Malachi 3:5

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD of Hosts addresses the descendants of Jacob through Malachi, announcing imminent judgment immediately after calling for restored temple offerings in Judah and Jerusalem.

The words — The text foregrounds וְ/קָרַבְתִּי (ve./ka.rav.Ti), literally "and I will draw near," and עֵד ('ed), literally "a witness," depicting divine presence as an active, hastening examination.

The thread — This pattern of swift judgment against covenant violations runs through Hebrews 13:4 regarding the judgment of adulterers and Deuteronomy 5:11 regarding the taking of God's name in vain.

Why it lands — The verse requires readers to audit their conduct toward vulnerable populations and their reverence for God, establishing that divine scrutiny applies to all who fail to fear Him.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְקָרַבְתִּ֣יve./ka.rav.Tiand/ I will draw near אֲלֵיכֶם֮'a.lei./Khemto/ you לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒la./mish.Patfor <the>/ judgment וְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ve./ha.Yi.tiand/ I will be עֵ֣ד'eda witness מְמַהֵ֗רme.ma.Herhastening בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ba/m.kha.she.Fimon the/ sorcerers וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔יםu./va/m.Na.'a.Fimand/ on the/ adulterers וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖יםu./va./nish.ba.'Imand/ on <the>/ [those who] swear an oath לַשָּׁ֑קֶרla./Sha.kerto <the>/ falsehood וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣יu./ve./'o.she.Keiand/ on/ [those who] defraud שְׂכַר־se.kha.r.Sa-<of> [the] hire of שָׂ֠כִירSa.khira hired laborer אַלְמָנָ֨ה'al.ma.Naha widow וְיָת֤וֹםve./ya.Tomand/ a fatherless one וּמַטֵּי־u./ma.tei-and/ [those who] thrust aside גֵר֙ger<of> a sojourner וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not יְרֵא֔וּנִיye.re.'U./nithey fear/ me אָמַ֖ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh צְבָאֽוֹת׃tze.va.'otof hosts

King James Version

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

Cross-references

James 5:8 You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
Deuteronomy 5:11 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
James 5:4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Malachi 2:14 Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Galatians 5:19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
Jeremiah 7:9 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”