Malachi Word Study - Chapter 3

Iyer@brahminbeliever.com | | Updated on Tue 11 December 2018

The version used is KJV

Themes

  • Judgement for the wicked and righteous in book of remembrance
  • Be purified -> show your offering -> be judged -> righteous be spared and blessed

Titles of God

  • Lord (Adon)
  • LORD of Hosts (YHWH tsavat)
  • God (Elohim)
  • LORD (YHWH)

Audience

  • Sons of Levi/Priests [3:3]
  • Nation of Israel [3:9]

Figures of speech

  • Simile: He is like a refiners fire and like a fullers soap [3:2]
  • Personification: Sons of Levi as gold and silver [3:3]
  • Metaphor: remanant of Israel is a treasured posession or jewel [3:17]
  • Metaphor: Book of Rememberance for salvation [3:16]

Key and Repeating words (key)

  • against 6 [3:13, 3:13, 3:5, 3:5, 3:5, 3:5]
  • silver 2 [3:3, 3:3]
  • return 4 [3:18, 3:7x3] {technically turn aside as well}
  • rob 4 [3:9, 3:8x3]
  • offerings 2 [3:3, 3:8]
  • tithes 2 ['3:10', '3:8']
  • feared 2 [3:16, 3:16]
  • refiner/refine and purifier/purify [3:3]
  • book of remembrance [3:16]
  • serveth 3 [3:17, 3:18, 3:18]
  • happy/blessed/blessing 3 [3:10, 3:12, 3:15]

  • days of old and as in ancient years 1 [3:4]

  • whole 2 [3:10, 3:9]

  • own 2 [3:17, 3:17]

  • call 2 [3:12, 3:15]

  • saith 8 [3:11, 3:10, 3:13, 3:12, 3:17, 3:1, 3:5, 3:7]

  • like 2 [3:2, 3:2]
  • aside 2 [3:5, 3:7]
  • yea 2 [3:15, 3:15]
  • ye 14 [3:14, 3:9,3:10, 3:13, 3:12, 3:18, 3:1, 3:1, 3:7, 3:7, 3:6, 3:9, 3:8, 3:8]

  • not 8 [3:11, 3:10, 3:10, 3:18, 3:5, 3:7, 3:6, 3:6]

  • before 4 [3:11, 3:14, 3:16, 3:1]

  • them 4 [3:17, 3:16, 3:3, 3:7]
  • sons 2 [3:3, 3:6]

  • they 5 [3:15, 3:15, 3:17, 3:16, 3:3]

  • now 2 [3:10, 3:15]

  • day 2 [3:17, 3:2]

  • messenger 2 [3:1, 3:1]

  • unto 4 [3:3, 3:4, 3:7, 3:7]

  • hosts 7 [3:11, 3:10, 3:12, 3:17, 3:1, 3:5, 3:7]

  • I 9 [3:11, 3:10, 3:17, 3:17, 3:1, 3:5, 3:5, 3:7, 3:6]

  • God 3 [3:15, 3:14, 3:18]
  • LORD 15 [3:11, 3:10, 3:13, 3:12, 3:14, 3:17, 3:16, 3:16, 3:16, 3:1, 3:3, 3:5, 3:4, 3:7, 3:6]

Questions

  • [3:1] is Lord (Adon) talking of the first coming of Christ or second coming or both
  • [3:4] how old and former are the years - of Joshua or Moses or Abhraham/Jacob or Enoch/Noach
  • [3:8] is the titething tied to supporting of list in [3:5]; how can man rob God, why does God need our creation as offering
  • [3:14] are we doing this today and should we be worried? is this equivalent to blaspheming of Holy Spirit, as we give the wrong attributes to God

Contrasts

  • curse [3:9] vs blessing [3:10]
  • serve vs donot serve and righteous vs wicked [3:18]
  • turn aside vs return to me [3:7]

Lists

  • [3:3] gold, siler
  • [3:5] sorcerers, adulterers,....
  • [3:8] tithes, contributions

Verb, Pronoun, Conjunction, Adjective

format is verse followed by verb/pronoun/conjunction/adjective

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to this temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

v pn conj adj
send
prepare
seek
come
delight
come
saith
 I
my
he
me
ye
ye
he
 and
before
and
of
in
of

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

v pn conj adj
abide
coming
stand
appeareth
is
 his
he
he
 But
of
and
for
like
and
like

3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifer of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

v pn conj adj
sit
purify
purge
offer
 he
he
them
they
 And
as
and
of
and
of
and
as
and
that
unto
in

4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

v pn conj adj
be
of
and
unto
as
in
of
and
as
in
 pleasant
old
former

5 And 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.

v pn conj adj
come
judgment
be
oppress
saith
 I
you
I
his
his
me
 And
near
and
against
and
against
and
against
and
against
in
and
and
that
from
and
of
 swift
false

6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

v pn conj adj
am
change
are
consumed
 I
I
 For
of

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

v pn conj adj
are
gone
have
kept
Return
return
saith
said
return
 your
them
me
I
you
we
 from
of
from
and
unto
and
unto
of
But
 mine

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

v pn conj adj
have
robbed
say
have
robbed
 ye
me
we
 Yet
But
In
and

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

v pn conj adj
are
cursed
have
robbed
 me
 with
for
 whole

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

v pn conj adj
be
prove
herewith
saith
open
pour
be
receive
 ye
me
I
you
you
it
 into
that
in
and
of
if
of
and
that
 enough

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

v pn conj adj
rebuke
destroy
cast
saith
 I
your
he
your
your
her
 And
for
and
of
neither
before
in
of

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

v pn conj adj
call
blessed
be
saith
 you
 And
for
of
 delightsome

13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

v pn conj adj
have
been
stout
saith
have
spoken
 Your
me
we
 against
Yet
against
 much

14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

v pn conj adj
have
said
is
serve
is
have
kept
have
walked
 It
it
we
his
we
 and
that
and
that
before
of
 vain

15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

v pn conj adj
call
are
set
are
delivered
 we
they
they
 And
yea
that
 happy

16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

v pn conj adj
feared
hearkened
heard
was
written
feared
thought
 they
it
him
them
his
 and
and
and
of
before
for
and
that
upon

17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

v pn conj adj
be
saith
make
spare
spareth
serveth
 they
I
my
I
them
his
him
 And
of
in
and
as
 mine
own

18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

v pn conj adj
ye
serveth
 him
him
him
 and
between
and
between
that
and
 righteous
wicked

Cause and effect / implications

  • [3:3-4] you bring offerings in righteousness -> it will be pleasing to the Lord
  • [3:6] since God doesnt change -> you are not consumed
  • [3:7] if we return to God by keeping the ordinances -> God will return to us
  • [3:10] bring full tithe - > all needs fulfilled
  • [3:16] fear the Lord and esteem His name -> our name in the book of rememberance

Purpose/Result

Purpose Result Why
[3:3] He purifies sons of Levi so that they may offer their offering to Lord Offering has to be righteous to the Lord
[3:8,10] Bring in tithes and offering [3:10]Pour out blessings [3:7]God wants us to return to Him so that He may return to us
[3:16]Fear the LORD Name written in the book of rememberance Beacuse LORD heard and hearkened

General to specific

  • [3:8] Man robs God, how, specifically in not bringing in tithes and offerings and [1:8] by offering lame, sick offerings
  • [3:10] pour out of blessings, specifically [3:11] He will rebuke the pests so the crops are not destropyed and yield plentifuly
  • [3:13] people of Israel speaking against God, specifically [3:14] by saying its vain to serve God and questioning what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance and walked mournfully

Action/role of God

  • [3:1] YHWH will send a messenger to prepare the way for Adonai (Lord) and Adonai is coming
  • [3:2-3] Adonai (Lord) will appear, sit as refiner and purifier to purify sons of Levi
  • [3:5] YHWH will judge against sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, those who opress hirelings, widow, fatherless and turn aside stranger and dont fear YHWH
  • [3:6] Attribute of YHWH does not change
  • [3:7] YHWH will return to sons of Levi and nation of Israel when they return to YHWH
  • [3:9] YHWH curses the whole nation of Israel for robbing Him
  • [3:10] YHWH will open windows of heaven and pour out the blessings
  • [3:11] YHWH will rebuke the devourer
  • [3:16] YHWH heard and hearkened to people that feared Him and wrote their names in book of rememberence
  • [3:17] YWH will make those who fear Him as His treasures/jewels

Action/role of people

  • [3:1] seek the Lord
  • [3:5] some of them were practicing sorcery, were unfaithful, swearing falsely, opressing hired workers and not fear YHWH
  • [3:7] the sons of Jacob question YHWH and also have gone away from YHWH ordinances
  • [3:8-10] the nation of Israel have robbed and have not tithed
  • [3:12] the nations surrounding will call Israel, the blessed for the delightsome land
  • [3:13] the people question YHWH and say blasphemous things against God
  • [3:16] the group of sons of Jacob, who feared YHWH spoke to themselves and thought upon His name
  • [3:18] the group that feared YHWH will discern between righteous and wicket and those who serve God and those who dont

Chiasm

Structural chiasm [3:1-5] of pattern that is like a symmetric reflect ABCB'A'

chiasm1

Form/meaning based chiasm [3:3] of form ABCBA

refine > purify > silver < purify < refine

Form/meaning based chiasm [3:16] of form ABA

feared the Lord > paid attention and heard them < feared the Lord

Emotional terms

Using generally acceptable set of terms

  • disgust: [3:5,3:9]
  • interest: [3:7]
  • anger: [3:8-10]
  • reverence: [3:16-17]

Tone of the chapter

  • Stern voice of judgement and rebuke [3:1-5]
  • Sarcasm [3:13-15]
  • Hope for righteous [3:16-18]