Matthew Poole and continuators on Malachi 3:10

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse , that there may be meat in mine house , and prove me now herewith , saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven , and pour you out a blessing , that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

If these persons spoken of, be the priests, then they are required not to detain the Tithes in their own hands, but as was their duty, to bring them into the publick storehouse. If the people are the persons, ye, people, it requires them to make a punctual and full payment of all tithes of corn, wine, oyl, &c. about this did Nehemiah contend with the Rulers, and made them honester, and all Judah obeyed and did the like, Neh. 13.10, 11, 12, 13.

Which was one or more large Rooms built on purpose for this use, to lay up the tithes, and to keep them for holy uses. It was some large and stately chamber, for we find that Eliashib had befriended Tobiah, letting him have it for an apartment to dwell in, Neh. 13.5, 6, 7, &c.

For the Priests and Levites to live upon, that they fly not, as many had done, from the service of God in the Temple, to take care of their countrey affairs, and by their industry provide maintenance for themselves and theirs, Neh. 13.10.

Make the experiment, the prophet doth in the name of God offer to put it to a short Trial.

By doing your duty try whether I will not make good my promise and give you a blessing instead of a curse.

This form of Speech is used Gen. 7.11. when those mighty rains that help'd to drown the world were poured forth, and now here plentiful and fruitful rains are promised in the same phrase, in a kind of proverbial speech, to express great abundance of the thing intended.

First of rain to water the Earth, and to make it fruitful, next a blessing of corn, wine and oyl, and all other products of the Earth, for the use of man and beast.

Your b[illegible: 1 letter]rns and storehouses shall not be large enough to receive it all. Your Fats shall overflow, Joel 2.23, 24. Or as 'tis Amos 9.13. you shall have Harvest work, and Vintage work, and Sowing work, as much, or more, than your Labourers can well finish in their Seasons.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 7.11. [illegible: 1 word] 7.2.; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 2 letters]pty out.; [illegible: 1 letter]hron. 31.