The Meaning of Malachi 3:15 Explained

Malachi 3:15

KJV: And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

YLT: And now, we are declaring the proud happy, Yea, built up have been those doing wickedness, Yea they have tempted God, and escape.'

Darby: And now we hold the proud for happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and they escape.

ASV: And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And now we call  the proud  happy;  yea, they that work  wickedness  are set up;  yea, [they that] tempt  God  are even delivered. 

What does Malachi 3:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

It seemed better for them to become self-assertive because then some good things would come their way. It was those who practiced wickedness who got ahead and grew stronger materially (cf. Malachi 2:17). For them life was all about material prosperity, so it seemed better to be wicked than righteous. Even though they tested the Lord"s patience and tried to provoke a reaction from Him by behaving as they did, they escaped His punishment only temporarily.

Context Summary

Malachi 3:13-18 - Wickedness And Pride Shall Find Judgment
The day cometh! either in the fall of Jerusalem or in some terrible catastrophe yet future. Whenever it comes may we be reckoned as God's peculiar treasure, preserved as a woman preserves her jewels in the day of calamity, Malachi 3:17. Sorrow and disaster are perpetually befalling the proud, or those that do wickedly; while on those who fear God's name the dawn of the sun of righteousness is forever breaking and growing to the perfect day. In the beams of the sun there are not only light and color, but rays which bear health and vitality to the world and to men; so in Jesus there is power to salvation. Notice how the Old Testament ends with the word curse, while the Christ's proclamation opens with Blessed.
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Chapter Summary: Malachi 3

1  Of the messenger, majesty, and grace of Christ
7  Of the rebellion,
8  sacrilege,
13  and infidelity of the people
16  The promise of blessing to those who fear God

What do the individual words in Malachi 3:15 mean?

so now we call blessed the presumptuous for are raised up those who do wickedness Yes they even tempt God and go free
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים זֵדִ֑ים גַּם־ נִבְנוּ֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י רִשְׁעָ֔ה גַּ֧ם בָּחֲנ֛וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ

וְעַתָּ֕ה  so  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים  call  blessed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָשַׁר 
Sense: to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress.
זֵדִ֑ים  the  presumptuous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: זֵד  
Sense: arrogant, proud, insolent, presumptuous.
נִבְנוּ֙  are  raised  up 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
עֹשֵׂ֣י  those  who  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רִשְׁעָ֔ה  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִשְׁעָה  
Sense: wickedness, guilt.
גַּ֧ם  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בָּחֲנ֛וּ  they  even  tempt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּחַן  
Sense: to examine, try, prove.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ  and  go  free 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.