Malachi 3:13

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

13 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

Malachi 3:13 in Other Translations

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

13 "Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, 'How have we spoken against you?'

13 “You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD . “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’

13 God says, "You have spoken hard, rude words to me.

13 Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

13 "You have used harsh words against me," says the LORD. "You ask, 'How have we spoken against you?'

13 "Your words against Me are harsh," says the Lord. Yet you ask: "What have we spoken against You?"

13 "You have spoken bad things against me," says the Lord. "But you ask, 'What have we spoken against you?'

Malachi 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 3:13

Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord,
&c.] Hard and strong; they bore very hardly upon him, were exceeding impudent and insolent; murmuring at his providence; arraigning his justice and goodness; and despising his word, worship, and ordinances. Aben Ezra says, this is a prophecy concerning the time to come, that is, the times of the Messiah; and so it describes the Jews in his times.

Yet ye say, what have we spoken [so much] against thee?
or "what have we spoken against thee?" as if they were not guilty in any respect, and as if nothing could be proved against them; and as though the Lord did not know what they had said in their hearts, seeing they had not spoken it with their mouths: though the supplement of our translators, "so much", is confirmed by the Targum, which is,

``and if ye say, how (or in what) have we multiplied speech before thee?''

and so Kimchi observes, that the form in which the Hebrew word is denotes much and frequent speaking: and Abarbinel agrees with him, though he rather thinks it has this sense, "what are we spoken of to thee?" what calumny is this? what accusation do they bring against us to thee? what is it that is reported we say against thee? thus wiping their mouths, as if they were innocent and harmless.

Malachi 3:13 In-Context

11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.

12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

13 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

14 “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty?

15 But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’ ”

Cross References

• 1. Malachi 2:17
• 2. S Malachi 1:2