Malachi 2 17

Malachi 2:17 kjv

Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Malachi 2:17 nkjv

You have wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 2:17 niv

You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. By saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD, and he is pleased with them" or "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 2:17 esv

You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 2:17 nlt

You have wearied the LORD with your words. "How have we wearied him?" you ask. You have wearied him by saying that all who do evil are good in the LORD's sight, and he is pleased with them. You have wearied him by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"

Malachi 2 verses

Malachi 2 17 Meaning

This verse describes the people's weariness with God's pronouncements and their assertion that those who practice evil are favored, or even "set up" (NIV). It highlights a profound spiritual disillusionment and a questioning of God's justice.

Malachi 2 17 Context

Malachi 2:17 concludes a section addressing the corrupt practices of the priests and the people of Judah. Following their exile and return, many were offering impure sacrifices and living in defiance of God's covenant. God, through Malachi, is rebuking their hollow worship and unjust actions. This specific verse arises from the people's questioning of God's justice and their assertion that evildoers are seemingly favored by Him. It reflects a spiritual fatigue and a disillusionment with what they perceived as God's lack of intervention or equitable judgment in their lives, especially in contrast to the perceived prosperity of those who acted wickedly. The verse serves as a divine response to their accusations, highlighting their flawed perception and imminent judgment.

Malachi 2 17 Word Analysis

• "For": (Hebrew: כִּי, ki) - This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for what precedes, in this case, the people's weariness.
• "ye": (Hebrew: אַתֶּם, atem) - Plural second-person pronoun, referring to the entire community being addressed.
• "have weary": (Hebrew: לָאָה, la'ah) - To be tired, weary, or to be a burden. Implies a deep-seated fatigue and impatience with God's word or commands.
• "with": (Hebrew: בְּ, be) - Preposition indicating the cause or source of the weariness.
• "me": (Hebrew: אוֹתִי, oti) - The speaker is God.
• "saith": (Hebrew: אָמַר, amar) - A simple verb of speaking.
• "The Lord": (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH) - The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship with Israel and His faithfulness.
• "Wherein": (Hebrew: מַה, mah) - Interrogative pronoun, signifying "what" or "in what manner."
• "have ye": (Hebrew: מָאַתֶּם, ma'atem) - "You have become weary." The imperfect tense can indicate a present or continuing action.
• "tired": (Hebrew: חָלָל, chalal) - Means to be defiled, polluted, profaned, or to be weakened. In this context, it speaks to their actions having desecrated or weakened their relationship with God.
• "him": (Hebrew: אוֹתוֹ, oto) - Refers to the Lord.
• "And": (Hebrew: וְ, ve) - Conjunction connecting the two clauses.
• "ye": (Hebrew: אַתֶּם, atem) - Again, referring to the people.
• "say": (Hebrew: אָמַר, amar) - To speak.
• "Every": (Hebrew: כֹּל, kol) - Denotes all or every one.
• "one": (Hebrew: אִישׁ, ish) - Man or person.
• "that": (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר, asher) - Relative pronoun.
• "doeth": (Hebrew: עָשָׂה, asah) - To do or make.
• "evil": (Hebrew: רַע, ra) - Bad, evil, wicked.
• "is": (Hebrew: הָיָה, hayah) - Verb "to be."
• "good": (Hebrew: טוֹב, tov) - Good, pleasant, acceptable.
• "in": (Hebrew: בְּ, be) - Preposition indicating location or state.
• "the sight": (Hebrew: עֵינֵי, eney) - Eyes; in the sense of "opinion" or "judgment."
• "of": (Hebrew: סֵפֶר, sipher) - In this context it indicates relationship or proximity. The original Hebrew has "the eyes of Jehovah" or "the eyes of the Lord."
• "the Lord": (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH) - Again, the covenant name of God.
• "and": (Hebrew: וְ, ve) - Conjunction.
• "they": (Hebrew: הֵמָּה, hemmah) - Pronoun, referring to the evildoers.
• "that": (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר, asher) - Relative pronoun.
• "worketh": (Hebrew: פָּעַל, pa'al) - To do, act, or perform.
• "right": (Hebrew: מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) - Judgment, justice, right. Implies adherence to divine standards. This phrase can be understood as "execute justice" or "is righteous."

Group Analysis: The people are not just weary, but are in effect stating that evil is good in the eyes of the Lord. This is a direct accusation of God's approval of wickedness, or at least His indifference, which the Hebrew word "chalal" (profaned/weakened) for the second instance of weariness might further imply about their own defiled perception and actions. They observe the apparent success of evildoers and reinterpret God's standard of "right" (mishpat) as something that evil actions can somehow achieve or fulfill.

Malachi 2 17 Bonus Section

The concept of "good in the sight of the Lord" carries significant weight, referencing the standard of righteousness set by God Himself. This standard is explicitly defined throughout the Law and the Prophets. The people’s perversion of this idea indicates a willful misunderstanding or rejection of God's commands. They are not seeking God's definition of good, but rather interpreting what appears successful and advantageous in their fallen world as divine endorsement. This demonstrates a grave departure from the covenant relationship, where adherence to God's ways was meant to lead to blessing. The verse underscores the perpetual need for believers to filter their understanding of success and justice through God's revealed truth, rather than through superficial observations of the world. The Hebrew phrase "ish asher yitsev mishpat" could also imply those who are established in or enact judgment (righteousness). By saying evil is good in God's eyes, they are implying that the wicked are the ones established or validated by Him.

Malachi 2 17 Commentary

This verse powerfully articulates a crisis of faith where the observable outcomes of life contradict a belief in God's justice. The people’s weariness signifies a rejection of divine pronouncements, seeing them as burdensome and ineffective. Their assertion that evil deeds are good in God's sight is a dangerous theological inversion. It suggests a spiritual blindness, attributing the prosperity of the wicked to divine favor rather than understanding it within the broader framework of God's inscrutable plans and eventual judgment. They confuse the temporary prosperity of evildoers with divine approval, mirroring the temptations faced by Job and the Psalmist. God’s response, implicit in the context, would be to reassert His righteousness and the certainty of His ultimate judgment, where true goodness, aligned with His word, will prevail. This sentiment is a recurring temptation for believers throughout history, requiring constant reliance on God’s truth over temporal appearances.