John Calvin Commentary Malachi 1:12

"But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible." — Malachi 1:12 (ASV)

This verse may be confined to the priests, or it may be extended to the whole people, for both views are appropriate. As for my own view, I do not doubt that the Prophet here rebukes the priests with additional severity, and at the same time extends his rebuke to the people in general. We saw in yesterday's lecture how religion had been polluted by the priests and how impiously they had profaned the worship of God. But this was the general sin of the whole people, as we shall soon see. Let us then understand that the whole people, as well as the priests, are rebuked here. But as a crime in the priests was more grievous, since they were the cause of sacrilege to others, the Prophet assails them in a special manner: You, he says, have polluted my name.

He gives a reason and, at the same time, enhances their guilt. For they might have complained that God not only put them on a level with the Gentiles but also rejected them and substituted foreigners in their place. He shows that God had a just cause for disinheriting them and for adopting the Gentiles as His children, because they had polluted God's name.

He at the same time amplifies their sin when he says, "The Gentiles, by whom I have been until now despised, and to whom my name was not made known, will soon come to the faith; thus my name shall be great, it shall be reverently worshiped by all nations; but you have polluted it." It was certainly very strange that the Jews, specially chosen and enlightened by the teaching of the Law, so presumptuously polluted God's worship, as if they despised Him, and that the Gentiles, being newcomers to the faith, rendered obedience to God as soon as they tasted the truth of religion, so that His glory became illustrious through them.

He afterwards shows how the name of God was polluted: You say, The table of Jehovah is polluted. That is, you do not distinguish between what is sacred and profane. For he repeats what we noticed yesterday—that the Jews thought it a trivial matter when the Prophets taught them that God was to be worshiped with all reverence.

It is not probable, however, that they openly uttered such a blasphemy as saying that the table of God was polluted. But it is easy to conclude from what is said that God's table was profaned by them, for they took no account of it. The holiness of the table should have been so regarded by the Jews that they would not approach the sanctuary without true repentance and faith. They should have known that they were dealing with God and that His majesty should have deeply touched them.

Therefore, when they came to the temple and brought their uncleanness with them like swine, it was quite evident that they had no reverence for the temple, the altar, or the table. The Prophet's words are then to be understood in this sense—not that the Jews openly mocked God, but that the holiness of the temple was of no account to them.

With regard to the Table, we stated yesterday that when God ordered sacrifices to be offered to Him, it was as if He familiarly lived among the Jews and became, so to speak, their companion. It was the highest honor and an instance of God's indescribable goodness that He thus condescended, so that the people might know He was not to be sought far away. For this reason, their impiety was all the more inexcusable, because they did not consider that sacrifices were performed on earth so that their minds might be lifted up above the heavens. For it is for this purpose that God descends to us—even to raise us up, as we have stated elsewhere. It was then an extremely base and shameful senselessness and stupidity in the Jews that they did not consider that God's table was set among them, so that they might by faith penetrate to heaven and know it to be right before their eyes.

As for the words, Its fruit is his contemptible food, we must observe that some render ניב, nib, as 'word,' and cite this passage from Isaiah: I have created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace (Isaiah 57:19). The verb נוב, nub, means 'to bear fruit' or 'to make fruitful'; hence, ניב, nib, is fruit or produce.

Even if we were to grant that it is metaphorically taken as 'word,' I still see no reason to depart from its simple and literal meaning. First, there would be a relative without an antecedent, ניבו, nibu, 'his word.' Then there would be a change of number, for they apply it to the priests: 'his word,' that is, the word of them—of whom? Of the priests. I know it is common in Hebrew to use a relative without an antecedent, but as I have said, nothing requires that here. Therefore, the most suitable rendering is: Its provision—that is, of the altar—is the contemptible food of God. I then take the words to mean this: a saying of this kind was often in the mouths of the people as well as the priests: "Oh, the provision for the altar is any kind of meat; do not be so anxious in your choice as to offer the best animals, for God is satisfied even with the lean and the maimed."

And here again God rebukes the impiety and contempt of the people. At the same time, He condemns their avarice, because they took the worst of their animals to offer in the temple, as if they lost everything they consecrated to God.

Why He calls the sacrifices the meat or food of God, we now sufficiently understand. Only this should be observed: the impiety of the people was evident, since they were so unconcerned in their duties, for God had not instituted sacrifices and other rites in vain. Therefore, the contempt of these signs openly showed not only the negligence of the people but also their contempt of all religion.

If anyone today were to regard outward teaching and the sacraments as nothing, would he not prove himself to be an impious despiser of God?

Yet, I allow, religion does not consist in these things. For though hypocrites pretend the most ardent zeal, they still profane the name of God. This happens whenever the truth sounds in their ears but their hearts are not touched, and when they come to the Lord's table while being alienated from Christ.

I allow these things. However, no true servant of God can despise these ordinances. On account of our common weakness, they are useful to us, and we cannot be without them as long as we live in this world. Whoever derides our simplicity in frequenting God's house, or, if silent, abstains from doing so, and regards such a practice as nothing or as unimportant, is thus, as I have said, proved guilty of impiety.

This is the reason why the Prophet so sharply rebukes the Jews: because they said that the provision for the altar was God's contemptible food.