John Calvin Commentary Malachi 2:12

"Jehovah will cut off, to the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto Jehovah of hosts." — Malachi 2:12 (ASV)

The Prophet here teaches us, that neither the priests nor the people would go unpunished, because they had mingled with the pollutions of the heathens and profaned and violated the covenant of God.

God then says, Cut off (the word means to scrape off or to blot out) shall God the man who has done this, the mover, or prompter, as well as the respondent. Jerome renders the last words as "the master and the disciple," and interpreters vary.

Some indeed explain the terms allegorically and apply them to the dead. However, by "the mover," I have no doubt that he understands everyone who was in power and could command others, and by "the respondent," the man who was subject to the authority of his master.

The masters then prompted or roused, for it belonged to them to command; and the servants responded, for it was their duty to receive orders and to obey them.

It is the same as if the Prophet had said that God would punish this perfidy, without overlooking anyone, so that he would spare neither the common people nor the chief men. He also adds the priests, intimating that the priests themselves would not be excepted.

In short, he denounces punishment on the Jews universally. He shows that however prevalent this impiety had become everywhere, and though everyone thought that whatever was commonly practiced was lawful, yet God would become an avenger. God would include in the same punishment both the masters and the servants, and would not exempt the priests, who considered themselves safe by peculiar privilege. The rest tomorrow.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are so inclined to all kinds of wickedness, we may learn to confine ourselves within the limits of your word, and thus restrain all the desires of our flesh; and that, whatever Satan may contrive to draw us here and there, we may continually proceed in obedience to your word, and, being mindful of that eternal election by which you have been pleased gratuitously to adopt us, and also of that calling by which your eternal election has been confirmed, and by which you have received us in your only-begotten Son, may we continue in our course to the end and so hold fast, by persevering faith, to Christ your Son, that we may at last be gathered into the enjoyment of that eternal kingdom which he has purchased for us by his blood. Amen.