John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. Ye [are] cursed with a curse , etc.] Or “with penury”, as the Vulgate Latin version; which, though not a proper rendering of the word, is the meaning of the curse they were cursed with; rain was withheld from them for their sins, and the earth did not bring forth its usual increase; wherefore there was want of food in all their land; their blessings were cursed, as in ( Malachi 2:2) for the following reason, for ye have robbed me ; because of this their iniquity, in not bringing their offerings to the Lord, and the tithes to the priests and Levites, their land was stricken with barrenness, and God gave them cleanness of teeth, and want of bread in all places: or, “but ye have robbed me” f75 ; notwithstanding they were thus chastised of the Lord, yet were not reformed, but went on in withholding from God and the priests, what belonged to them: [even] this whole nation ; the sin was become general, and therefore a general judgment was inflicted on them: Grotius thinks, that the people seeing the priests withhold the tithes from the Levites, they refused to pay them to them, and so the sin became universal. Kimchi observes, that in other sins charged upon the nation, the people were not all alike guilty, but in this which respected the tithes and offerings they were.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-12 - The men of that generation turned away from God, they had not kept his ordinances. God gives them a gracious call. But they said, Wherei shall we return? God notices what returns our hearts make to the call of his word. It shows great perverseness in sin, when men make afflictions excuses for sin, which are sent to part between them an their sins. Here is an earnest exhortation to reform. God must be served in the first place; and the interest of our souls ought to be preferred before that of our bodies. Let them trust God to provide for their comfort. God has blessings ready for us, but through the weaknes of our faith and the narrowness of our desires, we have not room to receive them. He who makes trial will find nothing is lost by honourin the Lord with his substance.
Original Hebrew במארה3994 אתם859 נארים779 ואתי853 אתם859 קבעים6906 הגוי1471 כלו׃3605
