Ed. <\/p>\n (16) For<\/em> [I] hate divorce<\/em> [of the first wife], saith the God of Israel, and he<\/em> [the divorcer of his first wife] covers his garment with injury, saith the LORD of Hosts; therefore take ye heed to your spirit, and do not be faithless.<\/em> According to our interpretation, the whole of these two verses must be taken as the words of the prophet. Any superiority.<\/em>We take Heb. sh<\/em>r,<\/em> remnant in the sense of yithrn,<\/em> superabundance, superiority. Any superiority of spirit<\/em>i.e.,<\/em> any such essential superiority as to justify him in treating his wife as a mere slave, and divorcing her against her will. This passage coincides more nearly with the spirit of Mat. 19:3<\/span> seqq.<\/em> than with that of Deu. 24:1-4<\/span>. To yourselves,<\/em> or to your spirit.<\/em> The expressions are equivalent. (Comp. Jer. 17:21<\/span>; Deu. 4:15<\/span>; Jos. 23:11<\/span>.) Let none be<\/em> . . .Observe the change of person, so common in Hebrew. (Comp. Isa. 1:29<\/span>.) His garment.<\/em>Some take this to be an Oriental expression for his wife. (Comp. Al Koran, 2:Wives are your attire, and you are theirs.) Or garment<\/em> may be taken as the external symbol of the inner state of the man. (Comp. Zec. 3:4<\/span>; Isa. 64:5<\/span>; Pro. 30:9<\/span>, &c.) Injury.<\/em>Heb., chms.<\/em> This word is especially used of ill-treatment of a wife. (Comp. Gen. 16:5<\/span>.) Keil takes the first verse as follows: No man who had ever a remnant of reason<\/em> [or a sense of right and wrong] has done<\/em> [sc.,<\/em> what ye are doing, viz.,<\/em> faithlessly putting away the wife of his youth. To this the people are supposed to object.] But what did the one<\/em> [Abraham] do?<\/em> [To this the prophet answers] He was seeking a seed of God<\/em> [viz., the child of promise: i.e.,<\/em> he dismissed Hagar, because God promised to give him the desired posterity, not in Ishmael through the maid Hagar, but through Sarah in Isaac, so that in doing this he was simply acting in obedience to the word of God (Gen. 21:12<\/span>).] Others vary the translation slightly, and render, And has no one done this who has a remnant of spirit in him<\/em>? [This being supposed to be the objection on the part of the people. To this the prophet answers.] Wherefore did he so act? He was seeking a godly seed.<\/em> Moore takes the verse quite differently, and refers it to the saying of Mal. 2:10<\/span>. His words are, The prophet at the outset had argued the return of the Jewish people . . . therefore these marriages that violated their oneness were wrong . . . He asks again . . . Did not<\/em> [God] make<\/em> [us] one<\/em>? Did He not separate us from other nations into an isolated unity? Yet this was not done because the blessing was too narrow to be spread over other nations . . . for the residue of the spirit was with Him.<\/em> There remained an inexhaustible fulness of spiritual blessing that might be given to other nations. Why<\/em> [then did He choose] but one? He was seeking a seed of God<\/em> [a nation which He should train up to be the repository of His covenant, the stock of His Messiah]. Many other interpretations have been proposed, but these are the only ones which are at all admissible.<\/p>\n Mal 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.<\/p>\n Ver. 16. For the Lord the God of Israel saith, that he hateth putting away<\/strong> ] Heb. Put away: q.d.<\/em> God hates that “Put her away, put her away,” that is, so much in your mouths. For, because you are justly reproved for polygamy, for keeping two wives, you think to mend that fault by putting away your old ones, and plead you may do it by a law, licensing divorces. But the Lord would ye should know that he hates such practices; and the rather because you maliciously abuse his law, as a cloak of your wickedness. Divorce is a thing that God’s soul hateth, unless it be in case of adultery, which breaks the marriage knot, and malicious perpetual desertion, 1Co 7:15<\/span> . This last was the ease of that noble Italian convert, Galeacius Caracciolus, Marquis of Vico (as is to be seen in his Life, written by my muchhonoured brother, Mr Samuel Clark, in the second part of his Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, p. 101), who by the consent of Mr Calvin, Peter Martyr, and other learned divines, who met and seriously debated the case, sued out a divorce against his former wife, who had first maliciously deserted him, and had it legally by the magistrate at Geneva granted unto him; after which he married another, A.D. 1560. The civil law of the empire permitted divorce for divers other causes. And these Jews, for every light cause (if but a blemish in the body, or crookedness of manners), pretending to hate their wives, would write them a bill of divorce, and turn them off. Our Saviour deals against this, Mat 5:19<\/span> ; see the notes there. This sin was also rife among both the Athenians (who were wont to put away their wives upon discontent, or hope of greater portions, &c.), and the Romans, whose Abscessionale,<\/em> or writ of divorce, was this only, Res tuns tibi habeto; <\/em> Take what is thine, and be gone. It is ordinary also among the Mahometans. But the Lord God of Israel saith here, that he hateth it; and it appeareth so by his practice to his spouse, the Church. See Jer 3:1<\/span> ; Joh 13:1<\/span> , and then say, that God’s mercy is matchless; and that he takes not advantages against his revolting people, but follows them with his favour; no otherwise than as when a man goes from the sun, yet the sunbeams follow him, shine upon him, warm him, &e. Zanchy (and some others) reads the text thus, If thou hatest her, put her away, in that discourse of divorces, which he wrote upon the occasion of Andreas Pixzardus’s divorce, as indeed agreeing best with the matter he undertook to defend. But in another book of his he utterly disliketh the doings of Luther, and some other Dutch divines, who advised Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, to marry, alteram, hoc est, adulteram,<\/em> his former lawful wife being yet alive. Archbishop Grindall, by cunning practices of his adversaries, Leicester and others, lost Queen Elizabeth’s favour, as if he favoured prophesyings, &c., but in truth, because he had condemned an unlawful marriage of Julio, an Italian physician, with another man’s wife, while Leicester in vain opposed against his proceedings therein. Archbishop Abbots also led in disgrace for opposing Somerset’s abhorred match with the Countess of Essex. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For one covereth violence with his garment<\/strong> ] This text had been easy had not commentators (the Hebrew doctors especially) made it knotty. Rabbi David, in opening it, obscurior videtur, quam ipsa verba quae explicare conatur,<\/em> seems to be more obscure than the words themselves which he undertaketh to open, saith Figueir, who also reciteth the expositions of several rabbins. Concerning which, I may say, as one did once, when being asked by another whether he should read such a comment upon Aristotle? answered, Yes; when Aristotle is understood, then read the comment. The plain sense is this: These wicked Jews pretended the law of God, as a cloak and cover of their sin, that it might be no sin to them. And though the Lord had protested to hate their divorces, yet they pleaded I know not what liberty permitted them by Moses; but this was but a political coverture of iniquity, Mat 18:8-9<\/span> . The like whereunto was the sin of Saul, 1Sa 15:10-23<\/span> ; of Jezebel, 1Ki 21:13<\/span> ; of those Jews, Joh 19:7<\/span> ; of those libertines, 2Pe 2:1-3 Jas 2:8-9<\/span> ; of all heretics, that plead Scripture for their heresies; and some others impudently impious, who, lest they should seem to be mad without reason, abuse God’s holy word to the defence of their unreasonable and irreligious practices. These men’s judgments now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation sleepeth not, 2Pe 2:3<\/span> . <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Therefore take heed to your spirit<\/strong> ] A repetition of the dehortation; of which see Mal 3:16<\/span> . Good things must be often inculcated, Phi 3:1<\/span> , one exhortation must peg in another, till they stick in our souls, as forked arrows in the flesh. Men do not use to lay ointments only upon their lame limbs, but rub them, and chafe them in; so here. Austin persuades the preacher so long to insist upon a necessary point till, by the gesture and countenance of the hearers, he perceiveth that they understand and relish it. Chrysostom, being asked by his people when he would stop preaching against swearing? answered, Never till you stop your swearing.<\/p>\n For, &c. = For [as] hating putting away, hath Jehovah, Israel’s God, spoken; and [as hating him that] hath carried violence concealed in his clothing, hath Jehovah Sabaioth spoken, therefore, &c. <\/p>\n God = Heh. Elohim. App-4. <\/p>\n saith = hath said. <\/p>\n that He hateth, &c. = I hate. <\/p>\n putting away = divorce. Reference to Pentateuch (Deu 24:1). <\/p>\n with his garment. Compare Pas. Mal 73:6; Psa 109:18, Psa 109:29 Pro 28:13, Isa 30:1. <\/p>\n SERMON #10. HE HATETH PUTTING AWAY.<\/p>\n Text:Mal 2:16<\/p>\n Subject:Divine Faithfulness<\/p>\n Introduction:<\/p>\n Why do you believe in eternal security?<\/p>\n 1The Purpose of God (Rom 8:29-30)<\/p>\n 2The Immutability of God (Mal 3:6)<\/p>\n 3The Certainty of Gods Work (Ecc 3:14)<\/p>\n 4The Efficacy of Christs Blood (Isa 42:4)<\/p>\n 5The Gift of Eternal Life (Joh 10:28-30)<\/p>\n 6The Spirits Seal Eph 4:30<\/p>\n 7And this word of promise. <\/p>\n (Mal 2:16) For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.<\/p>\n The title of my message tonight is HE HATETH PUTTING AWAY.<\/p>\n As we read the scathing words of Malachi to Judah and Israel in the 2nd chapter of his prophecy, honesty compels us to take our place in the dust before our God. The reproaches of Israel are our reproaches. The crimes of Judah are our crimes. Their treachery is your treachery and mine. Their profaneness is my profaneness and yours. Will any here stand to his feet and deny that these things are so? <\/p>\n In this chapter the Lord God issues reprimand after reprimand to his chosen, covenant people for profaning his covenant, profaning his holiness, profaning his name, profaning his altar, profaning his worship and profaning their wives and children with idolatry. Feigning devotion to the Lord, the children of Israel took to themselves heathen, idolatrous wives and corrupted the worship of Jehovah with the worship of the gods of the heathen. Covering their violence with the religious garments of their priestly office, they corrupted the worship of God. Marrying the sons and daughters of strange gods, they profaned Gods holiness (Mal 2:11). God says, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues (Rev 18:4); but they went in unto the great whore, Babylon, dealing treacherously with the Lord and his people (2Co 6:14 to 2Co 7:1).<\/p>\n (2Co 6:14-18) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”<\/p>\n (2Co 7:1) “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”<\/p>\n Yet, even as he denounces the evil, the Lord God by his prophet, points us to our Savior, as if to say, Fly to Christ for refuge. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land (Isa 32:2). He gives us relief from the distressing contemplation of our deserved judgment, by directing our hearts and minds to Christ, our covenant of peace, and our all-sufficient righteousness. Hear what God the Spirit says in this chapter about our Lord Jesus. Levi is Christ!<\/p>\n 1First, He is Jehovahs Covenant (Mal 2:4).<\/p>\n 2Second, the Lord God has trusted his Son, our covenant Surety, with all his people and all the blessings (life and peace) of his covenant (Mal 2:5).<\/p>\n 3Third, the Lord God himself declares that Christ, our covenant Head and Surety, is holy and pure. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity (Mal 2:6).<\/p>\n 4Fourth, he has been and shall always be successful in his undertakings. He did turn many away from iniquity (Mal 2:6; Zechariah 3). He did it in eternity. He did it at Calvary. He did it before we sinned. He did it before he called us. He has done it since he called us. He does it daily (1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 1:9).<\/p>\n Think with holy rapture and joy, upon these glorious credentials of our Redeemer and Mediator. Then turn once more to him, and behold him as the prophet here presents him. Our peace is through the blood of his cross. His righteousness is our righteousness; and we are the righteousness of God in him who was made sin for us! Truly, Christ is all to our souls!<\/p>\n 1He is the Sum and Substance of the covenant.<\/p>\n 2He is the Surety of the covenant.<\/p>\n 3He is the Messenger of the covenant.<\/p>\n 4He is the Message of the covenant.<\/p>\n 5He is the Blessing of the covenant.<\/p>\n 6He obedience unto death is the singular condition of the covenant.<\/p>\n 7He is the Fulfillment of the covenant.<\/p>\n 8He is the Administrator of the covenant.<\/p>\n 9And he is Keeper of all the grace of the covenant here in this life, and the glory of the covenant in the life to come.<\/p>\n In our text, the Lord distinctly speaks of the evil of men in dealing treacherously with their wives by divorce. Let me speak with unmistakable clarity: Divorce is one of the greatest evils of modern society. It is contrary to the law of God. There can be no question about that fact. Divorce cannot be excused. It cannot be justified. It cannot be defended.<\/p>\n 1But the God of all grace forgives sin, even divorce; and so do his people.<\/p>\n 2And that which God has forgiven is not to be charged by us upon our brethren, or charged by you upon yourself. The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin!<\/p>\n 3But the treachery spoken of by Gods prophet in this place goes beyond the treachery of a man divorces his wife to take another woman or woman who divorces her husband to take another man.<\/p>\n Mal 2:11-16 deal with one thing: The treachery of men toward God and toward his people. Malachi is dealing with our treachery in spiritual matters!<\/p>\n Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,<\/p>\n Prone to leave the God I love!<\/p>\n Heres my heart, oh, take and seal it,<\/p>\n Seal it for Thy courts above!<\/p>\n Throughout the Book of God, marriage is held before us as a picture of the blessed union of Christ and his church (Eph 5:25-30).<\/p>\n 1Adam and Eve<\/p>\n 2Solomon and the Shulamite<\/p>\n 3Hosea and Gomer<\/p>\n (Eph 5:25-30) “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (30) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”<\/p>\n It is written, Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. Thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called (Isa 54:4-5). The Lord God declares, I am married unto you (Jer 3:14). And, blessed be his name forever, He hateth putting away!<\/p>\n ESPOUSED<\/p>\n With gladness of heart, our beloved Solomon espoused his elect to himself in eternal election before ever the worlds were made (Son 3:11; Pro 8:22-31).<\/p>\n (Son 3:11) Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.<\/p>\n The term espoused was well known among the Hebrews. Their espousals by promise were considered as sacred and permanent as marriage itself, though the marriage was not consummated sometimes for a long time. <\/p>\n 1Joseph and Mary<\/p>\n This espousal is used in the Word of God as a figure, to represent the spiritual union and marriage of Christ with his people (Isa 54:5; Hos 2:19-20; Jer 2:2; Jer 3:14; Rev 19:7-9). <\/p>\n The Lord Jesus wed himself to our souls in the espousals of grace before the world began. Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married (Isa 62:4). And he promised that he would wed us to him in time (Hos 2:19-20).<\/p>\n (Hos 2:19-20) And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. (20) I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness (MY FAITHFULNESS, NOT YOURS!) : and thou shalt know the LORD.<\/p>\n The Lord Jesus espoused us to himself in eternity, and The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away!<\/p>\n CAME FOR HIS BRIDE<\/p>\n In the fulness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Hosea came into this land of whoredoms and took us as a bride for himself (Hos 1:2-3). <\/p>\n (Hos 1:1-3) The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (2) The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. (3) So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.<\/p>\n Hosea knew exactly what he was getting. The Lord God told Hosea to go love a woman, not just any woman, but a fallen woman, a harlot, not just any harlot, but a particular harlot. So he went and took Gomer. Hosea knew exactly what he was getting. Why did he do that? What was the purpose of this? It was to show us a picture of Gods grace toward us. Hosea loved Gomer, According to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel (Mal 3:1).<\/p>\n The Son of God married our nature when he took our nature into union with himself and became what we are, flesh and blood. Behold the God-man and see Divinity and humanity forever wed, forever married, forever one. He hateth putting away!<\/p>\n (Heb 2:14-16) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (16) For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.<\/p>\n The Son of God bought us with his own precious blood. He loved his church and gave himself for it. Yes, God in human flesh purchased his church with his own blood (Act 20:28). The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away!<\/p>\n PLAYED THE HARLOT<\/p>\n He chose us, espoused us as his bride, married himself to us, and redeemed us with his precious blood; but we were and have ever been an adulterous bride. Though espoused to Gods own dear Son, though espoused to the King of Glory, we played the harlot and loved the life of an adulterous, whoring wife! Still, our great God and Savior proved that He hateth putting away!<\/p>\n (Hosea 2) Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. (2) Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; (3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. (4) And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. (5) For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. (6) Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. (7) And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. (8) For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. (9) Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. (10) And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. (11) I will also cause all her mirth to cease , her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. (ILL DESTROY HER JOY, HER RELIGION, HER HOPE, HER REFUGE OF LIES!) (12) And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. (13) And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD. (14) Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. (15) And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope (HOPE IN THE PLACE OF JUDGMENT!): and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. (16) And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi (MY HUSBAND); and shalt call me no more Baali (MY MASTER). (17) For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. (18) And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely (Rom 8:28 IS THE COMMENTARY ON THIS). (19) And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in (MY) righteousness, and in (MY) judgment, and in (MY) lovingkindness, and in (MY) mercies. (20) I will even betroth thee unto me in (MY) faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. (21) And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; (22) And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. (23) And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.<\/p>\n He would not put us away and will not let us leave him, because The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away! There will be no divorce (Isa 50:1), no matter what! The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away!<\/p>\n MARRIED<\/p>\n At last, in the fulness of time, the Son of God came in omnipotent mercy and married his chosen, espoused, redeemed bride. He sweetly forces his chosen into his own arms of love and causes the one he loved with an everlasting love to love him (1Jn 4:19).<\/p>\n (1Jn 4:19) We love him, because he first loved us.<\/p>\n The Son of God forms a union with each of his chosen, betrothing each to himself in saving mercy. Like the Jewish husbands of old, the Lord Jesus gives the pledge and token of his love, when he gives us his Holy Spirit, when he weds us to himself (Hos 3:1-3; Jer 32:38-40).<\/p>\n (Hos 3:1-3) Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. (2) So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: (3) And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.<\/p>\n (Jer 32:38-40) And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: (39) And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: (40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.<\/p>\n Though we fall, and fall often, into shame and reproach, The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away! Though we deal treacherously with him, he abideth faithful! The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away!<\/p>\n (Eze 16:53-63) When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them: (54) That thou mayest bear thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. (55) When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate. (56) For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride, (57) Before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise thee round about.<\/p>\n (58) Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD. (59) For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. (60) Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. (61) Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. (62) And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: (63) That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.<\/p>\n This marriage union is sure, because The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away! The marriage will never be dissolved because The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away! Soon, the Lord Jesus will fetch his bride to his home in heaven, where we shall forever celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:1-9), because The LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away!<\/p>\n (Rev 19:1-9) And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. (4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.<\/p>\n The word righteousness here is plural, righteousnesses, because the righteousness of the saints involves two things: Imputed Righteousness and Imparted Righteousness.<\/p>\n (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.<\/p>\n Let me show you just one more of these true sayings of God, in Rev 14:4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.<\/p>\n Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously. <\/p>\n (1Co 6:19-20) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods.<\/p>\n Amen.<\/p>\n the Lord: Deu 24:1-4, Isa 50:1, Mat 5:31, Mat 5:32, Mat 19:3-9, Mar 10:2-12, Luk 16:18 <\/p>\n that he hateth putting away: or, if he hate her, put her away, Heb. to put away <\/p>\n covereth: Pro 28:13, Isa 28:20, Isa 59:6, Mic 7:2, Mic 7:3 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Isa 46:4 – even to your Mat 19:7 – and to 1Co 7:14 – else<\/p>\n Mal 2:16. Garment is used figuratively and means something for a covering over another person or object. These priests were guilty of violence (unfaithfulness) against their wives, but were hiding behind the leniency of Moses on the subject of tolerating plurality in marriage. (See Mat 19:8.)<\/p>\n Mal 2:16. For the Lord God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away He allowed the Jews liberty of divorce only for the hardness of their hearts, Mat 19:8, not that it was a thing pleasing to him. For one covereth violence with his garment Or, And when one puts violence upon his garment, or covers his garment with violence, as Dr. Pocock translates it, who hath given the clearest sense of this phrase, and showed, out of several eastern writers, that they usually call a wife by the name of a garment; the expression of Moses, Deu 22:30, agreeing with this way of speaking. According to this interpretation, the sense of the text will be, that God hates divorcing a former wife to take in one of a strange nation: and he hates that any should bring into his family an illegitimate wife, over and above one that he had legally married before.<\/p>\n 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he {b} hateth putting away: for [one] covereth {c} violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.<\/p>\n (b) Not that he allows divorce, but of two faults he shows which is the less.<\/p>\n (c) He thinks it sufficient to keep his wife still, even though he takes others, and so as it were covers his fault.<\/p>\n The Israelites were not to break their marriage covenants because the person who divorces his mate to marry an unbeliever brings disgrace upon himself. Divorcing for this reason constitutes covenant unfaithfulness, breaking a covenant entered into that God Himself witnessed (Mal 2:14). As such, it is an ungodly thing to do since Yahweh is a covenant-keeping God; He keeps his promises. To break a covenant (a formal promise) is to do something that God Himself does not do.<\/p>\n Divorcing for this reason constitutes covering oneself with wrong. This is a play on a Hebrew euphemism for marriage, namely, covering oneself with a garment (cf. Rth 3:9; Eze 16:8). One covers himself with wrong when he divorces his wife whom he has previously covered with his garment (i.e., married). For these Jews divorce was similar to wearing soiled garments; it was a disgrace. For emphasis, the Lord repeated His warning to take heed to one’s spirit so one would not deal treacherously with his covenant partner (cf. Mal 2:15).<\/p>\n There is some dispute among English translators whether the rendering, "I hate divorce," is correct. It is possible, and some English translators have so rendered it (AV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, NASB, NIV, TNIV, NET), but it requires emending the Masoretic text. [Note: Joe M. Sprinkle, "Old Testament Perspectives on Divorce and Remarriage," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40 (1997):539.] <\/span> The normal way of translating the Hebrew literally would be, "If [or "for"] he hates sending away [i.e., divorce], says Yahweh God of Israel, then [or "and"] violence covers [or "he covers\/will cover with violence"] his garment, says Yahweh of hosts." One paraphrase that captures the literal meaning well is, "For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts" (English Standard Version). Another good paraphrase is, "’If he hates and divorces [his wife],’ says the LORD of Hosts" (Holman Christian Standard Bible). One writer expressed the spirit of the Lord’s statement by paraphrasing it, "Divorce is hateful." [Note: D. L. Petersen, Zechariah 9-14 and Malachi, pp.204-5.] <\/span><\/p>\n "The passage [Mal 2:10-16] does not deal with the case of a man divorcing a wife who has already broken her marriage vows, so it also does not apply to the case of a woman divorcing her husband who has already broken his marriage vows. This is another reason the passage should not be understood as an absolute condemnation of divorce under any circumstances. In fact, according to Jer 3:8 the Lord himself had divorced the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of her adulteries (cf. Hos 2:2)." [Note: Clendenen, p. 359.] <\/span><\/p>\n The fact that Ezra commanded divorce (Ezra 10) may appear to contradict God’s prohibition of divorce here. (Nehemiah neither advocated divorce nor spoke out against it; Neh 13:23-29.) The solution seems to be that Malachi addressed the situation of Jewish men divorcing their Jewish wives to marry pagan women. Ezra faced Jewish men who had already married pagan women. Does this mean that it is all right to divorce an unbelieving spouse but not a believer? Paul made it clear that the Christian is to divorce neither (1Co 7:10-20). Evidently it was the illegitimacy of a Jew marrying a pagan that led Ezra to advocate divorce in that type of case.<\/p>\n Even though God typically opposes divorce, and in that sense hates it, He permitted it (Deu 24:1-4) to achieve the larger goals of maintaining Israel’s distinctiveness so she could fulfill His purposes for her in the world (Exo 19:3-6). His purposes for the church are not exactly the same as His purposes for Israel. Furthermore the church is not subject to the Mosaic Law. Therefore it is inappropriate to appeal to the Jews’ action in Ezra as a precedent that Christians who are married to unbelievers should follow (cf. 1Co 7:12-13).<\/p>\n In none of the other passages in which divorce appears to be required (Gen 21:8-14; Exo 21:10-11; Deu 21:10-14) does God present divorce as a good thing. He only permitted it under certain circumstances created by sin (Mat 19:9).<\/p>\n "The prophet’s concluding exhortation, ’So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith’ is a strong warning to every husband that he must be constantly on his guard against developing a negative attitude toward his wife." [Note: Ibid., p. 368. Cf. Colossians 3:19.] <\/span><\/p>\n For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. 16. the God of Israel ] who has given them His law. His relation to the people aggravates their … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Malachi 2:16”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I. <\/strong>There is a disposition in men to cover up their evil doings. Men especially seek to hide acts of violence. Passion makes a man disreputable. The wrong-doer must put himself right with society. This is attempted in various ways.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>This disposition to cover up evil reveals a consciousness of guilt.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>This disposition to cover up evil is recognised by the Lord of hosts. Vain are all subterfuges in an universe filled with God. Every evil is known by Him in its true character. Violence is not expedient pressure; it is violence.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"