Malachi 3:11

11 I will rebuke the devourer for you; it will not destroy the fruit of your soil; your vine in the field will not be unfruitful," says Yahweh of hosts.

Malachi 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 3:11

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes
Or "eater" ^F13; the locust or caterpillar, or any such devouring creature, that eats up the herbage, corn, and fruits of trees; every such creature is under the restraint of Providence; and by a nod, a rebuke, they are easily prevented doing the mischief they otherwise would; these are the Lord's great army, which he can send and call off as he pleases, ( Joel 1:4 ) ( 2:25 ) :

and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;
as he has done, by eating all green things, as the locust, caterpillar, and canker worm do, grass, corn, and trees:

neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the
field;
which some understand of the devourer or locust, that that should not cause the vine to be abortive, or cast its fruit before its time, or bereave it of it; but it seems best to interpret it of the vine itself not casting its fruit, as an untimely birth, by blighting and blasting winds:

saith the Lord of hosts;
who holds the winds in his fists, and will not suffer them when he pleases, any more than the locusts, to hurt the trees of the earth, ( Revelation 7:1 Revelation 7:3 ) ( 9:4 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (lkab) "comedentem", Drusius, Cocceius; "eum qui comedit", Burkius.

Malachi 3:11 In-Context

9 You [are] being cursed with [a] curse, for you [are] robbing me, the whole nation [of you]!

10 Bring the whole tithe to {the storehouse}, so that there will be food in my house, and test me please in this," says Yahweh of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour forth for you {an overflowing blessing}.

11 I will rebuke the devourer for you; it will not destroy the fruit of your soil; your vine in the field will not be unfruitful," says Yahweh of hosts.

12 "And all the nations will call you blessed, because you will be {a land in which one takes joy}," says Yahweh of hosts.

13 "Your words have been harsh against me," says Yahweh. "But you say, 'How have we spoken together against you?'

Footnotes

• [a] NRSV, JPS interpret this word as "locust"