English Standard Version
Malachi 3:5
5"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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Context of Malachi 3:5
3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. "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. 6"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, 'How 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will come nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- to you to judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and I will be a swiftמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
- witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
- against the sorcerersכָּשַׁףkâshaph · to practice sorceryH3784
- and against the adulterersנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- and against falseשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
- swearersשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- and against those that oppressעָשַׁק‛âshaq · to oppressH6231
- the hirelingשָׂכִירώâkîyr · hiredH7916
- wagesשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
- the widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
- and the fatherlessיָתוֹםyâthôm · orphanH3490
- and that turn asideנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- the strangerגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- and fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- not me, saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 3:5
- Malachi 2:17You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "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?"
- Psalms 50:3Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
- Psalms 96:13before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
- Psalms 98:9before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
- Ezekiel 34:20"Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
- Hebrews 10:30For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people."
- James 5:8You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
- Jude 1:14It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones,
- Malachi 2:14But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
- Psalms 50:7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
- Psalms 81:8Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
- Jeremiah 29:23because they have done an outrageous thing in Israel, they have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the Lord.'"
- Micah 1:2Hear, you peoples, all of you; pay attention, O earth, and all that is in it, and let the Lord God be a witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
- Leviticus 20:6"If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
- Deuteronomy 5:11"'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
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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