Tithing expert Russel Earl Kelly
says that the "whole nation" in Malachi 3:9 actually refers to the Priests representing the whole nation of Israel.
Russ Kelly's interpretation is acceptable:
Here is one example where one individual is referred as the whole nation of Israel...
Joshua 7:20
So Achan answered Joshua and said, "Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and this is what I did:
Joshua 7:21
when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it."
However YHWH did not say Achan, son of Carmi from the tribe of Judah sinned against Him but He said Israel has sinned and He also used "they" - which appears to refer the entire nation of Israel.
Joshua 7:11
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things;they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.
Did the entire nation of Israel sin against YHWH or only one individual?
In Joshua 7:11 YHWH was referring to one individual called Achan as the whole nation of Israel.
Likewise the “the whole NATION of you” in Malachi 3:9 could very well point to the Aaronic priests only or even to one individual - the current Chief Priest serving during Malachi's time (probably that Eliashib, the high priest who colloborated with Sanbalath and Tobiah!)
Here is one more example:
Numbers 25:1-14
From verse 1 through 13, it is only mentioned as Israel as if it were the whole congregation of Israel. However if we look at Number 25:14 - it is clear that only the tribe of Simeon was involved in committing the sin and once that Simeonite prince Zimri was killed, the LORD's anger against the WHOLE NATION OF ISRAEL ceased.
The Tribe of Simeon
First Census: 59,300
Second Census: 22,200
Total loss for the Simeonites: -37,100
It appears that the tribe of Simeon took the brunt of God's wrath during the Baal worship at Peor which was attributed to the whole nation of Israel in the beginning verses of Numbers 25.
Numbers 25:1-14
Baal Worship at Peor
1While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hanga them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10And the LORD said to Moses, 11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
14The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s house in Midian.
However in KJV & Dead Sea Scrolls Malachi 3:9 reads as
LXX (Septuagint) Reading:
“I read the scripture different and stick to KJV.
Malachi 3:9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
I read that verse as follows: You have robbed me, you have even robbed this whole nation.
The whole nation was robbed because the whole nation suffered from the curse. The whole nation was robbed of the blessing.
They tithed as a nation. They were blessed as a nation. They were cursed as a nation. “
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