Malachi 3:12

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.)

Malachi 3:12 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 3:12

And all nations shall call you blessed
When they shall see the land freed from the devouring locust, and other hurtful creatures; the former and the latter rains given in their season, and the earth yielding a large increase:

for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts;
or a desirable F14 one; not only pleasant to themselves, being fruitful, but wished for by others, by their neighbouring nations, who, seeing their prosperity, could not but desire to dwell with them; or delightsome to the Lord of hosts: thus Jarchi interprets it, the land that I delight in; and so Aben Ezra; to which agrees the Targum,

``and all nations shall praise you, because you dwell in the land of the house of my Shechinah or majesty, and do my will in it;''

and the Syriac version renders it, "the land of my delight": see ( Isaiah 62:4 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (Upx Ura) "terra desiderabilis", V. L. Pagninus, Drusius; "terra beneplaciti", Montanus, Vatablus, Burkius; "oblectationis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Malachi 3:12 In-Context

10 Bring ye each tithe into my barn, that meat be in mine house, and prove ye me on this thing, saith the Lord, if I shall not open to you the gutters of heaven, and shall shed out to you blessing, till to abundance. (Bring ye each tithe into my barn, so that there be food in my House, and prove ye me on this thing, saith the Lord; see if I shall not open the windows of heaven for you, and pour out blessings upon you, yea, in abundance.)
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?)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.