Malachi

Malachi 2:13–16

¹³And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.

¹⁴Yet 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.

¹⁵Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

¹⁶“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,”^b says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

Footnotes

b 2:16 Or “For the man who hates his wife and divorces her,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence,”

Read all of Malachi 2

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Malachi 2:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And this	וְזֹאת֙	wə·zōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
is another	שֵׁנִ֣ית	šê·nîṯ	Number - ordinal feminine singular	H8145 second
thing you do	תַּֽעֲשׂ֔וּ	ta·‘ă·śū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H6213 do, make
You cover	כַּסּ֤וֹת	kas·sō·wṯ	Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H3680 cover
the altar	מִזְבַּ֣ח	miz·baḥ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4196 altar
of the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
with tears	דִּמְעָה֙	dim·‘āh	Noun - feminine singular	H1832 tears
with weeping	בְּכִ֖י	bə·ḵî	Noun - masculine singular	H1065 weeping
and groaning	וַֽאֲנָקָ֑ה	wa·’ă·nā·qāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H603 crying, groaning
because He no	מֵאֵ֣ין	mê·’ên	Preposition-m; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
longer	ע֗וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
regards	פְּנוֹת֙	pə·nō·wṯ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6437 turn
your offerings	הַמִּנְחָ֔ה	ham·min·ḥāh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4503 gift, tribute, offering
or receives them	וְלָקַ֥חַת	wə·lā·qa·ḥaṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3947 take
gladly	רָצ֖וֹן	rā·ṣō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H7522 goodwill, favour, acceptance, will
from your hands	מִיֶּדְכֶֽם׃	mî·yeḏ·ḵem	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H3027 hand

Malachi 2:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Yet you ask	וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם	wa·’ă·mar·tem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
Why	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
It is because	עַ֡ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
the LORD	יְהוָה֩	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
has been a witness	הֵעִ֨יד	hê·‘îḏ	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5749 return, go about, repeat, do again
between you	בֵּינְךָ֜	bê·nə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H996 interval, space between
and	וּבֵ֣ין׀	ū·ḇên	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H996 interval, space between
the wife	אֵ֣שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
of your youth	נְעוּרֶ֗יךָ	nə·‘ū·re·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young
against whom	אֲשֶׁ֤ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
you	אַתָּה֙	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
have broken faith	בָּגַ֣דְתָּה	bā·ḡaḏ·tāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H898 act or deal treacherously
though she is	וְהִ֥יא	wə·hî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
your companion	חֲבֶרְתְּךָ֖	ḥă·ḇer·tə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2278 consort
and your wife	וְאֵ֥שֶׁת	wə·’ê·šeṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
by covenant	בְּרִיתֶֽךָ׃	bə·rî·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1285 covenant

Malachi 2:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Has not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
made them	עָשָׂ֗ה	‘ā·śāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
one	אֶחָ֣ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
having a portion	וּשְׁאָ֥ר	ū·šə·’ār	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7605 remain, be left over
of the Spirit	ר֙וּחַ֙	rū·aḥ	Noun - common singular	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
And why	וּמָה֙	ū·māh	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
one	הָֽאֶחָ֔ד	hā·’e·ḥāḏ	Article; Number - masculine singular	H259 one
Because He seeks	מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ	mə·ḇaq·qêš	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H1245 seek
godly	אֱלֹהִ֑ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
offspring	זֶ֣רַע	ze·ra‘	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
So guard yourselves	וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙	wə·niš·mar·tem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
in your spirit	בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם	bə·rū·ḥă·ḵem	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
and do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
break faith	יִבְגֹּֽד׃	yiḇ·gōḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H898 act or deal treacherously
with the wife	וּבְאֵ֥שֶׁת	ū·ḇə·’ê·šeṯ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
of your youth	נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ	nə·‘ū·re·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young

Malachi 2:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I hate	שָׂנֵ֣א	śā·nê	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H8130 hate
divorce	שַׁלַּ֗ח	šal·laḥ	Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H7971 send
says	אָמַ֤ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the God	אֱלֹהֵ֣י	’ĕ·lō·hê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H430 God
of Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
He	וְכִסָּ֤ה	wə·ḵis·sāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H3680 cover
his garment	לְבוּשׁ֔וֹ	lə·ḇū·šōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3830 garment, clothing, raiment
with	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
violence	חָמָס֙	ḥā·mās	Noun - masculine singular	H2555 violence, wrong
says	אָמַ֖ר	’ā·mar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
of Hosts	צְבָא֑וֹת	ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ	Noun - common plural	H6635 army, war, warfare
So guard yourselves	וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם	wə·niš·mar·tem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
in your spirit	בְּרוּחֲכֶ֖ם	bə·rū·ḥă·ḵem	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine plural	H7307 breath, wind, spirit
and do not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
break faith	תִבְגֹּֽדוּ׃ס	ṯiḇ·gō·ḏū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural	H898 act or deal treacherously