Malachi 3:15

Malachi 3:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
• New International Version (NIV)But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ”

Context of Malachi 3:15

13“You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’ 14“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’” 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. 17“They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.

Malachi 3:15 word by word

וְעַתָּ֕ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים זֵדִ֑ים גַּם־נִבְנוּ֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י רִשְׁעָ֔ה גַּ֧ם בָּחֲנ֛וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And now we callאָשַׁר'âshar 'âshêr · to blessH833
• the proudזֵדzêd · arrogantH2086
• yea, they that workעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: [do]H6213
• wickednessרִשְׁעָהrish‛âh · wickednessH7564
• are set upבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• temptבָּחַןbâchan · to testH974
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• are even deliveredמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422

Cross-references for Malachi 3:15

• Malachi 4:1The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all.
• Esther 5:10However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,
• Psalms 10:3For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
• Psalms 49:18In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
• Psalms 73:12Look at these wicked people— enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
• Daniel 4:30As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’
• Daniel 5:20But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
• Acts 12:21and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.
• 1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
• Malachi 2:17You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the Lord’s sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
• Job 12:6But robbers are left in peace, and those who provoke God live in safety— though God keeps them in his power.
• Job 21:7“Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?
• Proverbs 12:12Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot, but the godly are well rooted and bear their own fruit.
• Ecclesiastes 9:1This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor.
• Jeremiah 12:1Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?
• Habakkuk 1:13But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery? Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?

Commentaries on Malachi 3:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And now we call the proud happy - Proud and insolent men are the only happy people, for they domineer everywhere, and none dares to resist them. They that work wickedness are set up - The humble and holy are depressed and miserable; the proud and wicked are in places of trust and profit. Too often it is so. They that tempt God are even delivered - Even those who despise God, and insult his justice and providence, are preserved in and from dangers; while…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And now we call the proud happy (blessed) - This being so, they sum up the case against God. God had declared that all nations should “call them blessed” Malachi 3:12. if they would obey. They answer, using His words; And “now we (they lay stress on the word we,) pronounce blessed,” in fact, those whom God had pronounced cursed: Psalm 119:21. “Thou hast rebuked the proud, who are cursed.” Their characteristic, among other bad men, is of insolence Proverbs…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. 15Calling the arrogant blessed went against God’s justice, because it treated pride and wrongdoing as good (see Malachi 3:13).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 3:15

• Condescension of God
• Malachi
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Change
• Mournfully
• Prove
• Rob
• Malachi
• Set
• Vulgate

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