Malachi 3:14

Malachi 3:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye 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?
• New International Version (NIV)“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?
• English Standard Version (ESV)You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
• New King James Version (NKJV)You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

Context of Malachi 3:14

12“Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies. 13“Your words against me are harsh,” says the Lord. Yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?” You have said, “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Armies? 15So now we consider the arrogant to be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape.” 16At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the Lord and had high regard for his name.

Malachi 3:14 word by word

אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ וְכִ֤י הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית מִפְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye have saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• vainשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
• to serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and what profitבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
• that we have keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• his ordinanceמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
• and that we have walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• mournfullyקְדֹרַנִּיתqedôrannîyth · mournfullyH6941
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 3:14

• Job 21:14Yet they say to God, “Leave us alone! We don’t want to know your ways.
• Job 22:17They were the ones who said to God, “Leave us alone!” and “What can the Almighty do to us?”
• Job 34:9For he has said, “A man gains nothing when he becomes God’s friend.”
• Job 35:3For you ask, “What does it profit you, and what benefit comes to me, if I do not sin?”
• Psalms 73:8They mock, and they speak maliciously; they arrogantly threaten oppression.
• Isaiah 58:3“Why have we fasted, but you have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but you haven’t noticed!” “Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.
• Zephaniah 1:12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who settle down comfortably, who say to themselves: The Lord will do nothing — good or bad.
• Joel 2:12Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
• Zechariah 7:3by asking the priests who were at the house of the Lord of Armies as well as the prophets, “Should we mourn and fast in the fifth month as we have done these many years?”
• James 4:9Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Commentaries on Malachi 3:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God - They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was vanity; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be nothing the better; and if they abstained, they should be nothing the worse. This was their teaching to the people. Walked mournfully - Even repentance they have declared to be useless. This was a high pitch of ungodliness; but see what follows; behold the general conclusions of these…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve the God - o“as receiving no gain or reward for their service. This is the judgment of the world, whereby worldlings think pious, just, sincere, strict men, vain, i. e., especially when they see them impoverished, despised, oppressed, afflicted, because they know not the true goods of virtue and eternal glory, but measure all things by sight, sense and taste. Truly, if the righteous had not hope of another and better life…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. 14What have we gained: People believed that doing good deeds would lead to material blessings (Deuteronomy 28). walking mournfully: People thought that showing sadness or wearing funeral clothes showed true repentance, as if these actions were righteous by themselves (see Matthew 6:1–18).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 3:14

• Blasphemy
• Condescension of God
• Hypocrisy
• Infidelity
• Malachi
• Murmuring
• Skepticism
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Lord of Hosts
• Change
• Mournfully
• Prove
• Rob
• Joel (2)
• Malachi
• Ordinance

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