Malachi 3

Malachi · Chapter 3

Malachi 3:5

1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.10Bring 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.11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.13Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and I will draw nearוְקָרַבְתִּ֣יve-ka-rav-TIH7126G
to present: come

קָרַב (qa.rav) : come/approach 1) to come near, approach, enter into, draw near 1a) (Qal) to approach, draw near 1b) (Niphal) to be brought near 1c) (Piel) to cause to approach, bring near, cause to draw near 1d) (Hiphil) to bring near, bring, present

to youאֲלֵיכֶם֮'a-lei-KHEMH0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

for the judgmentלַמִּשְׁפָּט֒la-mish-PATH4941G
justice: judgement

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) : judgement/punishment 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan

and I will beוְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ve-ha-YI-tiH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

a witnessעֵ֣ד'edH5707
witness

עֵד (ed) 1) witness 1a) witness, testimony, evidence (of things) 1b) witness (of people)

hasteningמְמַהֵ֗רme-ma-HERH4116A
to hasten

מָהַר (ma.har) 1)(Qal) to hasten 1a) (Niphal) to be hurried, be anxious 1a) hasty, precipitate, impetuous 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to hasten, make haste 1b2) hasten (used as adverb with another verb) 1b3) to hasten, prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly

on the sorcerersבַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙bam-kha-she-FIMH3784
to practice sorcery

כָּשַׁף (ka.shaph) 1) (Piel) to practice witchcraft or sorcery, use witchcraft 1a) sorcerer, sorceress (participle)

and on the adulterersוּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔יםu-vam-NA-'a-FIMH5003
to commit adultery

נָאַף (na.aph) 1) to commit adultery 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to commit adultery 1a1a) usually of man 1a1a1) always with wife of another 1a1b) adultery (of women) (participle) 1a2) idolatrous worship (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to commit adultery 1b1a) of man 1b1b) adultery (of women) (participle) 1b2) idolatrous worship (fig.)

and on the [those who] swear an oathוּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖יםu-va-nish-ba-'IMH7650
to swear

שָׁבַע (sha.va) 1) to swear, adjure 1a) (Qal) sworn (participle) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to swear, take an oath 1b2) to swear (of Jehovah by Himself) 1b3) to curse 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to take an oath 1c2) to adjure

to the falsehoodלַשָּׁ֑קֶרla-SHA-kerH8267
deception

שֶׁ֫קֶר (she.qer) 1) lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood 1a) deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one) 1b) deceit, fraud, wrong 1b1) fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb) 1c) falsehood (injurious in testimony) 1c1) testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely 1d) falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets) 1e) lie, falsehood (in general) 1e1) false tongue 1f) in vain

and on [those who] defraudוּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣יu-ve-'o-she-KEIH6231
to oppress

עָשַׁק (a.shaq) 1) to press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to oppress, wrong, extort 1a2) to oppress 1b) (Pual) to be exploited, be crushed

of [the] hire ofשְׂכַר־se-kha-r-SA-H7939
wages

שָׂכָר (sa.khar) 1) hire, wages 1a) wages 1b) reward, pay 1c) fare, fee, passage-money

a hired laborerשָׂ֠כִירSA-khirH7916
hired

שָׂכִיר (sa.khir) 1) hired 1a) hired (of animal) 1b) hireling, hired labourer (subst) 1b1) mercenary

a widowאַלְמָנָ֨ה'al-ma-NAHH0490
widow

אַלְמָנָה (al.ma.nah) widow

and a fatherless oneוְיָת֤וֹםve-ya-TOMH3490
orphan

יָתוֹם (ya.tom) an orphan, fatherless

and [those who] thrust asideוּמַטֵּי־u-ma-tei-H5186
to stretch

נָטָה (na.tah) 1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer 1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent) 1a3) to bend, turn, incline 1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down 1a3b) to bend, bow 1a3c) to hold out, extend (fig.) 1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to stretch out 1c2) to spread out 1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away

of a sojournerגֵר֙gerH1616
sojourner

גֵּר (ger) 1) sojourner 1a) a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights 1b) of foreigners in Israel, though conceded rights

and notוְלֹ֣אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they fear meיְרֵא֔וּנִיye-re-'U-niH3372H
to fear

יָרֵא (ya.re) : frightening(DANGER) 1) to fear, revere, be afraid 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to fear, be afraid 1a2) to stand in awe of, be awed 1a3) to fear, reverence, honour, respect 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be fearful, be dreadful, be feared 1b2) to cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe 1b3) to inspire reverence or godly fear or awe 1c) (Piel) to make afraid, terrify 2) (TWOT) to shoot, pour

he saysאָמַ֖ר'a-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Yahwehיְהוָ֥הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

of hostsצְבָאֽוֹת׃tze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

צָבָא (tsa.va) The Hosts (of the Lord) Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.