Malachi 3 · Verse 18

Malachi 3:18

Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Malachi 3:18, King James Version

Malachi 3:18 in other translations

BSBSo you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
WEBThen you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.
ASVThen shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
YLTAnd ye have turned back and considered, Between the righteous and the wicked, Between the servant of God and him who is not His servant.
DARBYAnd ye shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
BBEThen you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not.
WebsterThen shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

What does Malachi 3:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Malachi 3:13-18

13-18. He notices the complaint of the Jews that it is of no profit to serve Jehovah, for that the ungodly proud are happy; and declares He will soon bring the day when it shall be known that He puts an everlasting distinction between the godly and the ungodly. words ... stout--Hebrew, "hard"; so "the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 15) [Henderson]. have we spoken--The Hebrew…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 Then shall ye return - To your senses, when perhaps too late; and discern - see the difference which God makes, between the righteous and the wicked, which will be most marked and awful. Between him that serveth God - Your obedience to whom, ye said, would be unprofitable to you. And hits that serveth him not - Of whom ye said, his disobedience would be no prejudice to him. You will find the former received into the kingdom of glory; and the latter, with yourselves, thrust down into the bitter pains of an eternal death. Reader, ponder these things. In the great day of the Lord, at least, if not long before, it will be fully discovered who have been the truly wise people; those who took up their cross and followed Christ; or those who satisfied the flesh, with its affections and desires, following a multitude to do evil.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Malachi 3:13-18

Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those who work wickedness, tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judge of things as they will appear when the doom of these proud sinners comes to be executed. Those that feared the Lord, spake kindly, for preserving and promoting mutual love, when sin thus abounded. They spake one to another…

Read the full comment on Malachi 3:13-18 →

Malachi 3:18 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.

וְשַׁבְתֶּם֙ve.shav.Temand you will returnH7725
וּרְאִיתֶ֔םu.re.'i.Temand you will seeH7200
בֵּ֥יןbeinbetweenH996
צַדִּ֖יקtza.Dika righteous [person]H6662
לְרָשָׁ֑עle.ra.Sha'and a wicked [person]H7563
בֵּ֚יןbeinbetweenH996
עֹבֵ֣ד'o.Ved[one who] servesH5647
אֱלֹהִ֔ים'E.lo.Him<of> GodH430
לַאֲשֶׁ֖רla.'a.Sherand [one] whoH834
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
עֲבָדֽוֹ\׃\ \סa.va.Dohe serves himH5647

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

Cross references for Malachi 3:18

  • Matthew 25:46

    And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

  • Genesis 18:25

    That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

  • Psalms 58:10-11

    The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

  • Joshua 24:15

    And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

  • Malachi 3:14-15

    Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

  • Acts 27:23

    For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

  • Jeremiah 12:15

    And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.

  • John 12:26

    If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

    Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: …

  • Isaiah 3:10-11

    Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

  • Acts 16:17

    The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

  • Romans 2:5-6

    But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
shall.
14,15; 1:4; Job 6:29; 17:10; Jer 12:15; Joe 2:14; Zec 1:6
discern.
Ge 18:25; Ps 58:10,11; Isa 3:10,11; Da 12:1-3; Mt 25:46; Ro 2:5,6
2Th 1:5-10
between him.
Jos 24:15; Da 3:17-26; Joh 12:26; Ac 16:17; 27:23; Ro 1:9, 6:16-22
1Th 1:9

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

Context

  • Malachi 3:17

    And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

  • Malachi 3:18

    Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Read all of Malachi 3

Malachi 3:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces os tornaréis, y echaréis de ver la diferencia entre el justo y el malo, entre el que sirve á Dios y el que no le sirve.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors vous reviendrez, et vous ferez la différence entre le juste et le méchant, entre celui qui sert Dieu et celui qui ne le sert pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ihr werdet wiederum den Unterschied sehen zwischen dem Gerechten und dem Gesetzlosen, zwischen dem, der Gott dient, und dem, der ihm nicht dient.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et convertemini, et videbitis quid sit inter justum et impium, et inter servientem Deo et non servientem ei.