Malachi 2:11
New International Version
Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.

New Living Translation
Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.

English Standard Version
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Berean Standard Bible
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

King James Bible
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

New King James Version
Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The LORD’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.

New American Standard Bible
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

NASB 1995
“Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

NASB 1977
“Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Legacy Standard Bible
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of Yahweh which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Amplified Bible
Judah has been treacherous (disloyal), and a repulsive act has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Christian Standard Bible
Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable act has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s sanctuary, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s sanctuary, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

American Standard Version
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of Jehovah which he loveth, and hath married the daughter of a foreign god.

Contemporary English Version
You people in Judah and Jerusalem have been unfaithful to the LORD. You have disgraced the temple that he loves, and you have committed the disgusting sin of marrying the worshipers of other gods.

English Revised Version
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loveth, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the LORD loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god.

Good News Translation
The people of Judah have broken their promise to God and done a horrible thing in Jerusalem and all over the country. They have defiled the Temple which the LORD loves. Men have married women who worship foreign gods.

International Standard Version
Judah has become unfaithful, and a detestable thing was committed in Israel and Jerusalem. Indeed, Judah profaned the Holy Place of the LORD, which he loves, and married a daughter of a foreign god.

Majority Standard Bible
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD?s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

NET Bible
Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the holy things that the LORD loves and has turned to a foreign god!

New Heart English Bible
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Webster's Bible Translation
Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD whom he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

World English Bible
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Yahweh which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Judah has dealt treacherously, "" And abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem, "" For Judah has defiled the holy thing of YHWH that He has loved, "" And has married the daughter of a strange god.

Young's Literal Translation
Dealt treacherously hath Judah, And abomination hath been done in Israel, and in Jerusalem, For polluted hath Judah the holy thing of Jehovah, That He hath loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

Smith's Literal Translation
Judah dealt faithlessly, and an abomination was done in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah profaned the holy place of Jehovah which he loved, and married the daughter of a strange god.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Juda hath transgressed, and abomination hath been committed in Israel, and in Jerusalem: for Juda hath profaned the holiness of the Lord, which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange God.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Judah has transgressed, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has contaminated the sanctified of the Lord, which he loved, and has held the daughter of a strange god.

New American Bible
Judah has broken faith; an abominable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. Judah has profaned the LORD’s holy place, which he loves, and has married a daughter of a foreign god.

New Revised Standard Version
Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD of hosts and has loved and served foreign gods.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Yehuda has been treacherous and defilement has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem, because Yehuda has defiled the holiness of LORD JEHOVAH of Hosts, and has loved and has worshiped foreign gods
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Judah hath dealt treacherously, And an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; For Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which He loveth, And hath married the daughter of a strange god.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Juda has been forsaken, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Juda has profaned the holy things of the Lord, which he delighted in, and has gone after other gods.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judah's Unfaithfulness
10Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? 11Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. 12As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and aware—even if he brings an offering to the LORD of Hosts.…

Cross References
Ezra 9:1-2
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. / Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”

Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

1 Kings 11:1-4
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. / He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. ...

Judges 3:5-6
Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. / And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Exodus 34:15-16
Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. / And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...

1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. / Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Hosea 5:3-4
I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled. / Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:8-9
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. / Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

Leviticus 18:24-30
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. / Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. / But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. ...

Joshua 23:12-13
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, / know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

2 Kings 17:7-8
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel.

Romans 11:1-2
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. / God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:


Treasury of Scripture

Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and has married the daughter of a strange god.

and an.

Leviticus 18:24-30
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: …

Jeremiah 7:10
And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Ezekiel 18:13
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

profaned.

Exodus 19:5,6
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: …

Leviticus 20:26
And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Deuteronomy 7:3-6
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son…

loved.

Genesis 6:1,2
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, …

Judges 3:6
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

1 Kings 11:1-8
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; …

Jump to Previous
Abomination Acting Broken Committed Daughter Dealt Dear Desecrated Detestable Disgusting Faith Faithless Falsely Foreign Holiness Holy Israel Jerusalem Judah Loved Loves Married Profaned Sanctuary Strange Treacherously Unclean Unfaithfully Wife
Jump to Next
Abomination Acting Broken Committed Daughter Dealt Dear Desecrated Detestable Disgusting Faith Faithless Falsely Foreign Holiness Holy Israel Jerusalem Judah Loved Loves Married Profaned Sanctuary Strange Treacherously Unclean Unfaithfully Wife
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.














Judah has acted treacherously
The phrase "Judah has acted treacherously" highlights the betrayal and unfaithfulness of the people of Judah. The Hebrew root for "treacherously" is "בָּגַד" (bagad), which conveys a sense of deceit and betrayal. Historically, Judah's treachery is seen in their abandonment of the covenant with God, choosing instead to follow their own desires. This betrayal is not just a personal failing but a communal one, affecting the entire nation. It serves as a warning to remain faithful to God's commands and to uphold the covenant relationship with Him.

a detestable thing has been done
The term "detestable" comes from the Hebrew word "תּוֹעֵבָה" (to'evah), which refers to something abominable or repulsive, especially in a religious context. This indicates that the actions of Judah were not just wrong but deeply offensive to God. In the historical context, such actions often involved idolatry or practices that were explicitly forbidden by God. This serves as a reminder of the seriousness with which God views sin, especially when it involves turning away from Him.

in Israel and in Jerusalem
The mention of "Israel and in Jerusalem" underscores the widespread nature of the sin. Israel, representing the broader community of God's people, and Jerusalem, the spiritual and political center, both being implicated, shows that the corruption was pervasive. Jerusalem, being the location of the temple, highlights the gravity of the sin, as it was the place where God's presence dwelt. This serves as a call to purity and holiness, especially in places dedicated to God.

For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD
"Profaned" comes from the Hebrew "חָלַל" (chalal), meaning to defile or desecrate. The "sanctuary of the LORD" refers to the temple, the holy place where God was worshiped. By their actions, the people of Judah had defiled what was sacred. This is a powerful reminder of the importance of reverence for God's holy places and the need to approach Him with purity and respect.

which He loves
The phrase "which He loves" emphasizes God's deep affection for His sanctuary and, by extension, His people. The Hebrew word for love here is "אָהֵב" (aheb), indicating a deep, covenantal love. This love is not just emotional but is rooted in God's commitment to His people. It serves as a reminder of God's enduring love and the expectation that His people will respond with faithfulness and obedience.

and has married the daughter of a foreign god
This phrase highlights the specific sin of intermarriage with those who worshiped other gods, which was forbidden in the Mosaic Law. The "daughter of a foreign god" symbolizes alliances with pagan nations and their deities. Historically, such marriages often led to the introduction of idolatry and the dilution of Israel's distinct identity as God's chosen people. This serves as a warning against compromising one's faith and values by forming alliances that lead away from God. It calls believers to maintain spiritual purity and allegiance to God alone.

(11) For the same collocation of "Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem," comp. Zechariah 1:19.

The holiness of the Lord.--That is, their own "holy nation" (Deuteronomy 7:6; Deuteronomy 14:2; comp. Jeremiah 2:3).

Daughter of a strange god--i.e., one who worships a strange god, and such they were forbidden to marry (Exodus 24:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; comp. 1Kings 11:2). . . .

Verse 11. - Judah, the whole nation, is guilty of this crime, has broken her promised faith. The special sin, mixed marriages, is named at the end of the verse. In Israel and in Jerusalem. The mention of Israel, the sacred covenant name, is meant to make the contrast between profession and practice more marked. But some critics would here cancel the word "Israel," as being a clerical error (see note, Zechariah 1:19). Jerusalem is named as the centre of the theocracy, which gave its tone to the-people. For Judah hath profaned the holiness (sanctuary) of the Lord, which he loved (loveth); Septuagint, Ἐβεβήλωσεν Ἰούδας τὰ ἅγια Κυρίου ἐν οῖς ἠγάπησε, "Judah profaned the holy things of the Lord in which he delighted." Many consider that by the "sanctuary" is meant the temple, into which these heathen wives had penetrated, either led by curiosity or introduced by their profane husbands. But we have no knowledge that this was the case. It is better to take "the sanctuary," or that which is holy unto the Lord, to be the chosen nation itself, the community beloved by God, which was holy by election and profession, even as Christians are commonly called saints in the Epistles. (For the term as applied to the Israelites, see Exodus 19:6; Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 19:2; comp. Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 13:29.) The daughter of a strange god. A woman who is an idolatress, who adhered to a foreign deity (Jeremiah 2:27), as the Israelites are called "sons of Jehovah," as joined to him in communion (Deuteronomy 14:1; Proverbs 14:26). The LXX. omits the point of the charge, rendering, καὶ ἐπετήδευσεν εἰς θεοὺς ἀλλοτρίους, "and followed after strange gods."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Judah
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

has broken faith;
בָּגְדָ֣ה (bā·ḡə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 898: To cover, to act covertly, to pillage

an abomination
וְתוֹעֵבָ֛ה (wə·ṯō·w·‘ê·ḇāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8441: Something disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry, an idol

has been committed
נֶעֶשְׂתָ֥ה (ne·‘eś·ṯāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

in Israel
בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (ḇə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

and in Jerusalem.
וּבִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (ū·ḇî·rū·šā·lim)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

For
כִּ֣י ׀ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Judah
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

has profaned
חִלֵּ֣ל (ḥil·lêl)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

the LORD's
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

beloved
אָהֵ֔ב (’ā·hêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

sanctuary
קֹ֤דֶשׁ (qō·ḏeš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

by marrying
וּבָעַ֖ל (ū·ḇā·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1166: To be master, to marry

the daughter
בַּת־ (baṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of a foreign
נֵכָֽר׃ (nê·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5236: That which is foreign, foreignness

god.
אֵ֥ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty


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OT Prophets: Malachi 2:11 Judah has dealt treacherously and an abomination (Malachi Mal Ml)
Malachi 2:10
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