Revised Literal Translation
Malachi 3:14
14Ye 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 Yhwh of Armies?12
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
12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Yhwh of Armies. 13Your words have been stout against me, saith Yhwh. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 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 Yhwh of Armies? 15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16Then they that feared Yhwh spake often one to another: And Yhwh hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Yhwh, and that thought upon 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
- 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
- Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of Armiesצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 3:14
- Job 21:14Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
- Job 22:17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
- Job 34:9For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
- Job 35:3For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
- Psalms 73:8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
- Isaiah 58:3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
- Zephaniah 1:12And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, Yhwh will not do good, neither will he do evil.
- Joel 2:12Therefore also now, saith Yhwh, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
- Zechariah 7:3And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of Yhwh of Armies, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years?
- James 4:9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
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
Notes
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries