Malachi 3:1

Malachi 3:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
• New International Version (NIV)“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Context of Malachi 3:1

“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says the Lord of Armies. 2But who will be able to endure the day he comes? Who will be able to survive on the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing soap. 3He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify Levi’s sons and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will bring acceptable offerings to the Lord.

Malachi 3:1 word by word

הִנְנִ֤י שֹׁלֵחַ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔י וּפִנָּה־דֶ֖רֶךְ לְפָנָ֑י וּפִתְאֹם֩ יָב֨וֹא אֶל־הֵיכָל֜וֹ הָאָד֣וֹן׀ אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֗ים וּמַלְאַ֨ךְ הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֤ם חֲפֵצִים֙ הִנֵּה־בָ֔א אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, I will sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• my messengerמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• and he shall prepareפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• me: and the Lordאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• whom ye seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• shall suddenlyפִּתְאֹםpith'ôm pith'ôm · suddenlyH6597
• comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to his templeהֵיכָלhêykâl · templeH1964
• of the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• whom ye delightחָפֵץchâphêts · delightingH2655
• saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 3:1

• Malachi 2:7“A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.
• Malachi 4:5“I’m going to send you the prophet Elijah before that very terrifying day of the Lord comes.
• Matthew 11:10John is the one about whom Scripture says, ‘I’m sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare the way in front of you.’
• Mark 1:2The prophet Isaiah wrote, “I am sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare the way for you.”
• Luke 1:76“You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way.
• Luke 7:26Really, what did you go to see? A prophet? Let me tell you that he is far more than a prophet.
• John 1:6God sent a man named John to be his messenger.
• Isaiah 40:3A voice cries out in the desert: “Clear a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God.
• Matthew 3:1Later, John the Baptizer appeared in the desert of Judea. His message was,
• Matthew 17:10So the disciples asked him, “Why do the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”
• Luke 1:16He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God.
• Luke 3:3John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. He told people about a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
• John 1:15(John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ ”)
• John 3:28You are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’
• Acts 13:24Before Jesus began his ministry, John ⌞the Baptizer⌟ told everyone in Israel about the baptism of repentance.
• Acts 19:4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”

Commentaries on Malachi 3:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Behold, I will send my messenger - מלאכי Malachi, the very name of the prophet. But this speaks of John the Baptist. I, the Messiah, the Seed of God, mentioned above, will send my messenger, John the Baptist. He shall prepare the way - Be as a pioneer before me; a corrector of civil abuses, and a preacher of righteousness. And the Lord, whom ye seek - The Messiah, whom ye expect, from the account given by the prophet Daniel, in his seventy weeks, Daniel…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1God answers their complaints of the absence of His judgments, that they would come, but would include those also who clamored for them. For no one who knew his own sinfulness would call for the judgment of God, as being himself, chief of sinners. Augustine pictures one saying to God, “Take away the ungodly man,” and that God answers, “Which?” Behold, I send My messenger before My face, and he shall prepare My way before Me - they, then, were not prepared…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Chapter Outline The coming of Christ. (1-6) The Jews reproved for their corruptions. (7-12) God's care of his people; The distinction between the righteous and the wicked. (13-18) Verses 1-6 The first words of this chapter seem an answer to the scoffers of those days. Here is a prophecy of the appearing of John the Baptist. He is Christ's harbinger. He shall prepare the way before him, by calling men to repentance. The Messiah had been long called, "He…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1My messenger (Hebrew mal’aki): This is a play on Malachi’s name. The messenger could be an angel or a human acting as a divine courier. Jesus identified John the Baptist by referring to this passage (see Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27). Malachi’s audience likely saw the messenger of the covenant as a divine being (compare Exodus 23:20–23). The Christian church views Jesus Christ as the messenger of the new covenant.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-181. Behold--Calling especial attention to the momentous truths which follow. Ye unbelievingly ask, Where is the God of judgment (Mal 2:7)? "Behold," therefore, "I send," &c. Your unbelief will not prevent My keeping My covenant, and bringing to pass in due time that which ye say will never be fulfilled. I will send ... he shall come--The Father sends the Son: the Son comes. Proving the distinctness of personality between the Father and the Son. my…Read the comment

Topics related to Malachi 3:1

• Church
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Malachi
• Messenger
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Lord of Hosts
• Change
• Christ
• John the Baptist
• Malachi
• Mournfully
• Prove
• Rob
• Angel
• Angels of the Seven Churches

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