2:2 you will not listen This is the same Hebrew word used in Deut 6:4 (shama). There, however, the emphasis is on hearing with understanding, whereas here it indicates obedience. This parallels the allusion to Deut 6:4 in Mal 2:10. Collectively, these allusions act as a reminder to the people of their commitments to Yahweh.

I will send the curse on you Violating the covenant, like breaking a contract, invoked the negative consequences stipulated by the agreement, specifically curses as described in Lev 26 and Deut 28. Malachi’s use of the rare word me'erah (“curse”) here and in Mal 3:9 undoubtedly alludes to Deut 28:20, one of the only other occurrences of the term in the ot.

your blessings Likely mentioned to evoke memory of the blessings described in Lev 26 and Deut 28.

I have already cursed them The promised blessings for God’s people have not materialized and will not as long as the people continue in their disobedience. The community is already in a state of poverty because of their unfaithfulness (compare Hag 1:10–11).

2:3 I am going to rebuke your offspring Refers to judgment, but the Hebrew phrasing to rebuke (go'er) the offspring (zera') is unusual. Possibly zera' is meant as seed for planting, making the rebuke about preventing a good harvest (Lev 26:20). However, a more serious curse directed at the priests would be the loss of family (Deut 28:18, 41). Cutting off someone’s offspring (zera') refers to bringing their family line to an end (1 Sam 24:21; Psa 37:28).

I will scatter offal on your faces The priests will be carried away outside the camp along with the refuse from the sacrifices that must be disposed of (Exod 29:14; Lev 4:11–12).

2:4 my covenant with Levi continues Yahweh had made a special covenant with the tribe of Levi, commanding them to teach His laws to the rest of the nation (see Lev 10:11; Deut 31:11–13; 33:10). Yahweh’s attitude toward His covenant is consistent; His rebuke is meant for correction and does not symbolize that He has abandoned His people (compare Prov 3:11–12).

2:5 with him Levi was the ancestor of Aaron who was ordained as the first priest of Israel (see Exod 28–29). Levi did not personally serve as a priest and is not prominent in Genesis. (He is primarily mentioned in passing in lists of Jacob’s sons apart from the story in Gen 34:1–31). In Mal 2:5–6, he stands symbolically for the institution of the priesthood in general.

2:6 The instruction of truth was in his mouth The things taught by the priests were accurate, at least initially. “His mouth” refers collectively to the Levitical priesthood.

2:7 the messenger of The Hebrew word used here, mal'akh, is the common word for a messenger. Since Malachi’s name means “my messenger,” the use of the word here may be a play on the prophet’s name. See note on 1:1.

2:8 from the way The image of following the appropriate way or path is used throughout Proverbs to designate the way of wisdom and righteousness (see Prov 2:8, 20; 4:11; 6:23).

Wisdom in Proverbs

2:9 are favoring your own instruction The Hebrew uses the same idiom for showing favoritism or partiality as in Mal 1:8 (see note on 1:8). Lifting the face (nasa panim) is an idiom for showing favoritism. Here it is used with reference to the law, and amounts to an accusation that the priests are breaking God’s repeated commands to deal fairly with everyone (Exod 23:3; Lev 19:15; Deut 16:19).

2:10 one father Possibly an indirect reference (or allusion) to Isa 63:16. The idea of Israel as the offspring of Yahweh originally appears in Exod 4:22, where the nation is identified as Yahweh’s firstborn (compare Jer 31:9).

Has not one God created us The “we” and “us” here specifically refer to the nation of Israel, not all people.

one God An allusion to Deut 6:4. This is a reminder that the people should serve God with their entire being.

profaning the covenant of Israel had entered into a contract with Yahweh (Exod 24:1–8). Their recent actions broke the terms of that contract and demonstrated their apathy toward those terms.

2:11 has married the daughter of a foreign god May refer to intermarriage with foreigners who did not worship Yahweh (Exod 34:16). The prophets regularly blend the imagery of marriage and idolatry (see Hos 2:1–23; Jer 3:2–7; Ezek 16:8–21). Malachi may be echoing those earlier prophets, but in his day, the defiling of the sanctuary through inappropriate observance of Yahweh’s commands was a more pressing problem than the active idol worship that Ezekiel witnessed (see Ezek 8–10).

2:12 May Yahweh cut off from the tents of Jacob Refers to excommunication (see Exod 12:15, 19; compare Lev 19:8). Jacob is used here as a synonym for Israel. See note on Mal 2:3.

the one who brings an offering to Yahweh of hosts Any offering that was not handled properly and presented appropriately would not be accepted by God (Lev 26:31; compare Amos 5:21–27). Even obedience to the letter of the law did not guarantee acceptance if people were not worshiping with the proper attitude (Mic 6:6–8).

2:13 with weeping and with groaning Cain likewise had a negative response when his offering was rejected (see Gen 4:5). However, these emotional displays may have been associated with how foreign idols were worshiped (compare 1 Kgs 18:26–30). Their offerings are rejected because they are practicing worship in a way that emulates idol worship.

2:14 the wife of your youth Since a Jewish marriage was religious and involved a covenant, God served as the witness (Mal 2:10). Thus, a Jewish man abandoning his Jewish wife was tantamount to abandoning a vow to God Himself.

against whom you have been unfaithful The unfaithfulness results from divorcing her to marry a foreign woman. This divorce was viewed as an abomination (v. 11), a profaning action (vv. 10, 11), and an act of treachery (vv. 10, 11, 14, 15, 16).

2:15 An offspring of God Malachi is using the issue of intermarriage to highlight the community’s covenant unfaithfulness, so his purpose in saying that Yahweh wants “godly offspring” is probably not to promote procreation (Gen 1:28) or ethnic purity (Ezr 9:2). Rather, the prophet is alluding to God’s clear statement that the people of Israel and their descendants should live according to the principles laid out in the law (Deut 6:5–7; 11:19; 30:19–20).

2:16 I hate divorce Divorce for selfish reasons is prohibited. God hates that the Hebrew people He is addressing divorced their original Jewish wives to marry foreign ones (see Mal 2:11). The prophet calls God’s people to divorce their foreign wives and return to their first, Jewish wives. The foreign wives were leading the Hebrew males and their families to worship foreign gods instead of Yahweh (see note on Ezra 9:2; and note on Ezra 10:3).

2:17 in them he delights Yahweh has seemingly blessed those who practice evil.

Where is the God of justice The nation was questioning the existence of the “God of justice” (compare Isa 30:18) because it seemed that the wicked were being blessed instead of cursed (see Deut 28; Hab 1:2–4).