Malachi 2:14 kjv
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
Malachi 2:14 nkjv
Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.
Malachi 2:14 niv
You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
Malachi 2:14 esv
But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Malachi 2:14 nlt
You cry out, "Why doesn't the LORD accept my worship?" I'll tell you why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.
Malachi 2 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Malachi 2:14 | "The Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth," | Malachi 2:14 |
| Malachi 2:15 | "Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his." | Malachi 2:15 |
| Deuteronomy 7:9 | "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God," | Deuteronomy 7:9 |
| Psalm 11:7 | "For the righteous Lord loves righteousness;" | Psalm 11:7 |
| Proverbs 2:17 | "who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God." | Proverbs 2:17 |
| Jeremiah 3:20 | "But as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have treacherously departed from me," | Jeremiah 3:20 |
| Ezekiel 16:8 | "When I passed by you again, behold, you were at the age for love; and I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine." | Ezekiel 16:8 |
| Hosea 1:2 | "When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.'" | Hosea 1:2 |
| Matthew 19:4 | "He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,' " | Matthew 19:4 |
| Matthew 19:5 | "and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?" | Matthew 19:5 |
| Mark 10:6 | "But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'" | Mark 10:6 |
| Mark 10:7 | "‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, | Mark 10:7 |
| Mark 10:8 | "and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh." | Mark 10:8 |
| 1 Corinthians 6:16 | "Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For it is written, 'The two will become one flesh.'" | 1 Corinthians 6:16 |
| 1 Corinthians 7:2 | "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." | 1 Corinthians 7:2 |
| Hebrews 13:4 | "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." | Hebrews 13:4 |
| Romans 1:26 | "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;" | Romans 1:26 |
| Romans 7:3 | "So then if, while her husband is alive, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is not adulteress though joined to another man." | Romans 7:3 |
| 1 Peter 3:7 | "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." | 1 Peter 3:7 |
| Proverbs 5:18 | "May your fount be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth," | Proverbs 5:18 |
Malachi 2 verses
Malachi 2 14 Meaning
The verse describes a covenant betrayal where a wife is forsaken, highlighting God's role as witness and the serious consequences of breaking marital vows. It emphasizes that the covenant is with the wife, not just the husband, and speaks of an unfaithfulness that deeply grieves God.
Malachi 2 14 Context
Malachi prophesies to the returned Jewish exiles in Jerusalem, who are facing discouragement and a lax approach to their covenant relationship with God. They had promised to be faithful but were falling into ritualistic observance without genuine devotion. Chapter 2 addresses the corruption among the Levitical priests and then pivots to the broader community's spiritual unfaithfulness, particularly their disregard for marriage vows. The infidelity described here, especially the practice of men putting away their wives for foreign women, is seen as a profound breach of their covenant with God and each other.
Malachi 2 14 Word Analysis
- "Who" (Hebrew: אָתָּה, 'atta): A second-person masculine singular pronoun, referring directly to the husband being addressed by the prophet.
- "and" (Hebrew: וְ, wə): A conjunction connecting phrases and ideas.
- "you" (Hebrew: אַתֶּם, 'attem): Second-person masculine plural pronoun, addressing the men of Judah who have been unfaithful.
- "have dealt" (Hebrew: בָּגַדְתֶּם, bāgad'tem): From the root בָּגַד (bāgad), meaning to act treacherously, to deal deceitfully, to break faith. It implies a deliberate betrayal of trust.
- "treacherously" (Hebrew: בּוֹגְדִים, bōg'dîm): Present participle of the same root בָּגַד (bāgad), emphasizing the ongoing nature of their unfaithfulness.
- "with" (Hebrew: בְּ, bə): Preposition indicating association or by means of.
- "the wife" (Hebrew: אֵשֶׁת, 'ēšet): Feminine singular noun for "wife."
- "of" (Hebrew: יַלְדוּתֶיךָ, yaldûṯeḵā): Genitive construct indicating possession or relation.
- "your youth": This phrase signifies the woman the man married early in life, implying a sacred and foundational commitment made at a tender age.
Word-group Analysis
- "wife of your youth": This specific phrasing evokes the sanctity and lifelong commitment of marriage initiated in early years. It suggests a chosen partner from a formative stage of life, carrying significant emotional and spiritual weight within the covenant framework.
- "dealt treacherously": This highlights a wilful and malicious breaking of solemn vows and responsibilities. It points to a deliberate act of betrayal against a partner and the divine witness of the marriage covenant.
Malachi 2 14 Bonus Section
The phrase "wife of your youth" connects to the idea of a primary covenant. Just as God entered into a covenant with Israel when they were young as a nation (Jer 2:2), so a man enters into a covenant with his wife early in life. The betrayal of this marital covenant is equated to the spiritual betrayal Israel committed against God. This theme of covenant fidelity and the consequences of its breach runs throughout the Old Testament and is echoed in the New Testament's emphasis on the sanctity of marriage as a picture of Christ's relationship with the Church.
Malachi 2 14 Commentary
This verse denounces the spiritual infidelity of the people of Judah, manifested through their abandonment of their wives. The prophet, speaking for God, points out that God himself is the witness to the marriage covenant, underscoring its divine institution and solemnity. The act of putting away one's wife, particularly the wife of one's youth, is portrayed not just as a personal failure but as a betrayal of the covenant relationship between Israel and God. This practice, often linked to marrying foreign women and adopting their idolatrous practices (Ezra 9-10, Neh 13), diluted their spiritual identity and broke the unity God intended in marriage. God’s displeasure is clear because this betrayal violates the sacred bond that symbolizes His own faithful covenant with His people.