God’s Word Translation
Malachi 3:17
17“They will be mine,” says the Lord of Armies. “On that day I will make them my special possession. I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Malachi 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
- New International Version (NIV)“On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
Context of Malachi 3:17
15So now we call arrogant people blessed. Not only are evildoers encouraged, they even test God and get away with it.’ ” 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord paid attention and listened. A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared the Lord and respected his name. “They will be mine,” says the Lord of Armies. “On that day I will make them my special possession. I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18Then you will again see the difference between righteous people and wicked people, between the one who serves God and the one who doesn’t serve him.
Read all of Malachi 3Malachi 3:17 word by word
וְהָ֣יוּ לִ֗י אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת לַיּ֕וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה סְגֻלָּ֑ה וְחָמַלְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יַחְמֹ֣ל אִ֔ישׁ עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ הָעֹבֵ֥ד אֹתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they shall be mine, saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- in that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- when I make upעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- my jewelsסְגֻלָּהsegûllâh · possessionH5459
- and I will spareחָמַלchâmal · to spareH2550
- them, as a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- his own sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- that servethעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647
Cross-references for Malachi 3:17
- Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
- Jeremiah 32:38They will be my people, and I will be their God.
- Ezekiel 16:8“ ‘I went by you again and looked at you. You were old enough to make love to. So I spread my robe over you, and covered your naked body. I promised to love you, and I exchanged marriage vows with you. You became mine, declares the Almighty Lord.
- Ezekiel 36:27I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my laws, and you will obey my rules.
- Zechariah 13:9I will bring this third ⌞of the people⌟ through the fire. I will refine them as silver is refined. I will test them as gold is tested. They will call on me, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people.’ They will reply, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
- John 10:27My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me,
- John 17:9“I pray for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.
- 1 Corinthians 3:22Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you.
- 1 Corinthians 6:20You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body.
- 1 Corinthians 15:23This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him ⌞will be made alive⌟.
- Galatians 5:24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, ⌞coming⌟ from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire.
- Revelation 20:12I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books.
- Exodus 19:5If you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine.
- Deuteronomy 7:6You are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. He chose you to be his own special possession out of all the nations on earth.
- Deuteronomy 14:2You are people who are holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the people who live on earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his own special possession.
Commentaries on Malachi 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17They shall be mine - I will acknowledge them as my subjects and followers; in the day, especially, when I come to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. When I make up my jewels - סגלה segullah, my peculium, my proper treasure; that which is a man's own, and most prized by him. Not jewels; for in no part of the Bible does the word mean a gem or precious stone of any kind. The interpretations frequently given of the word in this verse, comparing…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels - othe recurrence of the words, עשה אני אשר יום, Malachi 4:3 in English), and the סגלה לי והייתם Deuteronomy 7:6, there is the equivalent לעם לו להיות סגלה, and the like, Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalm 135:4.) or perhaps better, “And they shall be to Me, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day which I make (or, in which I do this) a special treasure.” “In the day of judgment…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. 17treasured possession: Israel held a special place as God’s people. They belonged to him as his own possession.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 3:17
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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