Malachi 1:3 kjv
And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Malachi 1:3 nkjv
But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."
Malachi 1:3 niv
but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."
Malachi 1:3 esv
but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert."
Malachi 1:3 nlt
but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a desert for jackals."
Malachi 1 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 25:23 | The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb...the older shall serve the younger.” | Prophecy of Esau (Edom) serving Jacob (Israel). |
| Gen 27:39-40 | Then Isaac his father answered...“by your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restive you shall break his yoke from your neck.” | Esau's (Edom's) destiny, eventually breaking free. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you...not because you were more in number than any other people...but because the LORD loves you. | God's unmerited, electing love for Israel. |
| Isa 34:5 | For My sword has drunk its fill in heaven; behold, it descends for judgment on Edom... | Divine judgment specifically targets Edom. |
| Isa 34:10-15 | Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever...it shall be for owls, and the raven shall dwell in it... | Prophecy of Edom's perpetual desolation and uninhabitable state. |
| Eze 25:12-14 | “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah...therefore thus says the Lord GOD, I will stretch out My hand against Edom..." | Edom's judgment linked to their vengeance against Judah. |
| Eze 35:3-4 | And say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you, and I will stretch out My hand against you...I will make you a perpetual desolation." | Direct judgment against Edom (Mount Seir) to be a lasting ruin. |
| Eze 35:5-6 | "Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity..." | Edom's persistent hostility towards Israel. |
| Obad 1:1 | The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom... | Prophecy entirely focused on Edom's downfall. |
| Obad 1:10-14 | “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you...when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you also were like one of them..." | Edom's culpability in Judah's suffering and fall. |
| Psa 137:7 | Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay her bare, lay her bare, down to her foundations!” | Edom's joy and urging of Jerusalem's destruction. |
| Jer 9:11 | "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.” | Similar imagery of desolation for Judah due to sin (contrast to Edom's permanence). |
| Jer 49:7-22 | Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts...Has wisdom perished from Teman?...Edom shall become a horror. | Extensive prophecy of Edom's destruction, highlighting their pride. |
| Mal 1:2 | "I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "Is not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. | Immediate context showing God's declaration of love to Israel, and their doubt. |
| Rom 9:10-13 | And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man...Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. | Apostle Paul directly quotes Malachi 1:2-3 to teach on God's sovereign election. |
| Rom 9:15-16 | For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. | God's sovereign right to choose whom He favors. |
| Hos 1:6-9 | ...for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel...for you are not My people, and I am not your God." | Example of God "not loving" (disfavoring) due to unfaithfulness (though distinct from Esau). |
| Isa 58:12 | "Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.” | Contrast: Israel's future restoration vs. Edom's permanent ruin. |
| Psa 74:14 | You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. | Wilderness creature imagery in judgment. |
| Zeph 2:9 | "Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land of thorns and salt pits, a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the survivors of My nation shall possess them." | Prophecy of neighboring nations facing perpetual desolation (paralleling Edom). |
| Jud 1:6 | And Esau lived in the hill country of Seir... Esau is Edom. | Geographic identity of Esau/Edom. |
| Isa 34:11 | But the owl and the hedgehog shall possess it; the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And he shall stretch over it the line of confusion and the plumb line of emptiness. | More imagery of uninhabited wildness in judgment. |
Malachi 1 verses
Malachi 1 3 Meaning
Malachi 1:3 declares God's distinctive, preferential love for the nation of Israel (represented by Jacob), contrasted with His active disfavor and judgment upon the nation of Edom (represented by Esau). This serves as undeniable proof of God's steadfast love and faithfulness to His chosen people, directly answering their cynical question regarding His affection for them, while illustrating His righteous judgment against an persistently antagonistic nation whose land suffered permanent desolation.
Malachi 1 3 Context
Malachi 1:3 is a direct answer from God to the people of Israel who, in the preceding verse (Mal 1:2), have questioned His love ("How have You loved us?"). Following the post-exilic return to Judah, the people felt discouraged, burdened, and questioned God's covenant promises and His justice, feeling neglected. God addresses this by offering a clear, tangible historical and ongoing demonstration of His distinguishing love for Israel by contrasting their fate with that of Edom.
The historical context is crucial: Israel, despite experiencing exile, was granted return to their land, the rebuilding of the temple, and re-establishment of their national identity. Edom, the neighboring nation and descendants of Esau, historically showed continuous enmity towards Israel, culminating in their active participation or gleeful observation of Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon. While Judah's land eventually experienced restoration, Edom’s territory (Mount Seir) suffered an enduring, comprehensive desolation from which they never truly recovered, fading from history. This ongoing visible difference served as concrete proof of God's differing dispositions and unwavering covenant love for Israel.
Malachi 1 3 Word analysis
- but Esau: Directly establishes a stark contrast to "Jacob I loved" in Mal 1:2. It signifies not just an individual, but the nation descended from Esau, known as Edom. This is key to understanding the national, corporate nature of God's choice and judgment here.
- I hated: (Hebrew: sane' - שָׂנֵא). In biblical Hebrew, "hate" (sane') often does not convey malice or personal animosity as understood in modern English. Rather, it signifies a relational choice of rejection, disfavor, or preferential non-selection, especially when contrasted with "love" in a covenantal or electing sense. It means to choose not to choose, to disfavor one relative to another, for purposes related to God's sovereign plan. Here, it denotes God's divine rejection of Edom for covenant purposes, unlike His election of Israel.
- and laid waste: (Hebrew: asîm šǝmāmāh - אָשִׂים שְׁמָמָה). This strong phrase denotes utter desolation, ruin, and uninhabitable wilderness. It's a statement of divine judgment being carried out, resulting in widespread destruction of their land and infrastructure.
- his mountains: Refers to Mount Seir, the mountainous and naturally fortified homeland of the Edomites. This detail emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the desolation; even their seemingly impregnable strongholds and core territory were utterly ruined, signifying the total downfall of their power and security.
- and his heritage: (Hebrew: naḥalâ - נַחֲלָה). This term refers to their inherited possession, particularly their ancestral land, which was foundational to their national identity and future. Its loss implies complete dispossession and the termination of their national existence as a viable entity in that territory.
- for the jackals of the wilderness: (Hebrew: lətannôt midbār - לְתַנּוֹת מִדְבָּר). This is a vivid, concrete image of total desolation and abandonment. Jackals (or wolves/desert dogs) are scavengers associated with ruin, waste, and uninhabited lands. Their presence indicates that the land is so completely devastated that it is now only fit for wild beasts, no longer for human dwelling or organized society. It underscores the permanence of the desolation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "but Esau I hated": This phrase succinctly highlights God's sovereign and unconditional election and rejection. It contrasts His unmerited love for Jacob/Israel with His non-election or disfavor toward Esau/Edom, demonstrating that God's covenant blessings and curses are determined by His divine will, not by human merit or worthiness. This was a visible, historical fact to the post-exilic Judahites.
- "laid waste his mountains and his heritage": This group vividly describes the extent and totality of God's judgment upon Edom. It means the very foundation of their nation—their strong natural defenses and their ancestral land—was completely destroyed and made uninhabitable. This serves as irrefutable evidence of God's active involvement in the destinies of nations and His righteous judgment against those who oppose His purposes.
- "for the jackals of the wilderness": This specific imagery signifies utter and permanent desolation. It paints a picture of a land stripped of all human presence and activity, reverting to wildness, left to scavengers. This emphasizes the irreversible nature of God's judgment on Edom, making their ruin a lasting testimony compared to Judah’s restoration.
Malachi 1 3 Bonus section
- Prophetic Fulfillment: The desolation of Edom was a specific, visible prophecy that found significant fulfillment in post-exilic history, particularly with the Nabateans displacing the Edomites, causing them to eventually lose their distinct identity and fade from the region. This concrete fulfillment offered comfort and conviction to a disheartened Judah.
- Contrast in Destiny: The verse highlights a profound theological contrast between a nation (Israel) chosen for God's redemptive purposes and restoration, and another (Edom) marked by persistent enmity and destined for ultimate desolation. This differentiation serves as a powerful testament to God's justice and sovereignty over the destinies of nations.
- Application for Understanding God's Election: Paul in Romans 9 later utilizes this very verse to explain God's sovereign, unmerited election, emphasizing that God's choice is not based on human works or merit, but purely on His divine will and purpose.
Malachi 1 3 Commentary
Malachi 1:3 is God's divine affirmation of His distinctive love for Israel in the face of their doubt and disillusionment. The opening dialogue in Malachi presents a challenging tone: God declares "I have loved you," and Judah responds with "How have You loved us?" God's response points to a historical, yet currently observable, reality: the contrasting destinies of Jacob and Esau, who represent the nations of Israel and Edom respectively.
The "hatred" of Esau must be understood in a Hebraic sense of preferential choice, or non-selection, for covenantal purposes, rather than a vengeful emotion. While Israel was brought back from exile and their land slowly restored, Edom, who historically opposed Israel and rejoiced in Jerusalem's downfall, experienced complete and ongoing desolation. Their mountains, once their strongholds, and their very heritage became a haunt for jackals—a graphic picture of abandonment and ruin. This served as tangible, undeniable proof of God's fidelity to His covenant with Israel, and His just judgment against their historical adversary. It reassured a doubting Judah that God’s love for them was real and demonstrated through His powerful actions in history. The enduring desolation of Edom affirmed that God distinguishes between nations according to His sovereign plan and righteous decrees, bringing both love and judgment as His will determines.