The Meaning of Malachi 3:7 Explained

Malachi 3:7

KJV: Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

YLT: Even from the days of your fathers Ye have turned aside from My statutes, And ye have not taken heed. Turn back unto Me, and I turn back to you, Said Jehovah of Hosts. And ye have said, 'In what do we turn back?'

Darby: Since the days of your fathers have ye departed from my statutes, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

ASV: From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Even from the days  of your fathers  ye are gone away  from mine ordinances,  and have not kept  [them]. Return  unto me, and I will return  unto you, saith  the LORD  of hosts.  But ye said,  Wherein shall we return? 

What does Malachi 3:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had said that Israel"s earlier history was a time when the priests and the people of Israel pleased Him ( Malachi 3:4). Now He said that those early days were short-lived (cf. Exodus 32:7-9). In contrast to His faithfulness ( Malachi 3:6), they had been unfaithful.
This third and last hortatory speech in Malachi differs from the previous two in its construction. Whereas the former two both began with positive motivation and ended with negative motivation, this one begins and ends with commands. Whereas the central section in each of them was a command surrounded by evidence for needed change, this one centers on the evidence that is flanked by motivations. Thus this speech, and the entire book, ends with a climactic command to remember the Law ( Malachi 4:4-6).
The focus of the first speech was on the peoples" relationship to God (divine responsibility), the focus of the second one was on their relationship to one another (social responsibility), and the third one is on their relationship to their possessions (economic responsibility).
From Israel"s early history the people had deviated from the straight path that Yahweh had prescribed for them to walk in the Mosaic Covenant. They had disobeyed covenant stipulations. The almighty Lord called His people to return to Him with the promise that if they did He would return to them (cf. Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Deuteronomy 30:1-10). A command to "return" to the Lord, in Malachi 3:7, occurs at the beginning of this speech, and a promise that the Lord would "return" to them, in Malachi 4:6, ends the speech. The response of the people was that they did not know how to return. The Mosaic Covenant specified how they were to return, by trusting and obeying Yahweh, so their question indicated a reluctance to change their ways.
""How should we return?" is not an earnest entreaty for information but a self-serving declaration of innocence. The people, in effect, are saying, "What need do we have to return since we never turned away to begin with?"" [1]
"They were like the stereotypical husband who has failed to recognize that his relationship with his wife has deteriorated." [2]

Context Summary

Malachi 3:1-12 - A Purging From Evil
The opening verses of this chapter stir the heart like the call of a trumpet. We remember how literally they were fulfilled in the presentation of our Lord in the Temple by His parents. Unnoticed by the crowds, jostled amid the press, borne in the arms of poverty, the King suddenly came to His Temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant. Only two faithful retainers, Simeon and Anna, were there to welcome Him. But there is another and more personal reference. Let us keep the doors of our hearts wide open to the coming of the King. There may be no blare of trumpet, no flash of jewel, no cry of herald, but into your heart's secret shrine He will come. Is not this just what we need? Make haste, great Lord of all, and in our poor hearts do thy blessed work, that we may be refined as gold and silver, and offer to thee an offering in righteousness. Then will it be a delight to bring all the tithes into the storehouse. [source]

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 3:7 mean?

Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances and not have kept [them] Return to Me and I will return to you says Yahweh of hosts But you said in what [way] shall we return
לְמִימֵ֨י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם סַרְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם שׁ֤וּבוּ אֵלַי֙ וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֥ה ؟ נָשֽׁוּב

לְמִימֵ֨י  Yet  from  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-l, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
סַרְתֶּ֤ם  You  have  gone  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵֽחֻקַּי֙  from  My  ordinances 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם  have  kept  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
שׁ֤וּבוּ  Return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלַי֙  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה  and  I  will  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אָמַ֖ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָא֑וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם  But  you  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בַּמֶּ֥ה  in  what  [way] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
؟ נָשֽׁוּב  shall  we  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.