Malachi 2:4
New International Version
And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD Almighty.

New Living Translation
Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

English Standard Version
So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts.

Berean Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.

King James Bible
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

New King James Version
Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” Says the LORD of hosts.

New American Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, so that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the LORD of armies.

NASB 1995
“Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the LORD of hosts.

NASB 1977
“Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says the LORD of hosts.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi,” says Yahweh of hosts.

Amplified Bible
Then you will know [without any doubt] that I have sent this [new] commandment to you (priests), that My covenant may continue with Levi [the priestly tribe],” says the LORD of hosts.

Christian Standard Bible
Then you will know that I sent you this decree, so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Armies.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then you will know that I sent you this decree so My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts. “

American Standard Version
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you shall know that I sent you this commandment that my covenant would be with Levi, says LORD JEHOVAH of Hosts

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with the sons of Levi, saith the Lord Almighty.

Contemporary English Version
I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And you shall know that I sent you this commandment, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

English Revised Version
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then you will know that I sent you this warning so that my promise to Levi will continue," says the LORD of Armies.

Good News Translation
Then you will know that I have given you this command, so that my covenant with the priests, the descendants of Levi, will not be broken.

International Standard Version
"You will know that I sent this commandment to you in order to continue my covenant with Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Know then that I have sent This commandment unto you, That My covenant might be with Levi, Saith the LORD of hosts.

Literal Standard Version
And you have known that I have sent this charge to you, | For My covenant being with Levi,” said YHWH of Hosts.

Majority Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.

New American Bible
You should know that I sent you this commandment so that my covenant with Levi might endure, says the LORD of hosts.

NET Bible
Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant may continue to be with Levi," says the LORD who rules over all.

New Revised Standard Version
Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the LORD of hosts.

New Heart English Bible
You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi," says the LORD of hosts.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

World English Bible
You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies.

Young's Literal Translation
And ye have known that I have sent unto you this charge, For My covenant being with Levi, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning to Priests
3Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the waste from your feasts, and you will be carried off with it. 4Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts. 5“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.…

Cross References
Numbers 3:11
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Numbers 3:45
"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites belong to Me; I am the LORD.

Numbers 18:21
Behold, I have given to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the service of the Tent of Meeting.

Nehemiah 13:29
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

Malachi 3:1
"Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple--the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight--see, He is coming," says the LORD of Hosts.


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with Levi, said the LORD of hosts.

ye.

1 Kings 22:25
And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

Isaiah 26:11
LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

Jeremiah 28:9
The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

that my.

Isaiah 1:24-28
Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: …

Isaiah 27:9
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.

Ezekiel 20:38-41
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD…

Jump to Previous
Admonition Agreement Almighty Armies Charge Command Commandment Continue Covenant Hold Hosts Levi Order
Jump to Next
Admonition Agreement Almighty Armies Charge Command Commandment Continue Covenant Hold Hosts Levi Order
Malachi 2
1. He sharply reproves the priests for neglecting their covenant;
10. and the people for marrying strange wives;
13. and for putting away their former ones,
17. and for infidelity.














(4) Commandment.--Or rather, decree, as in Malachi 2:1.

That my covenant might be.--Better, to be my covenant--i.e., so that this new decree, which I have been compelled to make against the house of Levi, may be my covenant with him instead of the old one, of which the prophet goes on to speak.

Levi denotes throughout the tribe of Levi, and especially the priests, the sons of Aaron. (See Note on Malachi 3:3.)

Verse 4. - Ye shall know. My threats are not vain; this ye shall experience and be forced to acknowledge. This commandment is the purpose and threat, as in ver. 1 (where see note). That my covenant might be with Levi; i.e. that my covenant with Levi might remain firm. The covenant with Levi was the election of that tribe to be the ministers of the sanctuary. There is here a special allusion to the blessing pronounced on Phinehas for his conduct in the matter of Zimri (Numbers 25:12, 13). This election is called "a covenant," because, while conferring certain privileges, it involved certain duties. The difficulty in this interpretation is that the verb used here (hayah) does not mean "to remain," "to continue," but only "to be, to exist." Hence many critics take "the commandment" as the subject, translating. "That it (my purpose) may be my covenant with Levi, i.e. that as God observed the covenant made with the tribe of Levi in old time, so for the future this commandment and threat will be as vigorously observed and take the place of the old covenant. This explanation is too involved and refined to be acceptable. It is easiest to translate, with Henderson and Reinke, "Because my covenant was with Levi," and to understand God as implying that he warned and punished the priests, because he willed that the covenant with Levi should hold good, and he thus desired to have a body of priests who would keep their vows and maintain the true priestly character. What that character is he procoeds to unfold.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then you will know
וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם (wî·ḏa‘·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

that
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I have sent
שִׁלַּ֣חְתִּי (šil·laḥ·tî)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

you
אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם (’ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

this
הַזֹּ֑את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

commandment,
הַמִּצְוָ֣ה (ham·miṣ·wāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4687: Commandment

that My covenant
בְּרִיתִי֙ (bə·rî·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

Levi
לֵוִ֔י (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

may continue,”
לִֽהְי֤וֹת (lih·yō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

says
אָמַ֖ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts.
צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign


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OT Prophets: Malachi 2:4 You will know that I have sent (Malachi Mal Ml)
Malachi 2:3
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