Malachi 3:16

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another,.... Abarbinel thinks this is a continuation of the speech of the wicked; observing, that while they that work wickedness were set up, and

Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

Then; when atheism and bold contempt of God was grown so high, and was so plainly and smartly reproved by the prophet. They that feared the Lord; those that were truly religious, that knew God’ s judgments were a great deep, and that his ways were as high above our ways as heaven above the earth. Spake often one to another; discoursed aright of God’ s mercy, justice, patience, holiness, and wisdom in his government and manage of the sells of men; established one another against the assaults of such proud, contemptuous disputers; encouraged each other to wait for God in the way of his judgments. Though it is not said what they spake, we have reason to believe it was as good of God and his proceedings as the discourse of the wicked was evil. The godly spake things that did as much become the ways of God, as what the wicked spake did disparage the ways of an omniscient, holy, patient, and just God. The Lord hearkened: after the manner of man, the Lord is represented as if he did listen to hear more distinctly, and as if he did incline his ear. And heard it; clearly, perfectly, and fully understood and observed, and what the godly spake of him and for him. A book of remembrance was written before him; a registry was made of the persons and their discourses. This is after the manner of men spoken of God, whose omniscience seeth, knoweth, and remembereth all; but this book is written before the Lord, he will have every good man, every good word of such, and every good thought such have for him, entered under his eye, that they may be assured of a comfortable reward for it. For them, on their behalf, that feared the Lord: see above. That thought upon his name, with love, esteem, and holy admiration. Then; when atheism and bold contempt of God was grown so high, and was so plainly and smartly reproved by the prophet. That thought upon his name, with love, esteem, and holy admiration.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.Ver. 16. Then they that feared the Lord, &c.] Then, when all flesh had corrupted their ways, Genesis 6:12, and the whole world turned atheists. Then, when there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land, none to speak of, but that it was even darkened with profaneness, Hosea 4:1; as Egypt was with those very grievous locusts that covered the eye thereof, Exodus 10:14-15. Then, when the faithful city was become a harlot, Isaiah 1:21-22; her silver turned into dross, her wine mixed with water; her people not dilute only, but dissolute; herself ex aurea facta est argentea, ex argentea ferrea, ex ferrea terrea, as one once said of Rome, of gold become silver, of silver iron, of iron earth, or rather muck. Then they that feared the Lord] Those few names that had not defiled their garments in so foul a season, Revelation 3:4; but had kept themselves unspotted of the world, undefiled in the way; so as that wicked one had not touched them, 1 John 5:18, had not thrust his deadly sting into them, had not transformed them into sin’ s image. These stood up to stickle for God, to stop the mouth of blasphemy, and to stablish one another in persuasion of God’ s holy truth, and constant care of his dear children. Spake often one to another] Montanus renders it, Tunc vastati sunt timentes Dominum; sc. ab impiis et atheis impune eos invadentibus; that is, Then were those that feared the Lord wasted and destroyed, viz. by those wicked atheists, who fell from fierce words to bloody blows; so the word is used, 2 Chronicles 22:10 Psalms 2:5. But this is far set, and nothing so agreeable to the mind of the Holy Ghost here, as our English, after other approved translations. It is the same word that is used Malachi 3:13. Those spoke not so much against God as these did for him, and about him to each other, for mutual confirmation, that that which was halting haply might not be turned out of the way, but healed rather, Hebrews 12:13. Great is the benefit of Christian conference for strengthening the weak knees, and comforting the feebleminded. "How forcible are right words!" Job 6:25. One seasonable truth falling upon a prepared heart hath often a strong and sweet operation; as some speeches of Staupicius had upon Luther: of whom the story is told that he was much cheered up by conference with an old priest discoursing about justification by faith, and explaining the Articles of the Creed to him. Latimer, likewise, was much furthered by hearing Bilney’ s confession, and having frequent conference with him at Heretics’ Hill, as the place where they most used to walk in the fields at Cambridge was called long after.

(16) Then shall ye . . . between.—Better, Then shall ye again perceive the difference between. For the construction, comp. Zechariah 4:1. As in former cases God had made this difference manifest, so He would again. Compare, for instance, the difference between the case of the Egyptians and of the Israelites in the matter of the miraculous darkness (Exodus 10:23).

Verse 16. They that feared the Lord] There were a few godly in the land, who, hearing the language and seeing the profligacy of the rebels above, concluded that some signal mark of God's vengeance must fall upon them; they, therefore, as the corruption increased, cleaved the closer to their Maker. There are three characteristics given of this people, viz.: - 1. They feared the Lord. They had that reverence for Jehovah that caused them to depart from evil, and to keep his ordinances. 2. They spake often one to another. They kept up the communion of saints. By mutual exhortation they strengthened each other's hands in the Lord. 3. They thought on his name. His name was sacred to them; it was a fruitful source of profound and edifying meditation. The name of God is God himself in the plenitude of his power, omniscience, justice, goodness, mercy, and truth. What a source for thinking and contemplation! See how God treats such persons: The Lord hearkened to their conversation, heard the meditations of their hearts; and so approved of the whole that a book of remembrance was written before the Lord-all their names were carefully registered in heaven. Here is an allusion to records kept by kings, Es 6:1, of such as had performed signal services, and who should be the first to be rewarded.

16. Then] When they heard “the hard speeches which ungodly sinners spake against Him” (Judges 15), then they spake one to another words of reverent trust and love and piety. “The more the ungodly spake against God, the more these spake among themselves for God’ ” Pusey. Some modern commentators, however (e.g. Maurer and Hitzig), regard Malachi 3:14-15 as the substance of what the godly spake one to another; and this view, unsatisfactory as it is, appears to be that of the LXX.: ταῦτακατελάλησανοἱφοβούμενοιτὸνκύριον, ἕκαστοςπρὸςτὸνπλησίοναὐτοῦ. spake often] Omit often. See note on Malachi 3:13 above. a book of remembrance] Canon Rawlinson (in The Speaker’s Commentary, on Esther 6:3) says, “It was a settled principle of the Persian government that ‘Royal Benefactors’ were to receive an adequate reward. The names of such persons were placed on a special roll (Herod. VIII. 85), and great care was taken that they should be properly recompensed (see Herod. III. 140, v. II, VIII. 85; Thucyd. I. 138; Xen. Hel. 111. 1. § 6, &c.). It is a mistake, however, to suppose (Davidson) that they were always rewarded at once. Themistocles was inscribed on the list in b.c. 480, but did not obtain a reward till b.c. 465. Other ‘benefactors’ waited for months (Herod. Malachi 3:11) or perhaps years (ib. IX. 107) before they were recompensed.” The figure of a Book of record or remembrance, as kept or directed to be kept by Almighty God, is of early as well as of very general occurrence in Holy Scripture. Moreover there was a ‘Recorder’ in the court of the Hebrew kings. See Exodus 17:14; Exodus 32:32; Psalms 69:28; Daniel 7:10; Luke 10:20; Revelation 20:12. thought upon] Gesenius compares “which shall not regard silver”, Isaiah 13:17; “he regardeth no man”, Isaiah 33:8; “we esteemed him not”, Isaiah 53:3; in all which places the same Hebrew word is used. In all these places in Isaiah (though not here in Malachi) the LXX. have λογίζομαι as the equivalent, which is the word employed by St Paul in a similar sense, ταῦταλογίζεσθε, Philippians 4:8.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often among themselves - The proud-speaking of the ungodly called out the piety of the God-fearing.