Malachi 2:7

King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּֽי־שִׂפְתֵ֤י כֹהֵן֙ יִשְׁמְרוּ־דַ֔עַת וְתוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָֽה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא׃

Transliteration

For-śiptê kōhēn yišmərû-daʿat and-tôrâ yəbaqšû from-pîhû for malʾak YHWH-ṣəbāʾôt he

Grammar Details

• *śiptê*: feminine dual construct - lips of
• *kōhēn*: masculine singular noun - priest
• *yišmərû*: qal imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they will keep/guard/preserve
• *daʿat*: feminine singular noun - knowledge
• *tôrâ*: feminine singular noun - law/instruction
• *yəbaqšû*: piel imperfect 3rd person masculine plural - they will seek
• *pîhû*: masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his mouth
• *malʾak*: masculine singular construct - messenger/angel of
• *YHWH*: divine name
• *ṣəbāʾôt*: feminine plural noun - hosts/armies

Word Meanings

• *śiptê*: lips/speech/language of
• *kōhēn*: priest/minister
• *yišmərû*: they will keep/guard/preserve/maintain
• *daʿat*: knowledge/understanding/discernment
• *tôrâ*: law/instruction/teaching/direction
• *yəbaqšû*: they will seek/search for/consult
• *malʾak*: messenger/angel/ambassador

Referenced Verses

• Lev 10:11 : 11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
• Jer 18:18 : 18 Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against emiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
• Hag 1:13 : 13 Then spake gai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.
• John 13:20 : 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
• Deut 17:8-9 : 8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; 9 And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: 10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: 11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not cline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
• Deut 21:5 : 5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
• Deut 24:8 : 8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I command them, so ye shall observe to do.
• 2 Chr 17:8-9 : 8 And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. 9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
• 2 Chr 30:22 : 22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
• Ezra 7:10 : 10 For a had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
• Neh 8:2-8 : 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra oped the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he oped it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
• Isa 42:19 : 19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?
• Isa 44:26 : 26 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
• Jer 15:19 : 19 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
• John 20:21 : 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
• Acts 16:17 : 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
• 2 Cor 5:20 : 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
• Gal 4:14 : 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
• 1 Thess 4:8 : 8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
• 2 Tim 2:24-25 : 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
• Hag 2:11-13 : 11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13 Then said gai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
• Mal 3:1 : 1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
• Num 27:21 : 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.