הֲיִקְבַּ֨ע אָדָ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ קֹבְעִ֣ים אֹתִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה קְבַעֲנ֑וּךָ הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר וְהַתְּרוּמָֽה׃
Patutkah manusia merampok Allah? Namun kalian merampok Aku. Lalu kalian berkata, “Dalam hal apa kami merampok Engkau?” Dalam hal persepuluhan dan persembahan khusus bagi para imam.
German Commentary
Mit dem Zehnten und der Priesterhebe. Mal. 3, 8. Wie aus Vs. 9 u. 10 zu ersehen ist, war zur Zeit Mal’achi’s eine durch Dürre hervorgerufene Missernte als Strafe für die nicht richtige Abgabe der Priesterhebe und der Zehnten.
Ramban
AND HE WAS PRIEST OF G-D THE MOST HIGH. This is stated in order to inform us that Abraham would not give a tithe to the priest of other gods, but since he knew that he was a priest of G-d the Most High, he gave him the tithe as an honor to G-d. He alluded to Abraham through this episode that the House of G-d will be there, and there his descendants will bring the tithe and the Heave-offering,179Malachi 3:8. and there they will bless the Eternal.
Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis180Nedarim 32b. who say that Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah, we must say that he left his country in the east181See above, 10:30. and came to Jerusalem to worship the Eternal. He became the people’s priest of G-d the Most High since he was the honored one among their father’s brothers,182That is, of the three sons of Noah — Shem, Ham and Japheth — Shem was the most honored. Now since according to the Rabbis, Melchizedek is none other than Shem, the Canaanites who were then in possession of Jerusalem recognized in Shem their father Ham’s most honored brother and therefore appointed him “priest of G-d the Most High.” as Jerusalem was ever in the boundary of the Canaanites.
Now Rashi wrote above, “And the Canaanite was then in the land.183Above, 12:6. They were gradually conquering the land of Israel from the descendants of Shem, the ancestor of Abraham, for it had fallen to the share of Shem when Noah apportioned the earth among his sons, as it is said, And Melchizedek king of Salem.”
This is not correct because the boundary of the Canaanite was from Sidon,184Ibid., 10:19. which includes all of the land of Israel. The boundary of the children of Shem, on the other hand, was to the east of Mesha,185Ibid., Verse 30. far from the land of Israel. But if Noah apportioned the countries among his sons and gave Shem the land of Israel, it would be similar to the case of a person who apportions his goods by word of mouth.186Baba Bathra 156a. That the land of Israel should belong to the descendants of Shem would thus be a special oral provision by Noah since all their other lands were to the east of Mesha, far from the land of Israel. Meanwhile, the children of Canaan, [who were the descendants of Ham], settled there until the time came when G-d caused the seed of His friend Abraham187Isaiah 41:8. The seed of Abraham My friend. to inherit it, as I have already mentioned.188Above, 12:6.
Now according to the opinion of our Rabbis180Nedarim 32b. who say that Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah, we must say that he left his country in the east181See above, 10:30. and came to Jerusalem to worship the Eternal. He became the people’s priest of G-d the Most High since he was the honored one among their father’s brothers,182That is, of the three sons of Noah — Shem, Ham and Japheth — Shem was the most honored. Now since according to the Rabbis, Melchizedek is none other than Shem, the Canaanites who were then in possession of Jerusalem recognized in Shem their father Ham’s most honored brother and therefore appointed him “priest of G-d the Most High.” as Jerusalem was ever in the boundary of the Canaanites.
Now Rashi wrote above, “And the Canaanite was then in the land.183Above, 12:6. They were gradually conquering the land of Israel from the descendants of Shem, the ancestor of Abraham, for it had fallen to the share of Shem when Noah apportioned the earth among his sons, as it is said, And Melchizedek king of Salem.”
This is not correct because the boundary of the Canaanite was from Sidon,184Ibid., 10:19. which includes all of the land of Israel. The boundary of the children of Shem, on the other hand, was to the east of Mesha,185Ibid., Verse 30. far from the land of Israel. But if Noah apportioned the countries among his sons and gave Shem the land of Israel, it would be similar to the case of a person who apportions his goods by word of mouth.186Baba Bathra 156a. That the land of Israel should belong to the descendants of Shem would thus be a special oral provision by Noah since all their other lands were to the east of Mesha, far from the land of Israel. Meanwhile, the children of Canaan, [who were the descendants of Ham], settled there until the time came when G-d caused the seed of His friend Abraham187Isaiah 41:8. The seed of Abraham My friend. to inherit it, as I have already mentioned.188Above, 12:6.