Malachi

Malachi 2:14–16

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 2:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Yet you askוַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖םwa·’ă·mar·temConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralH559 utter, say
Whyעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
It is becauseעַ֡ל‘alPrepositionH5921 height
the LORDיְהוָה֩Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
has been a witnessהֵעִ֨ידhê·‘îḏVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5749 return, go about, repeat, do again
between youבֵּינְךָ֜bê·nə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH996 interval, space between
andוּבֵ֣ין׀ū·ḇênConjunctive waw; PrepositionH996 interval, space between
the wifeאֵ֣שֶׁת’ê·šeṯNoun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
of your youthנְעוּרֶ֗יךָnə·‘ū·re·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH5271 youth, juvenility, young
against whomאֲשֶׁ֤ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
youאַתָּה֙’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
have broken faithבָּגַ֣דְתָּהbā·ḡaḏ·tāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH898 act or deal treacherously
though she isוְהִ֥יאwə·hîConjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person feminine singularH1931 he, she
your companionחֲבֶרְתְּךָ֖ḥă·ḇer·tə·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH2278 consort
and your wifeוְאֵ֥שֶׁתwə·’ê·šeṯConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
by covenantבְּרִיתֶֽךָ׃bə·rî·ṯe·ḵāNoun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH1285 covenant

Malachi 2:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Has notוְלֹא־wə·lō-Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
made themעָשָׂ֗ה‘ā·śāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH6213 do, make
oneאֶחָ֣ד’e·ḥāḏNumber - masculine singularH259 one
having a portionוּשְׁאָ֥רū·šə·’ārConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH7605 remain, be left over
of the Spiritר֙וּחַ֙rū·aḥNoun - common singularH7307 breath, wind, spirit
And whyוּמָה֙ū·māhConjunctive waw; InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
oneהָֽאֶחָ֔דhā·’e·ḥāḏArticle; Number - masculine singularH259 one
Because He seeksמְבַקֵּ֖שׁmə·ḇaq·qêšVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine singularH1245 seek
godlyאֱלֹהִ֑ים’ĕ·lō·hîmNoun - masculine pluralH430 God
offspringזֶ֣רַעze·ra‘Noun - masculine singular constructH2233 sowing, seed, offspring
So guard yourselvesוְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙wə·niš·mar·temConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralH8104 keep, watch, preserve
in your spiritבְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔םbə·rū·ḥă·ḵemPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine pluralH7307 breath, wind, spirit
and do notאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
break faithיִבְגֹּֽד׃yiḇ·gōḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH898 act or deal treacherously
with the wifeוּבְאֵ֥שֶׁתū·ḇə·’ê·šeṯConjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH802 woman, wife, female
of your youthנְעוּרֶ֖יךָnə·‘ū·re·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH5271 youth, juvenility, young

Malachi 2:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Forכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
I hateשָׂנֵ֣אśā·nêVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH8130 hate
divorceשַׁלַּ֗חšal·laḥVerb - Piel - Infinitive constructH7971 send
saysאָמַ֤ר’ā·marVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
the LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
the Godאֱלֹהֵ֣י’ĕ·lō·hêNoun - masculine plural constructH430 God
of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
Heוְכִסָּ֤הwə·ḵis·sāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularH3680 cover
his garmentלְבוּשׁ֔וֹlə·ḇū·šōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH3830 garment, clothing, raiment
withעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
violenceחָמָס֙ḥā·māsNoun - masculine singularH2555 violence, wrong
saysאָמַ֖ר’ā·marVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
the LORDיְהוָ֣הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
of Hostsצְבָא֑וֹתṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯNoun - common pluralH6635 army, war, warfare
So guard yourselvesוְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥םwə·niš·mar·temConjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralH8104 keep, watch, preserve
in your spiritבְּרוּחֲכֶ֖םbə·rū·ḥă·ḵemPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine pluralH7307 breath, wind, spirit
and do notוְלֹ֥אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
break faithתִבְגֹּֽדוּ׃סṯiḇ·gō·ḏūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralH898 act or deal treacherously

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Malachi 2:14 Malachi 2:15 · Ecclesiastes 9:9 · Isaiah 54:6 · Genesis 31:50 · Proverbs 2:17 · Malachi 3:5 · Jeremiah 8:12 · Jeremiah 42:5 · Proverbs 5:18–19 · Micah 1:2 · Proverbs 30:20 · Malachi 1:6–7

Malachi 2:15 Matthew 19:4–6 · Malachi 2:14 · Mark 10:6–8 · Genesis 2:20–24 · Genesis 1:27 · 1 Timothy 3:11–12 · 2 Corinthians 6:18 · 1 Corinthians 7:14 · Hosea 1:10 · 1 Timothy 3:4–5 · Titus 1:6 · Job 27:3

Malachi 2:16 Matthew 19:3–9 · Matthew 5:31–32 · Mark 10:2–12 · Luke 16:18 · Proverbs 28:13 · Isaiah 50:1 · Micah 7:2–3 · Deuteronomy 24:1–4 · Isaiah 59:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.