Malachi 3:14

Malachi 3:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
• New International Version (NIV)“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?
• English Standard Version (ESV)You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
• New King James Version (NKJV)You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

Context of Malachi 3:14

12“All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of armies. 13“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies? 15So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also put God to the test and escape punishment.’” 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name.

Malachi 3:14 word by word

אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ וְכִ֤י הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית מִפְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear

• You have saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• pointlessשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
• to serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• benefitבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
• that we have doneשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• whatמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
• and that we have walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
• in mourningקְדֹרַנִּיתqedôrannîyth · mournfullyH6941
• beforeמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• of armiesצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635

Cross-references for Malachi 3:14

• Job 21:14Yet they say to God, ‘Go away from us! We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
• Job 22:17They said to God, ‘Go away from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’
• Job 34:9For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.’
• Job 35:3For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You? What benefit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
• Psalms 73:8They mock and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And oppress all your workers.
• Zephaniah 1:12And it will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the people Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good nor harm!’
• Joel 2:12“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning;
• Zechariah 7:3speaking to the priests who belong to the house of the Lord of armies, and to the prophets, saying, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and fast, as I have done these many years?”
• James 4:9Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom.

Commentaries on Malachi 3:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God - They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was vanity; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be nothing the better; and if they abstained, they should be nothing the worse. This was their teaching to the people. Walked mournfully - Even repentance they have declared to be useless. This was a high pitch of ungodliness; but see what follows; behold the general conclusions of these…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve the God - o“as receiving no gain or reward for their service. This is the judgment of the world, whereby worldlings think pious, just, sincere, strict men, vain, i. e., especially when they see them impoverished, despised, oppressed, afflicted, because they know not the true goods of virtue and eternal glory, but measure all things by sight, sense and taste. Truly, if the righteous had not hope of another and better life…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. 14What have we gained: People believed that doing good deeds would lead to material blessings (Deuteronomy 28). walking mournfully: People thought that showing sadness or wearing funeral clothes showed true repentance, as if these actions were righteous by themselves (see Matthew 6:1–18).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 3:14

• Blasphemy
• Condescension of God
• Hypocrisy
• Infidelity
• Malachi
• Murmuring
• Skepticism
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Lord of Hosts
• Change
• Mournfully
• Prove
• Rob
• Joel (2)
• Malachi
• Ordinance

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