Malachi 1:4

Malachi 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
• New International Version (NIV)Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If Edom says, "We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins," the Lord of hosts says, "They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called 'the wicked country,' and 'the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.

Context of Malachi 1:4

2The Lord says, ‘I have loved you.’ But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ The Lord says, ‘I chose to love Jacob and his descendants. Esau was Jacob's brother. 3But I have not loved Esau and his descendants. Instead, I have caused trouble for Esau. I caused Esau's mountains to become a wilderness. Nobody uses that land any longer. Now there are only jackals in the land that belongs to Esau.’ Esau's descendants in Edom may say, ‘They have destroyed our towns, but we will build our houses again.’ But the Lord Almighty says, ‘They may build again, but I will knock everything down. People will call Edom, “The Evil Land”. They will call them, “The Nation that the Lord is angry with for ever”. 5You will see with your own eyes what I will do to them. Then you will say, “The Lord has great power, even beyond Israel's borders.” ’ 6The Lord Almighty says this to the priests: ‘A son respects his father. A servant respects his master. If I am really your father and your master, why do you not respect me? You are my priests, but you insult my name. But then you ask, “What have we done to insult your name?”

Malachi 1:4 word by word

כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֨ר אֱד֜וֹם רֻשַּׁ֗שְׁנוּ וְנָשׁוּב֙ וְנִבְנֶ֣ה חֳרָב֔וֹת כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הֵ֥מָּה יִבְנ֖וּ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶהֱר֑וֹס וְקָרְא֤וּ לָהֶם֙ גְּב֣וּל רִשְׁעָ֔ה וְהָעָ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־זָעַ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whereas Edomאֱדוֹם'ĕdôm 'ĕdôm · EdomH123
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• We are impoverishedרָשַׁשׁrâshash · to beatH7567
• but we will returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• and buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• the desolate placesחׇרְבָּהchorbâh · desolationH2723
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
• but I will throw downהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
• and they shall callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
• them, The borderגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
• of wickednessרִשְׁעָהrish‛âh · wickednessH7564
• and, The peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• hath indignationזָעַםzâ‛am · be indignantH2194
• forעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769

Cross-references for Malachi 1:4

• Isaiah 9:9All the people who live in Ephraim and in the city of Samaria know about it. But they are proud and they boast,
• James 4:13Some of you say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city. We will stay there for a year. We will buy and sell things, and we will become rich.’ If you say things like that, listen to me.
• Job 9:4God is very wise and he is very powerful. It is impossible to argue against him and win.
• Job 12:14If God destroys something, nobody can repair it. If God puts someone in prison, that person cannot escape.
• Job 34:29But if God decides to do nothing, no one can say that he is wrong. If he hides himself, no one can see him. But he still rules over people and over nations.
• Psalms 127:1The Lord must build your house. If not, the work of the builders is useless. The Lord must keep the city safe. If not, the city guards are useless.
• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no knowledge and no advice that can win against the Lord.
• Isaiah 10:4You will have to join the people who are in prison. Or you will die with those that the enemy kills in war. But the Lord is still angry. His hand is ready to hit his people again.
• Lamentations 3:37The Lord causes things to happen. Nobody can cause things to happen without him.
• Matthew 12:30If someone does not agree to help me, he is working against me. You should work with me to bring people to me for help. If you do not do that, you are really making people run away from me.
• Jeremiah 31:17‘Yes, you will have descendants in the future. Your children will return to their own land.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Ezekiel 11:10Enemy soldiers will use their swords to kill you. I will punish you in your own country. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
• Amos 6:2Go and look at Calneh city. And go and look at Hamath city. Then go and look at Gath city, where the Philistines live. Are your cities stronger than their cities? Do you have more land than they do?
• Malachi 1:3But I have not loved Esau and his descendants. Instead, I have caused trouble for Esau. I caused Esau's mountains to become a wilderness. Nobody uses that land any longer. Now there are only jackals in the land that belongs to Esau.’
• Psalms 137:7Lord, remember to punish the people of Edom. They were happy when Babylon's army won against Jerusalem. On that day the Edomites said, ‘Knock down the city so that nothing still stands!’
• Isaiah 11:14But they will join together to attack the Philistines in the west. They will also attack the nations to the east of Israel. They will take their valuable things for themselves. They will win against the people of Edom and Moab. They will rule over the Ammonites.

Commentaries on Malachi 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They shall build, but I will throw down - We have already seen enough of the wickedness of the Edomites to justify the utmost severity of Divine justice against them. The pulling down predicted here was by Judas Maccabeus; see 1 Maccabees 5:65; and by John Hyrcanus; see Joseph Antiq., lib. 13 c. 9. s. 1. They shall call them, The border of wickedness - A wicked land. Among this people scarcely any trace of good could ever be noted.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Whereas Edom saith - oWe are impoverished - oידשׁשׁ .), or, more probably, “we were crushed.” Either gives an adequate sense. Human self-confidence will admit anything, as to the past; nay, will even exaggerate past evil to itself, “Crush us how they may, we will arise and repair our losses.” So Ephraim said of old Isaiah 9:9-10, “in the pride and stoutness of heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn-stones: the sycamores are cut…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4the LORD of Hosts (Hebrew Yahweh tseba’oth): This name for God is important in Old Testament prophetic writings. Hosts are the angelic forces under God's command. This phrase emphasizes God's power, which cannot be defeated. the Land of Wickedness: Esau was selfish and showed disrespect for the Lord’s covenant symbols (see Genesis 25:34). The nation of Edom came to represent the pride of a self-centered life (see Jeremiah 49:16). The Edomites also allied…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Whereas--"But if" Edom say [Maurer]. Edom may strive as she may to recover herself, but it shall be in vain, for I doom her to perpetual desolation, whereas I restore Israel. This Jehovah states, to illustrate His gratuitous love to Israel, rather than to Edom. border of wickedness--a region given over to the curse of reprobation [Calvin]. For a time Judea seemed as desolate as Idumea; but though the latter was once the highway of Eastern commerce, now…Read the comment

Topics related to Malachi 1:4

• Edomites

In the dictionaries

• Edom
• Edom; Edomites
• Edom, Edomite, Idumea
• Lord of Hosts
• Malachi, Prophecies of
• Malachi
• Nabataeans; Nabathaeans
• Obadiah, Book of

Commentaries on Malachi 1

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings