the Third Week of Advent
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New Living Translation
Malachi 3:14
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You have said: “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the Lord of Armies?
Ye haue said, It is vaine to serue God: and what profit is it, that we haue kept his ordinance, and that wee haue walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
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?
You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
"You have said, 'It is pointless to serve God; and what benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of armies?
"You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. It did no good to obey his laws and to show the Lord All-Powerful that we were sorry for what we did.
"You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. What profit is it if we keep His ordinances, and walk around like mourners before the LORD of hosts?
Ye haue saide, It is in vaine to serue God: and what profite is it that we haue kept his commandement, and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hostes?
"You have said, 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
You have said, ‘It is worthless to serve God; and what gain is it that we have kept His charge and that we have walked in mourning before Yahweh of hosts?
You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?
Here is what you have said: "It's foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful. What do we get for obeying him and from going around looking sad?
By saying, ‘There is no point in serving God. What good is it to obey his orders or to walk about as mourners before Adonai -Tzva'ot?
Ye say, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we keep his charge, and that we walk mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?
You said, "It is useless to worship God. We did what the Lord All-Powerful told us, but we didn't gain anything. We cried like people at a funeral to show we were sorry for our sins, but it didn't help.
You have said, We have served God in vain; what have we profited that we have kept his ordinances and that we have walked meekly before the LORD of hosts?
You have said, ‘It's useless to serve God. What's the use of doing what he says or of trying to show the Lord Almighty that we are sorry for what we have done?
You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God! What is the gain if we keep his requirements, and if we walk as mourners before Yahweh of hosts?
You have said, It is vanity to serve God. And, What profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked as mourners before Jehovah of Hosts?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?
You have said, It is no use worshipping God: what profit have we had from keeping his orders, and going in clothing of sorrow before the Lord of armies?
You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?
Ye have said: 'It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked mournfully because of the LORD of hosts?
Ye haue saide: [it is but] vayne to serue God, and what profite [is it] that we haue kept his commaundement, & that we haue walked humbly before the face of the Lorde of hoastes?
Ye said, He that serves God labours in vain: and what have we gained in that we have kept his ordinances, and in that we have walked as suppliants before the face of the Lord Almighty?
Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Hosts?
And ye seiden, He is veyn, that serueth God; and what wynnyng for we kepten hise heestis, and for we wenten sorewful bifore the Lord of oostis?
You have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of hosts?
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?
You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all?
You have said, "It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts?
You have said, ‘It is of no worth to serve God. What do we get by doing what He says, or by walking in sorrow before the Lord of All?
You have said, "It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts?
Ye have said, Vain is it to serve God, - and, What profit when we have kept his charge, or when we have walked gloomily before Yahweh of hosts?
And you have said: What have we spoken against thee? You have said: He laboureth in vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked sorrowful before the Lord of hosts?
You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
Ye have said, `A vain thing to serve God! And what gain when we kept His charge? And when we have gone in black, Because of Jehovah of Hosts?
Ye haue sayed: It is but lost laboure, to serue God: What profit haue we for kepynge his commaundementes, and for walkinge humbly before the LORDE off hoostes?
"When you said, ‘It doesn't pay to serve God. What do we ever get out of it? When we did what he said and went around with long faces, serious about God -of-the-Angel-Armies, what difference did it make? Those who take life into their own hands are the lucky ones. They break all the rules and get ahead anyway. They push God to the limit and get by with it.'"
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
It is: Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Job 22:17, Job 34:9, Job 35:3, Psalms 73:8-13, Isaiah 58:3, Zephaniah 1:12
ordinance: Heb. observation
and that: Isaiah 58:3, Joel 2:12, Zechariah 7:3-6, James 4:9
mournfully: Heb. in black
Reciprocal: Genesis 25:32 - and what Exodus 5:9 - vain words Numbers 11:11 - Wherefore hast thou Job 1:11 - and he will curse thee Job 2:9 - retain Psalms 58:11 - Verily there is Psalms 73:13 - Verily Isaiah 43:22 - thou hast been Isaiah 45:19 - Seek Ezekiel 11:5 - Thus have Malachi 1:2 - Wherein Malachi 1:6 - And ye Malachi 3:18 - shall Matthew 6:16 - be Matthew 15:9 - in Matthew 20:12 - borne Matthew 25:24 - I knew Mark 7:7 - in vain Mark 8:36 - profit Luke 15:29 - yet Luke 19:21 - because Romans 3:1 - advantage 1 Corinthians 15:32 - what James 1:26 - this
Cross-References
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
If anyone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.
"You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you.
Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
Then deep from the earth you will speak; from low in the dust your words will come. Your voice will whisper from the ground like a ghost conjured up from the grave.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord , have spoken!"
Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Ye have said, it [is] vain to serve God,.... This they said in their hearts, if not with their lips, that it was a vain thing for a man to serve God; he got nothing by it; he had no reward for it; it fared no better with him than the wicked; nay, the wicked fared better than he; and therefore who would be a worshipper of God? see
Job 21:15. Abarbinel understands this also with respect to God, who is worshipped; to whom worship, say these men, is no ways profitable, nor does he regard it; see Job 35:7 and therefore it is in vain to serve him, since neither he, nor we, are the better for it:
and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance; or "his observation" n; that is, have observed that which he commanded to be observed; this respects not any single and particular ordinance, but every ordinance of God: the Sadducees of those times seem designed, who denied the resurrection of the dead, and a future state of rewards and punishments, and so might well conclude it in vain to serve God:
and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? or "in black" o; which is the habit of mourners; see Psalms 38:6 with an humble spirit, as Jarchi interprets it; or with humiliation (or contrition) of spirit, as the Targum, which paraphrases the whole verse thus,
"ye have said, he gains nothing who worships before the Lord; and what mammon (or riches) do we gain because we have kept the observation of his word, and because we have walked in contrition of spirit before the Lord of hosts?''
Aben Ezra and Abarbinel seem to understand this last clause of their being afflicted and suffering for the sake of religion, and which they endured in vain, seeing they were not respected and rewarded for it; but the other sense is best, which represents them as sincere penitents, and humble worshippers of God in their own account, and yet were not taken notice of by him: it seems to describe the Pharisees, who disfigured their faces, and affected down looks and sorrowful countenances p.
n משמרתו "observationem ejus", Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius "observantiam ejus", Cocceius. o קדרנית "atrate", Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Stockius, p. 926; "pullati", Tigurine version; "atrati", Cocceius. p The word is used by Josephus ben Gorion for sincere walking, l. 6. c. 20. p. 612. Vid. Not. Breithaupt. in ib.; it is interpreted "humbly" by R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 102. 2.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Ye have said, It is vain to serve the God - o “as receiving no gain or reward for their service. This is the judgment of the world, whereby worldlings think pious, just, sincere, strict men, vain, i. e., especially when they see them impoverished, despised, oppressed, afflicted, because they know not the true goods of virtue and eternal glory, but measure all things by sight, sense and taste. Truly, if the righteous had not hope of another and better life, in vain would they afflict themselves, and bear the afflictions of others. For, as the Apostle says 1 Corinthians 15:19. ‘If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.’ But now, hoping for another blessed and eternal life for the slight tribulations of this, we are the happiest of all men.”
And we have walked mournfully - o Again they take in their mouths the words of Psalmists, that they took the garb of mourners, going about mourning before God for their country’s afflictions.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Malachi 3:14. Ye have said, It is vain to serve God — They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was vanity; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be nothing the better; and if they abstained, they should be nothing the worse. This was their teaching to the people.
Walked mournfully — Even repentance they have declared to be useless. This was a high pitch of ungodliness; but see what follows; behold the general conclusions of these reprobates-
