Darby Bible
Malachi 3:5
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 the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hired servant in [his] wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Malachi 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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 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.
- New International Version (NIV)“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Context of Malachi 3:5
3And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver; and he will purify the children of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah an oblation in righteousness. 4Then shall the oblation of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 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 hired servant in [his] wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 6For I Jehovah change not, and ye, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 7Since the days of your fathers have ye departed from my statutes, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?
Read all of Malachi 3Malachi 3:5 word by word
וְקָרַבְתִּ֣י אֲלֵיכֶם֮ לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒ וְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ עֵ֣ד מְמַהֵ֗ר בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י שְׂכַר־שָׂ֠כִיר אַלְמָנָ֨ה וְיָת֤וֹם וּמַטֵּי־גֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרֵא֔וּנִי אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
- judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
- sorcerersכָּשַׁףkâshaph · to practice sorceryH3784
- adulterersנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- oppressעָשַׁק‛âshaq · to oppressH6231
- wagesשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
- widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
- fatherlessיָתוֹםyâthôm · orphanH3490
- turnנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- rightמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 3:5
- Malachi 2:17Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words, and ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
- Psalms 50:3Our God will come, and will not keep silence: fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
- Psalms 96:13Before Jehovah, for he cometh; for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
- Psalms 98:9Before Jehovah, for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
- Ezekiel 34:20Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah unto them: Behold, [it is] I, and I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
- Hebrews 10:30For we know him that said, To me [belongs] vengeance; I will recompense, saith the Lord: and again, The Lord shall judge his people.
- James 5:8Ye also have patience: stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is drawn nigh.
- Jude 1:14And Enoch, [the] seventh from Adam, prophesied also as to these, saying, Behold, [the] Lord has come amidst his holy myriads,
- Malachi 2:14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
- Psalms 50:7Hear, my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, thy God.
- Psalms 81:8Hear, my people, and I will testify unto thee; O Israel, if thou wouldest hearken unto me!
- Jeremiah 29:23because they have committed infamy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words of falsehood in my name, which I had not commanded them: and I [am] he that knoweth, and [am] witness, saith Jehovah.
- Micah 1:2Hear, ye peoples, all of you; hearken, O earth, and all that is therein: and let the Lord Jehovah be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple!
- Leviticus 20:6— And the soul that turneth unto necromancers and unto soothsayers, to go a whoring after them, I will set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
- Deuteronomy 5:11Thou shalt not idly utter the name of Jehovah thy God; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that idly uttereth his name.
Commentaries on Malachi 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5I will come near to you to judgment - And what fearful cases does he get to judge! Sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, defrauders of the wages of the hireling, oppressors of widows and orphans, and perverters of the stranger and such as do not fear the Lord: a horrible crew; and the land at that time was full of them. Several were converted under the preaching of Christ and his apostles, and the rest the Romans destroyed or carried into captivity.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And I will come near to you to judgment - They had clamored for the coming of “the God of judgment;” God assures them that He will come to judgment, which they had desired, but far other than they look for. The few would be purified; the great mass of them (so that He calls them “you”), the main body of those who had so clamored, would find that He came as a Judge, not for them but against them. And I will be a swift witness - o“In judging I will bear…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The phrase swift witness suggests a legal case where God acts as both the prosecutor and the main witness against Judah after the exile in Babylon. Sorcerers used witchcraft, black magic, or fortune-telling for personal gain. On the coming day of God’s judgment, sinful Judeans would either be purified (Malachi 3:3) or destroyed (4:1–2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. I ... come near ... to judgment--I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" (Mal 2:17). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against sorcerers; for Mine eyes see every sin, though ye think I take no heed. Earthly judges need witnesses to enable them to decide aright: I alone need none (Psa 10:11; 73:11; 94:7, &c.). sorcerers--a…Read the comment
Topics related to Malachi 3:5
In the dictionaries
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
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