Malachi 2:13
“And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people flood the altar with tears wondering why God ignores their offerings, not seeing that their own faithlessness is the cause.
What Does Malachi 2:13 Mean?
A new grief surfaces. The people weep and cry out at the altar, distressed that God no longer regards their offerings or receives them with favor. They cannot understand His silence. But God knows the cause they will not name: their tears are real, yet they flow alongside an unrepented wrong that has broken faith with Him and, as the next verse reveals, with their own families.
There is something deeply human in this scene, the bewilderment of those who pray earnestly yet sense no answer, never connecting it to the sin they refuse to face. God is not moved by tears that accompany ongoing treachery; He looks for repentance, not merely emotion. This is a searching reminder that worship and weeping cannot substitute for righteousness. When prayer seems to meet a closed heaven, the gentle invitation is to ask whether some broken faith needs mending. God hears the cry of a truly contrite heart; He waits for us to come to Him in honesty.