Malachi 2:5
New International Version
“My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.

New Living Translation
“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.

English Standard Version
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name.

Berean Standard Bible
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

King James Bible
My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

New King James Version
“My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name.

New American Standard Bible
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and was in awe of My name.

NASB 1995
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

NASB 1977
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name.

Legacy Standard Bible
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as something to be feared; so he feared Me and stood in awe of My name.

Amplified Bible
“My covenant with Levi was [one of] life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he [and the priests] feared Me and stood in reverent awe of My name.

Christian Standard Bible
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

American Standard Version
My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
My covenant was with him; life and peace I have given to him. He was in awe of me and from before my name he was shaken

Brenton Septuagint Translation
My covenant of life and peace was with him, and I gave it him that he might reverently fear me, and that he might be awe-struck at my name.

Contemporary English Version
I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name.

Douay-Rheims Bible
My covenant was with him of life and peace: and I gave him fear: and he feared me, and he was afraid before my name.

English Revised Version
My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear, and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I promised Levi life and peace. I gave them to him so that he would respect me. He respected me and stood in awe of my name.

Good News Translation
"In my covenant I promised them life and well-being, and this is what I gave them, so that they might respect me. In those days they did respect and fear me.

International Standard Version
"My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave the commandments to him so he would fear me. He did fear me as he stood in my presence.

JPS Tanakh 1917
My covenant was with him Of life and peace, and I gave them to him, And of fear, and he feared Me, And was afraid of My name.

Literal Standard Version
“My covenant has been of life and of peace with him, | And I make them a fear to him, and he fears Me, | And because of My Name he has been frightened.

Majority Standard Bible
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

New American Bible
My covenant with him was the life and peace which I gave him, and the fear he had for me, standing in awe of my name.

NET Bible
"My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me.

New Revised Standard Version
My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.

New Heart English Bible
"My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of my name.

Webster's Bible Translation
My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear with which he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

World English Bible
“My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of my name.

Young's Literal Translation
My covenant hath been with him of life and of peace, And I make them to him a fear, and he doth fear Me, And because of My name he hath been affrighted.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning to Priests
4Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts. 5“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.…

Cross References
Numbers 25:7
On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

Numbers 25:8
followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them--through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,

Numbers 25:12
Declare, therefore, that I am granting him My covenant of peace.

Deuteronomy 33:9
He said of his father and mother, 'I do not consider them.' He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.

Psalm 61:5
For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance reserved for those who fear Your name.


Treasury of Scripture

My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear with which he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

covenant.

Numbers 3:45
Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

Numbers 8:15
And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

Numbers 16:9,10
Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? …

I gave.

Exodus 32:26-29
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him…

Deuteronomy 33:8-11
And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; …

Jump to Previous
Affrighted Afraid Agreement Awe Covenant Fear Feared Honour Life Object Peace Revered Reverence Reverent Side Stood Trembled Wherewith
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Affrighted Afraid Agreement Awe Covenant Fear Feared Honour Life Object Peace Revered Reverence Reverent Side Stood Trembled Wherewith
Malachi 2
1. He sharply reproves the priests for neglecting their covenant;
10. and the people for marrying strange wives;
13. and for putting away their former ones,
17. and for infidelity.














(5) Of life and peace.--Better, life and peace--i.e., by it life and peace were guaranteed to him.

Life in its highest sense.

Peace as the sum total of blessing: the "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace." (Galatians 5:22; comp. Note on Zechariah 6:13.)

Them--viz., life and peace.

For the fear . . . me.--Better, As fear--(i.e., as a motive for the fear of God), and he did fear me. Or, perhaps, a still better interpretation is that which represents God and Levi as each having performed his part of the covenant--God in bestowing "life and peace," Levi in rendering "fear." According to this view, the words should be translated, My covenant was with him--viz., life and peace--and I gave them to him; fear, and he feared me, and trembled before My Name.

Verses 5-9. - § 5. In contrast with these evil ministers, the character of the true priest is sketched, and thus the faults of the former are shown in darker colours. Verse 5. - My covenant was with him of life and peace; rather, with him was life and peace. This is one side of the covenant, that which God gave - the blessing of life, abundance, prosperity, and secure and undisturbed enjoyment of these, in the everlasting priesthood, in agreement with the promise to Phinehas (Numbers 25:12; comp. Deuteronomy 33:8-11). I gave them to him for the fear, etc. I gave him life and peace. The pronominal suffix "them" is not expressed in the Greek and Latin Versions, and is absent from many Hebrew manuscripts, which read, "I gave him fear." So the Vulgate, Dedi eis timorem et timuit me; Septuagint, Αδωκα αὐτῷ ἐν φόβῳ φοβεῖσθαί με, "I gave him the fear of me." This expresses man's part in the covenant: God gave him certain blessings on condition that he feared, reverenced, worshipped, and obeyed the Lord. The last part of the verse as now read is more simply explained, "and (my covenant with him was, or, I gave him) fear, and he did fear me." God's gifts were life and peace. Levi's part was fear of God: this he performed. The ideal priest observed all the duties of piety and reverence, and therefore in his case the covenant stood firm and was duly carried out.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“My covenant
בְּרִיתִ֣י ׀ (bə·rî·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

with him
אִתּ֗וֹ (’it·tōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

was
הָיְתָ֣ה (hā·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

[one] of life
הַֽחַיִּים֙ (ha·ḥay·yîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

and peace,
וְהַ֨שָּׁל֔וֹם (wə·haš·šā·lō·wm)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

and I gave them
וָאֶתְּנֵֽם־ (wā·’et·tə·nêm-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to him;
ל֥וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

it called for reverence,
מוֹרָ֖א (mō·w·rā)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4172: Fear, a fearful thing, deed

and he revered Me
וַיִּֽירָאֵ֑נִי (way·yî·rā·’ê·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

and stood in awe
נִחַ֥ת (ni·ḥaṯ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2865: To prostrate, to break down, either, by violence, by confusion and fear

of My name.
שְׁמִ֖י (šə·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8034: A name


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OT Prophets: Malachi 2:5 My covenant was with him of life (Malachi Mal Ml)
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