Malachi 2 · Verse 16

Malachi 2:16

For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
Malachi 2:16, King James Version

Malachi 2:16 in other translations

BSB“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.
WEBOne who hates and divorces”, says the LORD, the God of Israel, “covers his garment with violence!” says the LORD of Armies. “Therefore pay attention to your spirit, that you don’t be unfaithful.
ASVFor I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
YLTFor I hate sending away, said Jehovah, God of Israel, And He who hath covered violence with his clothing, said Jehovah of Hosts, And ye have been watchful over your spirit, And ye do not deal treacherously.
DARBY(for I hate putting away, saith Jehovah the God of Israel;) and he covereth with violence his garment, saith Jehovah of hosts: take heed then to your spirit, that ye deal not unfaithfully.
BBEFor I am against the putting away of a wife, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and against him who is clothed with violent acts, says the Lord of armies: so give thought to your spirit and do not be false in your acts.
WebsterFor the LORD, the God of Israel, saith, that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

What does Malachi 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Malachi 2:10-16

10-16. Reproof of those who contracted marriages with foreigners and repudiated their Jewish wives. 10. Have we not all one father?--Why, seeing we all have one common origin, "do we deal treacherously against one another" ("His brother" being a general expression implying that all are "brethren" and sisters as children of the same Father above (1Th 4:3-6), and so including the wives so injured)? namely, by putting…

Read the full comment on Malachi 2:10-16 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 For the Lord - hateth putting away - He abominates all such divorces, and him that makes them. Covereth violence with his garment - And he also notes those who frame idle excuses to cover the violence they have done to the wives of their youth, by putting them away, and taking others in their place, whom they now happen to like better, when their own wives have been worn down in domestic services.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Malachi 2:10-17

Corrupt practices are the fruit of corrupt principles; and he who is false to his God, will not be true to his fellow mortals. In contempt of the marriage covenant, which God instituted, the Jews put away the wives they had of their own nation, probably to make room for strange wives. They made their lives bitter to them; yet, in the sight of others, they pretend to be tender of them. Consider she is thy wife; thy…

Read the full comment on Malachi 2:10-17 →

Malachi 2:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
שָׂנֵ֣אsa.Ne'he hatesH8130
שַׁלַּ֗חsha.Lachsending awayH7971
אָמַ֤ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְכִסָּ֤הve.khi.Sahand he will coverH3680
חָמָס֙cha.MasviolenceH2555
עַל\־'al-overH5921
לְבוּשׁ֔וֹle.vu.Shoclothing hisH3830
אָמַ֖ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
צְבָא֑וֹתtze.va.'otof hostsH6635
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥םve.nish.mar.Temand you will take heedH8104
בְּרוּחֲכֶ֖םbe.ru.cha.Khemin spirit yourH7307
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
תִבְגֹּֽדוּ\׃\ \סtiv.Go.duyou must act treacherouslyH898

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Malachi 2:16

  • Matthew 19:3-9

    The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. …

  • Matthew 5:31-32

    It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

  • Mark 10:2-12

    And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. …

  • Luke 16:18

    Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

  • Proverbs 28:13

    He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

  • Deuteronomy 24:1-4

    When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

  • Micah 7:2-3

    The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

  • Isaiah 59:6

    Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

  • Isaiah 50:1

    Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Lord.
De 24:1-4; Isa 50:1; Mt 5:31,32; 19:3-9; Mr 10:2-12; Lu 16:18
that he hateth putting away. or, if he hate her, put heraway. Heb. to put away. covereth.
Pr 28:13; Isa 28:20; 59:6; Mic 7:2,3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Malachi 2:15

    And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

  • Malachi 2:16

    For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

  • Malachi 2:17

    Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

Read all of Malachi 2

Malachi 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque Jehová Dios de Israel ha dicho que él aborrece que sea repudiada; y cubra la iniquidad con su vestido, dijo Jehová de los ejércitos. Guardaos pues en vuestros espíritus, y no seáis desleales.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
(car je hais la répudiation, dit l’ Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël)…; il couvre aussi de violence son vêtement, dit l’ Éternel des armées. Prenez donc garde à votre esprit, et n’agissez pas perfidement.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn ich hasse Entlassung, spricht Jehova, der Gott Israels; und er bedeckt mit Gewalttat sein Gewand spricht Jehova der Heerscharen. So hütet euch in eurem Geiste, daß ihr nicht treulos handelt!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cum odio habueris, dimitte, dicit Dominus Deus Israël: operiet autem iniquitas vestimentum ejus, dicit Dominus exercituum. Custodite spiritum vestrum, et nolite despicere.