New English Translation
Malachi 3:14
14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all?
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 nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in a delightful land,” says the Lord who rules over all. 13“You have criticized me sharply,” says the Lord, “but you ask, ‘How have we criticized you?’ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all? 15So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!’” 16Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name.
Read all of Malachi 3Malachi 3:14 word by word
אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ וְכִ֤י הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית מִפְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ye have saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- vainשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
- to serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- and what profitבֶּ֫צַעbetsa‛ · unjust-gainH1215
- that we have keptשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- his ordinanceמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
- and that we have walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
- mournfullyקְדֹרַנִּיתqedôrannîyth · mournfullyH6941
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 3:14
- Job 21:14So they say to God, ‘Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways.
- Job 22:17They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’
- Job 34:9For he says, ‘It does not profit a man when he makes his delight with God.’
- Job 35:3But you say, ‘What will it profit you,’ and, ‘What do I gain by not sinning?’
- Psalms 73:8They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence.
- Isaiah 58:3They lament, ‘Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?’ Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.
- Zephaniah 1:12At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, those who think to themselves, ‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’
- Joel 2:12“Yet even now,” the Lord says, “return to me with all your heart – with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!”
- Zechariah 7:3by asking both the priests of the temple of the Lord who rules over all and the prophets, “Should we weep in the fifth month, fasting as we have done over the years?”
- James 4:9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair.
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
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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