Malachi 3:5
What does Malachi 3:5 mean?
A plain-English look at Malachi 3:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Malachi 3:5 means
Alongside the promise of purification, this verse declares God's imminent judgment on unrepentant sin. The Lord states He will "come near to you to judgment" and act as a "swift witness" against a list of specific transgressions. These include sorcery, adultery, false swearing, and various forms of social injustice—oppression of hirelings, widows, fatherless, and sojourners. The underlying sin unifying these acts is a fundamental lack of the fear of God. This indicates that God's coming entails not only refining His people but also holding the wicked accountable for their actions, which violated both moral and covenantal laws.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And I will come near to you for judging; I will quickly be a witness against the wonder-workers, against those who have been untrue in married life, against those who take false oaths; against those who keep back from the servant his payment, and who are hard on the widow and the child without a father, who do not give his rights to the man from a strange country, and have no fear of me, says the Lord of armies.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And I have drawn near to you for judgment, And I have been a witness, Making haste against sorcerers, And against adulterers, And against swearers to a falsehood, And against oppressors of the hire of an hireling, Of a widow, and of a fatherless one, And those turning aside a sojourner, And who fear Me not, said Jehovah of Hosts.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And I will come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widows, and the fatherless: and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hired servant in [his] wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
Context
This verse presents a sharp turn from the promised purification of the priesthood and restoration of worship (verses 3-4). It shifts from the internal cleansing of the religious leaders to an external judgment against a broad range of societal sins. This warning establishes the seriousness of God's coming, demonstrating that His intervention will address both spiritual corruption within the temple and moral decay throughout the land, leading into the declaration of God's unchanging nature in verse 6.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Deuteronomy 27:19
Cursed be he that wresteth the justice due to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- Nehemiah 5:15
But the former governors that were before me were chargeable unto the people, and took of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
- Genesis 42:18
And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:
- Jeremiah 22:13
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbor’s service without wages, and giveth him not his hire;
- Revelation 21:8
But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6
that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
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