2 If you will not listen, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name," says Yahweh of Armies, "then will I send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
If ye will not lay to heart - , namely, the rebukes addressed to them, "to give glory to God." For the glory of God is the end and aim of the priesthood. This should be the principle and rule of their whole life, "to the greater glory of God." "I will send the curse upon you," namely, that which He had threatened in the law upon disobedience; and will "curse your blessings," will turn your blessings into a curse. He does not say, I will send you curses instead of blessings, but, I will make the blessings themselves a curse. Psalm 69:23. "The things which should have been to their wealth became to them an occasion of falling;" to the proud, the things which lift them up; to the gluttonous, their abundance; to the avaricious, their wealth; which, if used to the glory of God, become blessings, do, when self not God is their end, by God's dispensation and Providence, become a curse to them. "The goods of nature, the goods of fortune, the goods of the Church allowed to you, I will turn to your greater damnation, permitting you to abuse them to pride; and your damnation shall be the more penal, the more good things ye have received from Me. Whence Christ declares in the Gospel Luke 12:48, 'Unto whomever much is given, of him shall be much required. '"
Yea, I have cursed them - (literally, it), i. e., each one of the blessings, "already." God's judgments as well as His mercies are individual with a minute care, showing that it is His doing. The curse had already gone forth, and had begun to seize upon them from the time that they began to despise His Name. His judgments do not break in at once, but little by little, with warnings of their approach, that so we may turn to Him, and "escape the wrath to come."
If ye will not hear - What I have spoken, lay it to heart, and let it sink down into your souls.
Give glory unto my name - That honor that is due to me as a Father, and that fear that belongs to me as a Master, Malachi 1:6.
I will even send a curse upon you - I will dispense no more good.
I will curse your blessings - Even that which ye have already shall not profit you. When temporal blessings are not the means of leading us to God and heaven, they will infallibly lead us to hell. In speaking of the abuse of temporal blessings, one of our old poets, in his homely phrase, expresses himself thus: -
Thus God's best gifts, usurped by wicked ones,
To poison turn by their con-ta-gi-ons.
Yea, I have cursed them already - This may refer, generally, to unfruitful seasons; or, particularly, to a dearth that appears to have happened about this time. See Haggai 1:6-11.
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory (b) unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your (c) blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart.
(b) To serve me according to my word.
(c) That is, the abundance of God's benefits.
If ye will not hear,.... The commandment enjoined them; or the Gospel preached to them by Christ, and his apostles:
and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts; which they had despised and profaned before; if they did not take care of his worship and service, and honour the Messiah sent unto them, in whom the name of the Lord was:
I will even send a curse upon you; both upon priests and people; those that bring the bad offerings, and those that receive them, as Kimchi; though Abarbinel restrains it to the priests:
and I will curse your blessings, either with which the priests blessed the people; or with which both they and the people were blessed; namely, their temporal blessings, such as their corn, and wine, and oil: and what wicked men have of this world, they have it with a curse, and not a blessing, as the righteous have; and therefore a little which they have, is better than much enjoyed by the wicked, Psalm 37:16,
yea, I have cursed them already; that is, from the time they began to despise his name, and not give him the glory due unto him, as Kimchi and Abarbinel explain it:
because ye do not lay it to heart; to glorify God.
lay . . . to heart--My commands.
send a curse--rather, as Hebrew, "the curse"; namely, that denounced in Deuteronomy 27:15-26; Deuteronomy. 28:15-68.
curse your blessings--turn the blessings you enjoy into curses (Psalm 106:15).
cursed them--Hebrew, them severally; that is, I have cursed each one of your blessings.
I have cursed them - I have already sent out the curse, and it is in part upon you.
*More commentary available at chapter level.