Malachi 1:5 kjv
And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
Malachi 1:5 nkjv
Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, 'The LORD is magnified beyond the border of Israel.'
Malachi 1:5 niv
You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD?even beyond the borders of Israel!'
Malachi 1:5 esv
Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!"
Malachi 1:5 nlt
When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, 'Truly, the LORD's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders!'"
Malachi 1 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 46:10 | "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." | God's universal exaltation acknowledged by all nations. |
| Psa 96:3 | "Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples." | Calling for global proclamation of God's deeds. |
| Isa 45:22-23 | "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth... To Me every knee shall bow." | God's ultimate universal recognition and worship. |
| Zech 14:9 | "And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one, and His name one." | Future universal kingship of God acknowledged globally. |
| Rev 15:4 | "Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all nations shall come and worship before You." | Nations ultimately fear and worship the Holy God. |
| Dan 2:47 | "The king answered Daniel and said, 'Truly your God is the God of gods...'" | A pagan king acknowledging the supremacy of Israel's God. |
| Isa 14:26-27 | "This is the plan determined against the whole earth... For the LORD of hosts has purposed..." | God's sovereign plans encompassing all the earth. |
| Jer 18:7-10 | "If at any time I announce that a nation... I may uproot..." | God's power to build up or tear down any nation. |
| Psa 22:27-28 | "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD... For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations." | All earth remembering and acknowledging God's dominion. |
| Psa 67:7 | "God blesses us, so that all the ends of the earth will fear Him." | God's blessings leading to global fear/reverence. |
| Isa 55:11 | "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void." | God's unfailing word, ensuring His prophetic judgment comes to pass. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind." | God's unchanging faithfulness to His promises and pronouncements. |
| Isa 2:2-3 | "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established..." | All nations coming to Jerusalem to learn of God. |
| Hab 2:14 | "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." | Universal spread of the knowledge of God's glory. |
| Jer 16:19-21 | "O LORD... the Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth..." | Future recognition of God by distant nations. |
| Zech 8:20-23 | "Peoples will come... Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem." | Many nations seeking the LORD in the last days. |
| Rom 9:10-13 | "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." | Paul referencing Malachi's election theme, highlighting God's sovereign choice. |
| Exod 14:31 | "When Israel saw the great power... they feared the LORD..." | Seeing God's works leading to fear and belief. |
| Num 16:30 | "...then you will know that these men have spurned the LORD." | God providing undeniable evidence of His judgment. |
| 1 Kgs 18:39 | "When all the people saw this, they fell on their faces and cried out, 'The LORD, He is God!'" | Direct witnessing of God's power leading to immediate recognition. |
| Obad 1:3-4 | "The pride of your heart has deceived you... Though you ascend as the eagle... I will bring you down." | Prophecy of Edom's humiliation and downfall by God's hand. |
| Ezek 25:12-14 | "Because Edom has acted vengefully... I will lay My vengeance on Edom..." | God's specific vengeance declared upon Edom. |
| Ezr 1:2 | "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me..." | Pagan king recognizing God's authority over world kingdoms. |
| Neh 9:32 | "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and awesome God, who keeps covenant..." | Recognition of God's covenant faithfulness and power post-exile. |
Malachi 1 verses
Malachi 1 5 Meaning
Malachi 1:5 proclaims that the people of Israel will experientially witness God's powerful hand, specifically through His just dealings with the nation of Edom. This undeniable observation will prompt them to acknowledge and declare that the LORD's greatness and sovereignty extend far beyond the geographical and perceived limits of Israel, affirming His universal dominion over all nations and peoples.
Malachi 1 5 Context
Malachi 1:5 falls within the opening passage of the prophetic book of Malachi, set in the post-exilic period (likely late 5th century BC), when the people of Judah had returned from Babylonian captivity and rebuilt the temple. The book’s primary theme addresses Israel’s spiritual apathy, moral compromise, and general contempt for God’s covenant despite His unwavering love. Chapters 1:2-5 specifically tackle Israel's doubt concerning God's love for them, which God answers by contrasting their blessed status with the desolation of Edom (descendants of Esau). While Israel felt disheartened and perhaps insignificant among powerful surrounding nations, God highlights His active, sovereign judgment on Edom as concrete proof of His continued, selective love for Israel. Malachi 1:5 thus provides the expected, future response of Judah, confirming that witnessing this divine judgment will dispel their doubts and reaffirm God's magnificent universal authority.
Malachi 1 5 Word analysis
- וְעֵינֵיכֶם (v'einekhem) - "And your eyes": This implies a direct, undeniable, and experiential observation. It’s not just hearing about it, but seeing it with their own sight. The word 'eyes' (עיניים, `einayim`) often signifies not just physical vision, but comprehension, insight, and firsthand witness in biblical thought.
- תִּרְאֶינָה (tir'eynah) - "will see": The imperfect tense suggests a future certainty. It is an assurance from God that this vision will indeed come to pass. This seeing is linked to knowing and believing, transforming abstract concepts into tangible realities.
- וְאַתֶּם (v'attem) - "and you": The personal pronoun "you" (plural) emphasizes the collective response of the Israelite community, indicating a shared, universal acknowledgment among the people. There is a shift in the grammatical gender for the subjects from the "eyes" (feminine plural) seeing to "you" (masculine plural) saying, indicating the entire populace as the declaring agent.
- תֹּאמְרוּ (to'mru) - "will say": This signifies a public declaration, a vocal testimony of belief and conviction. It suggests worship and proclamation arising from what they have witnessed, a responsive action to God's manifested power.
- יִגְדַּל (yigdal) - "Be magnified" / "Is great" / "Grow great": (From root גדל, `gadal`, meaning "to be great, become great, grow, magnify"). This term expresses exaltation, not just recognition of size but of intrinsic worth, power, and glory. It implies active praise and glorification, not merely a static acknowledgment. It means God's reputation will grow.
- יְהוָה (YHWH) - "The LORD": This is the sacred Tetragrammaton, God's personal covenant name, emphasizing His unique and unrivaled nature as the God who reveals Himself and keeps covenant. It distinguishes Him from all pagan deities.
- מֵעַל (me'al) - "beyond" / "from above": This preposition conveys transcendence, supremacy, and elevation. It shows God's authority being distinctly superior and extending beyond a particular boundary.
- לִגְבוּל (ligvul) - "to the border of": The word `gevul` means "border," "territory," or "boundary." This term literally indicates the geographical limits.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisrael) - "Israel": Refers to the people of God, the nation who had perceived God’s activity as confined or limited to their own national experience and within their borders.
- "Your eyes will see it, and you will say": This phrase underlines an observable cause-and-effect relationship. The divine demonstration (`it`, referring to the judgment on Edom from Mal 1:4) will lead directly to a transformative, corporate confession from Israel. This implies a revelation of God’s truth through action, rather than mere discourse, causing internal doubt to yield to external declaration.
- "The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel": This core statement is a theological declaration of God’s universal sovereignty. It directly counters the narrow, provincial view that the returned exiles might have had—that Yahweh was merely a national deity or limited by their historical fortunes. Instead, this asserts that His power and majesty are boundless, extending to judge other nations and to work His will anywhere. It is a polemic against the regional gods of the ancient Near East, affirming YHWH’s exclusive claim as the God of all creation.
Malachi 1 5 Bonus section
This verse carries a significant polemical undertone against the contemporary belief systems of the post-exilic world, where various nations believed their gods reigned supreme within their own borders. By declaring that the LORD is magnified "beyond the border of Israel," Malachi unequivocally asserts Yahweh's claim as the universal God, transcending tribal or nationalistic boundaries, active and sovereign over all peoples and their destinies. This declaration would have been a direct challenge to the theological framework of nations surrounding Israel, positioning YHWH not just as the God of Israel but as the supreme God of heaven and earth. It also sets a theological precedent for God's eventual glory being known among all nations in the eschatological future, a theme pervasive throughout later prophetic and New Testament writings.
Malachi 1 5 Commentary
Malachi 1:5 delivers a potent promise and a future-oriented command for Israel. God ensures His people will directly witness His divine power demonstrated through the desolate fate of Edom. This concrete proof of judgment on a historical enemy, a constant thorn in Israel's side, will lead Israel from a state of doubt or apathy (as seen throughout the book) to an overwhelming, unified recognition: that the LORD's might extends infinitely beyond their own land. It’s an assurance that God’s love for Israel isn't passive; it's active in judging their enemies, and crucially, His dominion is universal, transcending geographical or nationalistic boundaries. This statement counters any skepticism by declaring God’s active involvement in world affairs, reaffirming His covenant fidelity, and establishing His supreme identity over all other purported deities. It calls for worship born from undeniable evidence, moving from observation to adoration.