Albert Barnes Commentary Malachi 2:6

"The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity." — Malachi 2:6 (ASV)

The law of truth was in his mouth - Apart from those cases, which were brought to the priests at the tabernacle (Deuteronomy 17:9–11; Deuteronomy 19:17 (see also Deuteronomy 21:5; Ezekiel 44:23–24)), hence, the use of אלהים (Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:7–8).), in which their voice was the voice of God through them, to teach the law was part of the office both of the priest and Levite.

Of the priest God says (Leviticus 10:11), that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes, which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses: of the tribe of Levi generally Moses says (Deuteronomy 33:10), They shall teach Jacob Your judgments and Israel Your law.

After the schism of the ten tribes, a prophet says to Asa, that Israel had (2 Chronicles 15:3), for a long time been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. These are evil times, of which Ezekiel says (Ezekiel 7:26), the law shall perish from the priest; and God says of corrupt priests, The priest said not, Where is the Lord? And they that handle the law knew Me not (Jeremiah 2:8). It is also said of them (Zephaniah 3:4), they did violence to My law.

Upon their return from the captivity Ezra was known to Artaxerxes as (Ezra 7:12, Ezra 7:21), a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and he looked upon him apparently, as one who should keep the people in good order by teaching it. Artaxerxes instructed (Ezra 7:25–26), you, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, set magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of your God, and teach those who do not know them: and whoever will not do the law of your God or the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him. Ezra says of himself, that he (Ezra 7:10), had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

“God’s law is the truth (Psalms 119:142); the true doctrine of this law he taught the people, and instructed them in the true meaning and intent of it, that, according to the right rule, they might frame all their actions; nothing of it did he conceal from them, nor teach anything contrary to it or false. This was in his mouth; nothing contrary to it was found in his lips.”

And iniquity was not found in his lips - He expresses the perfection of that teaching, first positively, then negatively. The true priest taught truth without any admixture of wrong. “Not only is he a betrayer of the truth, who, transgressing the truth, openly teaches a lie for the truth; but he too, who does not freely utter the truth, which he ought to utter freely, or who does not freely defend the truth which he ought to defend freely, is a betrayer of the truth. (Romans 10:10), ‘For with the heart man believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.’” “Nothing,” says Ambrose to the Emperor Theodosius, “is so perilous to the priest with God, so disgraceful with men, as not to utter freely what he thinks. For it is written (Psalms 119:46), ‘I spoke of Your testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed.’ And, therefore, a priest’s silence ought to displease your Clemency; his freedom, to please you. For you are involved in the peril of my silence, and are aided by the good of my free speech.”

He walked with Me - To awe of God, truthfulness of teaching, he adds a devout continual contact with God. Like the patriarchs of old, Enoch and Noah, he (Genesis 5:24; Genesis 6:9) walked with God. He not only lived in the presence, but walked up and down with Him, through his whole life, as a Friend, “having respect in all things to Him and His glory.”

In peace and equity - The inward peace with God overflowing in peace to men. The brief words comprise the duties of both tables; as that (Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:18), Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God; (2 Corinthians 13:11). Live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you; (Matthew 5:9). Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” “God’s covenant with him was of peace (Malachi 2:5), so he observed it on his part.” Even “equity,” or real considerate justice, would alienate those, whom it found wrong, so he joins with it “peace,” that even equity was not administered but with love. “To have peace with God, what is it but to want to be mended and to do what He wills, and in nothing to offend Him?”

And turned away many from iniquity - They, the true priests of the Old Testament then, were not satisfied with their own sanctification, but were zealous for the salvation of souls. What a history of zeal for the glory of God and the conversion of sinners in those, of whom the world knows nothing; of whose working, but for the three words in the closing book of the Old Testament, we should have known nothing! The prophets upbraid the sins of the many; the Psalms are the prayers given to and used by the pious; such incidental sayings as these, record some of the fruits. “Be of the disciples of Aaron,” said Hillel “who loved peace and followed peace, and who loved men and brought them near to the law.”

Yet even under the Gospel Gregory complains “The world is full of priests; yet in the harvest of God the laborers are few. For we undertake the priestly office, but do not fulfill its work. We receive the fruit of holy Church in daily stipend, but labor not for the everlasting Church in preaching.”

“There are many priests,” says a writer in the 4th century, “and few priests; many in name, few in deed. See then, how you sit on your thrones, for the throne does not make the priest, but the priest the throne; the place does not sanctify the man, but the man the place. Whoever sits well on the throne, receives honor from the throne; whoever does ill, does injustice to the throne. You sit in judgment. If you live well and teach well, you will be a judge of all; if you teach well and live ill, of your own only. For by teaching well and living well you instruct the people, how they ought to live; by teaching well and living ill, you teach God, how He should condemn you.”

“We who are called priests, above the ills which we have of our own, add also the deaths of others. For we slay as many as we, in tepidity and silence, see daily go to death. He who is placed under you dies without you, when in that which causes his death, you have withstood him. For to that death, which you have not withstood, you will be added.”