Malachi 2:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They expressed to the ministers that these offerings represented toil, emphasizing that they were hard-won through sweat and labor. The question arose, how could one be deemed worthy to present a sacrifice, or how might one make pleasing that which is inherently flawed? The expectation is to offer sacrifices with joy, rejoicing in the act, in accordance with the teaching of Paul, who conveyed to the collectors of alms a message against giving out of grief or need, for "the Lord loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7). Thus, when gifts are given with joy, God is inclined to accept, honor, and bless them.

It is important to explore a further interpretation of these declarations. The Creator of all has justly deemed cursed anyone who violates the covenant of their ancestors by taking foreign wives and by casting aside their own without cause. He also condemned certain priests for their hypocrisy regarding the law, stating, "The Lord will consume the man who does these things, until he is humbled from the villages of Israel, and from those who sacrifice to the Lord Almighty." Following this, He remarked, "You shall cover the altar of the Lord with tears and with weeping and sighing for labor." The phrase "covered the altar with tears" signifies that the altar of God was surrounded by lamentation; the wives wrongfully cast out stood near the altar, mourning their predicament and shedding overwhelming tears for the troubles they endured. Thus, how could it be deemed "worthy to gaze upon the sacrifice," or to accept it joyfully? As stated in Proverbs, "Vows are not pure from the vengeance of a harlot" (Proverbs 19; cf. Deuteronomy 23:18), it is likewise unacceptable for a priest to offer a sacrifice if he has strayed from divine instructions, violating the sacred laws of the priesthood while believing he is without fault before God. It is a grave matter to serve God with unclean hands, and it is appropriate to approach such a sacred duty with utmost reverence and purification. Such an individual will be free from all guilt and divine displeasure.

Let us reflect on past occurrences and analyze each statement to grasp the teachings passed down from the Hebrews. The forsaken women of Israel, witnessing their husbands with women from foreign nations, turned solely to God for help, humbly supplicating day and night with tears before His altar, voicing their grievances as if He were indifferent to human affairs, neglecting the needy and suffering. Hence, God proclaimed that He could not accept the offerings and sacrifices presented by the priests who permitted such actions, as the bitter cries of the women obstructed acceptance. They inquired, 'Why won’t He accept our sacrifices?' God responded, 'Because He has testified against you and your wife, whom you have wronged.' He states, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24), identifying her as your partner and spouse, formed by God from the rib of her husband, entwined in spirit and united in thought.

Since both were fashioned by the same Creator to be joined together for the blessing of offspring, what is it that God desires? He seeks godly progeny, sons born unto Israel. When you have fruitful spouses and enjoy children, why seek the allure of other women, which is appropriate only for mistresses? God, through His prophet, then instructs: guard your spirit against lust, and do not show contempt for the wife of your youth, who was united with you in sacred matrimony, and should remain with you throughout your years. Yet, some leaders, priests, Levites, and the people argued, 'God commanded Moses, saying, when we detest our wives, we should release them' (Deut. 24:1 ff.). They pointed out, 'It is written, If you greatly despise your wife, let her go, says the Lord God of Israel' (Deut. 24:1 ff.). To this, God replied directly: 'Indeed, it is written in the law, but this is due to your hardness of heart.' Any man who unjustly divorces his wife, except for cases of infidelity (Matthew 15:32), brings unrighteousness upon himself, covering his garment, that is, his body, which shelters his soul, declares the Lord of Hosts. Thus, he will be punished for his transgressions.

Having settled this matter, God reiterates: guard your spirit and do not be negligent. This may refer to caring for your spirit or perhaps to your wife, regardless of her appearance. What we interpret in alignment with Ezra regarding abandoned wives, others view as a caution against those who take from others, gathering the unrighteous while daring to offer gifts to God that He cannot accept. The tears and lamentations of those wronged hinder such offerings, connecting this teaching to the well-known saying: Honor the Lord with your wealth (Proverbs 3:9). Moreover, these interpreters discern that some, due to loss of possessions, children, or calamities that strip away material goods, respond with tears and abandon themselves to despair, lacking the fortitude and hope in God’s promises. Such individuals, despite their cries to God, find their pleas unheard, as they have discredited themselves with unseemly weeping unbefitting of men.

The subsequent words, 'For the Lord has testified against you and your wife, whom you have scorned; she is your partner, the remaining portion of your spirit,' indicate that the 'wife of your youth' symbolizes natural reasoning and the inner law granted to all, guiding humanity to act justly even in the absence of formal law. This concept is echoed in the wisdom literature: 'A wife is a gift from the Lord' (Proverbs 19:14), where it is advised to drink only from your own well-spring, rejoicing solely with the wife of your youth. This wife compels even the ungodly to seek divine judgment (Judges 11:27), for she stands as the judge in all matters between us. Ecclesiastes further states, 'Enjoy life with the wife you love all the days of your fleeting life under the sun' (Ecclesiastes 9:9). This wife remains with our spirit, as she is perpetually bound to our emotions; should she depart from us, we offend God and succumb to sorrow.

Why this repeated admonishment to guard your spirit, not your flesh, which cannot please God (Rom. 8:8), nor to the base soul, as the natural man cannot comprehend spiritual truths (1 Cor. 2:14)? Rather, it is our spirit that intercedes with unutterable groans (Rom. 8:26)."