Malachi 3:13

13. Your words Who are the persons addressed is made clear in Malachi 3:14-15, a class of people whose faith was shaken. The prophet may have in mind the same persons whose skepticism is met in Malachi 3:1-12.

Stout Literally, are strong. Compare the colloquial “to be hard on a person.” Their words contain a serious accusation, which casts reflections on the character of Jehovah. Again the prophet places the general accusation at the head, to be expanded in the succeeding verses, and again he makes a question raised in self-defense his starting point (see on Malachi 1:2).

What have we spoken so much So much should be omitted; literally, what have we conversed, that is, spoken to one another, against Jehovah. It would seem that the complaint was a subject of conversation.

In Malachi 3:14-15 the prophet answers the question by reminding them of the contents of their conversations.

Serve God… have kept his ordinance… have walked mournfully The first is a general statement that they recognized Jehovah as their Lord and Master, the second affirms ready obedience to his will (Zechariah 3:7), the third refers to acts of penitence and mourning over shortcomings and sins (Joel 2:12). They claim that, so far as they know, they have done all that the law requires. But, they argue, if they have done this they are entitled to the divine blessings. This belief found support in the law (Deuteronomy 28:1-14), and it was the popular idea that a righteous and just God must reward the faithful service with prosperity and punish faithlessness with adversity (see on Amos 4:6-11). When these contemporaries of Malachi found that their expectations were not realized, they were seriously perplexed. So far as they could judge, no special benefits came to those who served Jehovah; on the contrary, pious persons were deeply afflicted, while the wicked lived in ease and prosperity.

And now Introduces the statement of a present fact and experience.

We call the proud happy The proud are not the heathen, but the arrogant persons within the Jewish community, who have no regard for God and who think that they can get along without him and religion, the very opposite of the humble, God-fearing persons mentioned in Malachi 3:16 (compare Psalms 19:13-14). These arrogant persons, who, according to the law (Deuteronomy 27:15-26; Deuteronomy 28:15 ff.), should have been smitten with the curse of God, were enjoying the greatest prosperity and every one considered them perfectly happy and contented (compare Psalms 37:0).

Are set up R.V., “built up.” Instead of being destroyed they are built up like a magnificent structure; they flourish in all their undertakings. All this was contrary to the passages quoted from Deuteronomy, as well as to such prophetic utterances as Jeremiah 12:16-17.

Tempt God The same verb is translated in Malachi 3:10 “prove”; here the thought is that they challenge Jehovah through their wickedness (Isaiah 5:18-19). Persons who do these things surely deserve to be destroyed, but instead, when they do get into difficulties, Jehovah graciously interferes and delivers them. With these experiences in everyday life contradicting the teaching of the past, is it any wonder that the people were perplexed, that grave doubts came into the minds of some? Had they “ gone to the sanctuary of God” (Psalms 73:17) they might have found relief.

Not the entire community was carried away by these doubts; there were those who possessed a stronger faith, who passed through the same perplexities, but believed that Jehovah was still in the heavens, and that somehow at some time he would reward the faithful and punish the faithless. To these patient saints the prophet turns in Malachi 3:16.

Then When the skeptically inclined had given expression to their misgivings (Malachi 3:14-15).

They that feared Jehovah The God-fearing persons (see on Malachi 2:5) are the truly pious, whose faith in Jehovah is not easily shaken.

Spake often one to another The evidences of skepticism on every hand caused the faithful to join forces and come together frequently for the purpose of strengthening one another’s faith and counteracting the spread of skepticism. What they “spake” is not stated; it is clearly implied, however, that they spoke words of counsel, encouragement, and exhortation, to wait patiently until Jehovah in his own good time would manifest his righteousness. It is not possible to identify the God-fearing persons of Malachi 3:16 with the persons who gave expression to their doubts in the language of Malachi 3:14-15; two distinct classes are meant. If so, the LXX. reading this or thus in the place of then cannot be considered an improvement over the present Hebrew text; and if it were original, this could not refer backward to Malachi 3:14-15, but must point forward to the conversations of the pious, which are not stated. It seems best to retain the present Hebrew text.

Hearkened,… heard God paid attention to these conversations, and they were so pleasing to him that he determined to make a record of them and of the names of those who continued to fear him.

A book of remembrance Certainly this is to be understood figuratively; the thought is that Jehovah will remember the conduct of these pious souls until the day of reckoning, when their patience and fidelity will receive suitable reward. The figure may have been suggested by the “book of chronicles” of the Persian court (Esther 2:23; Esther 6:1; Esther 10:2), in which seem to have been recorded the names and deeds of those who merited the royal favor (compare Isaiah 4:3; Daniel 12:1).

For them For the benefit of them.

Thought upon his name Better, highly esteemed (Isaiah 13:17) or honored. For name see on Malachi 1:6, and references there.

17a is rendered more literally in R.V., “And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make”; margin, “do this”; literally, And they shall be to me, saith Jehovah of hosts, for the day on which I do, a possession. In the day (R.V.) Literally, “for the day.” The names of the pious will be preserved (Malachi 3:16) for the day of reckoning, so that on that day they may be singled out to receive their reward. Make (R.V.) Or, do; better, act, that is, in judgment. His inactivity of which the skeptics complain will then cease. A possession (R.V.) He will acknowledge them as his own, and this acknowledgment will assure them the divine favor and protection (compare Exodus 19:5), in the day of reckoning, and will result in their salvation and glorification.

I will spare them From all suffering and harm, just as a loving father protects his son who has rendered loving and obedient service to him.