Malachi 3:15

Malachi 3:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
• New International Version (NIV)But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ”

Context of Malachi 3:15

13“Your words have been harsh against Me,” says the Lord. “But you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. What profit is it if we keep His ordinances, and walk around like mourners before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the arrogant happy and blessed. Evildoers are exalted and prosper; and when they test God, they escape [unpunished].’ ” 16Then those who feared the Lord [with awe-filled reverence] spoke to one another; and the Lord paid attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who fear the Lord [with an attitude of reverence and respect] and who esteem His name. 17“They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on that day when I publicly recognize them and openly declare them to be My own possession [that is, My very special treasure]. And I will have compassion on them and spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”

Malachi 3:15 word by word

וְעַתָּ֕ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים זֵדִ֑ים גַּם־נִבְנוּ֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י רִשְׁעָ֔ה גַּ֧ם בָּחֲנ֛וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And now we callאָשַׁר'âshar 'âshêr · to blessH833
• the proudזֵדzêd · arrogantH2086
• yea, they that workעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: [do]H6213
• wickednessרִשְׁעָהrish‛âh · wickednessH7564
• are set upבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• temptבָּחַןbâchan · to testH974
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• are even deliveredמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422

Cross-references for Malachi 3:15

• Malachi 4:1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant (proud, self-righteous, haughty), and every evildoer shall be stubble; and the day that is coming shall set them on fire,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
• Esther 5:10Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. There he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.
• Psalms 10:3For the wicked boasts and sings the praises of his heart’s desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns [and even despises] the Lord.
• Psalms 49:18Though while he lives he counts himself happy and prosperous— And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
• Psalms 73:12Behold, these are the ungodly, Who always prosper and are at ease [in the world]; they have increased in wealth.
• Daniel 4:30The king said thoughtfully, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I myself have built as the royal residence and seat of government by the might of my power and for the honor and glory of my majesty?’
• Daniel 5:20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.
• Acts 12:21On an appointed day Herod dressed himself in his royal robes, sat on his throne (tribunal, rostrum) and began delivering a speech to the people.
• 1 Peter 5:5Likewise, you younger men [of lesser rank and experience], be subject to your elders [seek their counsel]; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another [tie on the servant’s apron], for God is opposed to the proud [the disdainful, the presumptuous, and He defeats them], but He gives grace to the humble.
• Malachi 2:17You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” or [by asking], “Where is the God of justice?”
• Job 12:6The tents of the destroyers prosper; And those who provoke God are [apparently] secure, Whom God brings into their power.
• Job 21:7Why do the wicked still live, Become old, and become mighty in power?
• Proverbs 12:12The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, But the root of the righteous yields richer fruit.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1For I have taken all this to heart, exploring and examining it all, how the righteous (those in right standing with God) and the wise and their deeds are in the hands of God. No man knows whether it will be love or hatred; anything awaits him.
• Jeremiah 12:1You, O Lord are [uncompromisingly] righteous and consistently just when I plead my case with You; Yet let me discuss issues of justice with You: Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are those who deal in treachery (deceit) at ease and thriving?
• Habakkuk 1:13Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look favorably on wickedness. Why then do You look favorably On those who act treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked (Chaldean oppressors) destroy Those more righteous than they?

Commentaries on Malachi 3:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And now we call the proud happy - Proud and insolent men are the only happy people, for they domineer everywhere, and none dares to resist them. They that work wickedness are set up - The humble and holy are depressed and miserable; the proud and wicked are in places of trust and profit. Too often it is so. They that tempt God are even delivered - Even those who despise God, and insult his justice and providence, are preserved in and from dangers; while…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And now we call the proud happy (blessed) - This being so, they sum up the case against God. God had declared that all nations should “call them blessed” Malachi 3:12. if they would obey. They answer, using His words; And “now we (they lay stress on the word we,) pronounce blessed,” in fact, those whom God had pronounced cursed: Psalm 119:21. “Thou hast rebuked the proud, who are cursed.” Their characteristic, among other bad men, is of insolence Proverbs…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those who work wickedness, tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judge of things as they will appear when the doom of these proud sinners comes to be executed. Those that feared the Lord, spake kindly, for preserving and promoting mutual love, when sin thus abounded. They spake one to another, in the language of those…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Calling the arrogant blessed went against God’s justice, because it treated pride and wrongdoing as good (see Malachi 3:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1813-18. He notices the complaint of the Jews that it is of no profit to serve Jehovah, for that the ungodly proud are happy; and declares He will soon bring the day when it shall be known that He puts an everlasting distinction between the godly and the ungodly. words ... stout--Hebrew, "hard"; so "the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 15) [Henderson]. have we spoken--The Hebrew expresses at once their assiduity and habit…Read the comment

Topics related to Malachi 3:15

• Condescension of God
• Malachi
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Change
• Mournfully
• Prove
• Rob
• Malachi
• Set
• Vulgate

Commentaries on Malachi 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings