Malachi 4:3 kjv
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:3 nkjv
You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:3 niv
Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act," says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 4:3 esv
And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:3 nlt
On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.
Malachi 4 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Malachi 4:2 | But to you who fear my name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise... | Malachi 4:2 (Continuation of theme) |
| Isaiah 60:14 | ...they will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. | Isaiah 60:14 (Restoration of Jerusalem) |
| Zechariah 8:3 | Thus says the LORD: I am returning to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem... | Zechariah 8:3 (God's presence in Zion) |
| Psalm 37:34 | Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land... | Psalm 37:34 (Righteous inheriting the land) |
| Matthew 5:5 | Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. | Matthew 5:5 (Meek inheriting the earth) |
| Luke 1:48 | for he has looked on the humility of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; | Luke 1:48 (Humility leading to blessing) |
| 1 Corinthians 6:2 | Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? ... | 1 Corinthians 6:2 (Saints judging) |
| 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 | ...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God... | 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 (Judgment on the wicked) |
| Revelation 19:20 | And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet... | Revelation 19:20 (Judgment on adversaries) |
| Revelation 20:10 | Then the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur... | Revelation 20:10 (Devil's final judgment) |
| Revelation 20:15 | And if anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. | Revelation 20:15 (Final judgment for the lost) |
| Psalm 110:1 | The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | Psalm 110:1 (Enemies as a footstool) |
| Isaiah 66:24 | "And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be a horror to all flesh." | Isaiah 66:24 (Eternal fate of the wicked) |
| Hebrews 12:29 | for our God is a consuming fire. | Hebrews 12:29 (God as consuming fire) |
| 1 Samuel 2:9 | He will keep the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness... | 1 Samuel 2:9 (Faithful kept, wicked cut off) |
| Psalm 92:11 | My eye thus looks down on my enemies; my ear hears the wickedness of my adversaries. | Psalm 92:11 (God avenges adversaries) |
| Jeremiah 30:16 | But all who devour you shall be devoured... | Jeremiah 30:16 (Devourers devoured) |
| Nahum 1:14 | The LORD has commanded concerning you: no more will your name be perpetuated from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved and the molten image... | Nahum 1:14 (Destruction of oppressors) |
| 2 Kings 17:34 | To this day they practice their former customs... they do not fear the LORD. | 2 Kings 17:34 (Contrast with fear of the Lord) |
| Matthew 7:23 | And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' | Matthew 7:23 (Workers of lawlessness rejected) |
| Acts 17:31 | because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the whole world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed... | Acts 17:31 (Day of judgment) |
Malachi 4 verses
Malachi 4 3 Meaning
This verse describes the righteous walking through Jerusalem. They will be like ashes or dust, signifying insignificance and subjugation to the ruling powers. However, the outcome for them is prosperity and exultation. The verse concludes by stating that the wicked, who will tread on them like ashes underfoot, will be cast out and forgotten.
Malachi 4 3 Context
Malachi 4:3 is the final verse of the book of Malachi, concluding the prophet's message. The preceding verses speak of the coming Day of the LORD, a time of judgment and purification. The prophet assures the faithful remnant that they will be delivered and restored, contrasting their future with the doom of the wicked. This specific verse paints a vivid picture of the consequences for both the righteous and the wicked on that ultimate day. The historical context is the post-exilic period, where the returned Israelites struggled with faith and adherence to God's covenant, facing oppression and disillusionment.
Malachi 4 3 Word Analysis
and (וְ, ve): A conjunction indicating continuation or addition, linking clauses and ideas.
you (אתם, atem): Plural pronoun, referring to the audience of Malachi, the people of Israel.
shall tread (תרמסנה, tirmasena): Future tense, verb "to trample" or "to tread down." Implies crushing or subjugation.
upon (על, al): Preposition indicating position over or upon something.
the wicked (הרשעים, ha-risha'im): The unrighteous, the evil doers, those who oppose God's ways. The definite article "ha-" signifies specificity.
in (בְּ, be): Preposition indicating location or circumstance.
the (the definite article): Appears with several nouns.
day (יום, yom): Day. Refers to a specific period, here the Day of the LORD.
that (אשר, asher): Relative pronoun introducing a subordinate clause.
I (אני, ani): First-person singular pronoun, God speaking.
make (עשה, asah): Verb meaning "to do" or "to make."
you (אתם, atem): Plural pronoun, referring to the righteous.
ashes (אפר, efer): Dust, residue after burning. Symbolizes humility, worthlessness in the eyes of others, or a low state.
word-group analysis: "you shall tread upon the wicked in the day that I am making you ashes" presents a seeming contradiction if taken literally. However, the parallelism with the next clause clarifies it. It means the wicked will tread upon the righteous, making them seem like ashes or insignificant. Then, God reverses this by declaring He will make them (the wicked) ashes. The phrasing highlights the transformation of status and the reversal of fortunes ordained by God.
Malachi 4 3 Bonus Section
This verse is a profound prophetic utterance, a climax to Malachi's prophecy, promising ultimate retribution for the wicked and vindication for the righteous. The imagery of "ashes" speaks to the extreme lowliness and desolation that the wicked will experience, a stark contrast to the elevated state of the righteous. It’s a powerful declaration of God’s sovereignty and His ultimate control over history, ensuring that justice will prevail. The reference to God making the wicked "ashes" echoes divine judgments in earlier Scripture, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This foreshadows the final judgment described in the New Testament, where the ungodly face eternal destruction.
Malachi 4 3 Commentary
The verse poetically describes the ultimate triumph of the righteous and the complete downfall of the wicked. The righteous, who may have been made to feel like dust under the feet of their oppressors (likened to ashes), will experience a complete vindication and elevation. The wicked, who have trampled on God's people, will themselves be reduced to nothingness, becoming like ashes underfoot, signifying their utter destruction and insignificance. This is a powerful statement of divine justice and the assurance that God's faithful will ultimately be honored and exalted.