Malachi 1:14 (KJV)

Passage

But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

Nearby Context

Malachi 1:12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

Malachi 1:13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

Malachi 1:14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cursed", "deceiver", "hath", "flock", "male", "voweth", "sacrificeth", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cursed" and "deceiver", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Ye said also Behold what a weariness...", giving immediate footing for "cursed" and "deceiver". In Malachi context, the local focus is covenant faithfulness, priestly corruption, divine justice, and the coming day of the LORD.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cursed" and "deceiver" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.