Malachi 3:11-18

11 And I shall blame for you that that devoureth, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your land; neither barren vine shall be in the field, saith the Lord of hosts, (And I shall rebuke the devourers, or I shall forbid the pests, for your sakes, and they shall not destroy the fruit of your land; nor shall there be any barren vines in your fields, saith the Lord of hosts,)

12 and all folks shall say you blessed; for ye shall be a desirable land, saith the Lord of hosts. (and all the nations shall say that you be blessed; for ye shall have a very desirable land/for yours shall be a very desirable land, saith the Lord of hosts.)

13 Your words waxed strong on me, saith the Lord; and ye said, What have we spoken against thee? (Your words have grown strong against me, saith the Lord; and ye said, What have we said against thee?)

14 And ye said, He is vain, that serveth God; and what winning for we kept his behests, and for we went sorrowful before the Lord of hosts? (Ye have said, It is empty and futile to serve God; and what profit, or what benefit, is there for us, though we have kept his commands, and we have gone sorrowfully before the Lord of hosts, because of our shortcomings?)

15 Therefore now we say proud men [be] blessed; for they be builded doing wickedness, and they tempted God, and be made safe. (And so now we say that proud people be blessed; for they be built up, or become prosperous, doing wickedness, and they tempted God, and came to no harm.)

16 Then men dreading God spake, each with his neighbour; and the Lord perceived, and heard, and a book of mind is written before him, to them that dreaded God, and thought on his name. (Then those who feared God spoke, each with his neighbour; and the Lord perceived, and heard, and a Book of Remembrance was written before him, listing those who feared God, and who kept his name in their thoughts./Then those who revered God spoke, one to another; and the Lord perceived, and heard, and a Book of Remembrance was written before him, listing those who revered God, and who kept his name in their thoughts. )

17 And they shall be to me, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day in which I shall make, into a special treasure; and I shall spare them, as a man spareth his son serving to him. (And on that day that I shall make/And on that day when I shall act, saith the Lord of hosts, they shall be my special treasure; and I shall spare them, like a man spareth his son who serveth him.)

18 And ye shall be turned again, and ye shall see, what is betwixt the just man and the unpious, betwixt the (one) serving to the Lord, and (the one) not serving to him. (And ye shall turn, and ye shall see, what shall happen to the righteous, and to the unrighteous, yea, to those who serve the Lord, and to those who do not serve him.)

Malachi 3:11-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO MALACHI 3

This chapter begins with a prophecy of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ; and of the coming of Christ, and the effects and consequences of it, with respect both to the righteous and the wicked; and it contains accusations and charges of sin against the Jews, intermixed with exhortations to repentance. John the Baptist is promised to be sent, and is described by his office as a messenger, and by his work, to prepare the way of the Lord; and the Messiah is prophesied of, who is described by his characters; with respect to himself, the Lord and Messenger of the covenant; with respect to the truly godly among the Jews, as the object of their desire and delight; whose coming is spoken of as a certain thing, and which would be sudden; and the place is mentioned he should come into, Mal 3:1 and this his coming is represented as terrible to the wicked, and as trying and purifying to the righteous, expressed by the various similes of a refiner's fire, and fuller's soap; and the end answered by it, their offering a righteous offering to the Lord, Mal 3:2-4 but with respect to the wicked, he declares he should be a swift witness against them, whose characters are particularly given, and this assured from his immutability; the consequence of which to the saints is good, being their security from destruction, Mal 3:5,6 and next a charge is commenced against the wicked Jews, as that in general they had for a long time revolted from the Lord, and were guilty of sins of omission and commission, and are therefore exhorted to return to the Lord, with a promise that he will return to them, and yet they refuse, Mal 3:7 and, in particular, that they were guilty of sacrilege, and so accounted, even the whole nation, in withholding tithes and sacrifices, which they are exhorted to bring in; to which they are encouraged with promises of blessings of prosperity and protection, Mal 3:8-12 and that they had spoken impudent and blasphemous words against the Lord; which, though excepted to, is proved by producing their own words, Mal 3:13-15 and by the contrary behaviour of those that feared the Lord, who were taken notice of by him, and were dear unto him, Mal 3:16,17 wherefore it is suggested, that the time would come when there would be a manifest difference made between the one and the other, Mal 3:18.