Texts in Conversation
Malachi 1:13 is part of a traditional list of scribal corrections known as the “tiqqune soferim,” where later editors changed language they found disrespectful. The Masoretic text describes the priests complaining and ignoring their duties, but the original may have described them verbally cursing God.
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Malachi 1:13
Hebrew Bible
12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings despicable. 13 You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?” asks the Lord. 14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Malachi 1:13
Septuagint
12 “But you have profaned it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is polluted, and his prepared meat has been disdained. 13 And you said, ‘These things are from much toil,’ so I blew them away,” says the Lord Almighty. “And you brought in the spoils of war and the lame and the unwell. So, if you bring this as the sacrifice, should I receive them out of your hands?” says the Lord Almighty.
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The tiqqune sopherim, or emendations of the scribes, represents another way some ancient writers responded to specific portrayals of God they felt were inappropriate. At specific places, it appears that scribes altered the Hebrew text of the Old Testament to modify views of God they found offensive. These modifications are thought to have been made between 400 BCE and 100 CC. Although it is unclear exactly how many changes of this nature were made, tradition puts the total at eighteen (Genesis 18:22; Numbers 11:15; 12:12; 1 Samuel 3:13; 2 Samuel 16:12; 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16; 2 Chronicles 10:16; Job 7:20; 32:3; Psalm 106:20; Jeremiah 2:11; Lamentations 3:20; Ezekiel 8:17; Hosea 4:7; Zechariah 2:8; Habakkuk 1:12; Malachi 1:13) ..."
Seibert, Eric A.
Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God
(p. 56) Fortress Press, 2009
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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