Malachi 3:13
New International Version
“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’

New Living Translation
“You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD. “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’

English Standard Version
“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’

Berean Standard Bible
“Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

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

New King James Version
“Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

New American Standard Bible
“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

NASB 1995
“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

NASB 1977
“Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against Thee?’

Legacy Standard Bible
“Your words have been strong against Me,” says Yahweh. “But you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

Amplified Bible
“Your words have been harsh against Me,” says the LORD. “But you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

Christian Standard Bible
“Your words against me are harsh,” says the LORD. Yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your words against Me are harsh,” says the LORD. Yet you ask: “What have we spoken against You?”

American Standard Version
Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

Contemporary English Version
You have said horrible things about me, and yet you ask, "What have we said?"

English Revised Version
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein have we spoken against thee?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"You have used harsh words against me," says the LORD. "You ask, 'How have we spoken against you?'

Good News Translation
"You have said terrible things about me," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'What have we said about you?'

International Standard Version
"You have spoken arrogant words against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, 'What did we say against you?'

Majority Standard Bible
“Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

NET Bible
"You have criticized me sharply," says the LORD, "but you ask, 'How have we criticized you?'

New Heart English Bible
"Your words have been stout against me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?'

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

World English Bible
“Your words have been harsh against me,” says Yahweh. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Your words have been hard against Me,” said YHWH, "" “And you have said, What have we spoken against You?

Young's Literal Translation
Hard against Me have been your words, Said Jehovah, and ye have said: 'What have we spoken against Thee?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Your words were strong against me, said Jehovah. And ye said, What did we speak against thee?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Your words have been unsufferable to me, saith the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Your words have gathered strength over me, says the Lord.

New American Bible
Your words are too much for me, says the LORD. You ask, “What have we spoken against you?”

New Revised Standard Version
You have spoken harsh words against me, says the LORD. Yet you say, “How have we spoken against you?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Your words have been grievous against me, says the LORD. And you say, What have we spoken against thee?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Your words have been grievous against me, says LORD JEHOVAH, and if you say, ”What have we spoken against you?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Your words have been all too strong against Me, Saith the LORD. Yet ye say: 'Wherein have we spoken against thee?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye have spoken grievous words against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye said, Wherein have we spoken against thee?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Robbing God
12“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts. 13“Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:19
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

Job 21:14-15
Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways. / Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

Psalm 73:8-9
They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. / They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.

Jeremiah 2:31
You people of this generation, consider the word of the LORD: “Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of dense darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to You no more’?

Ezekiel 18:25
Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

Zephaniah 1:12
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

Isaiah 58:3
“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers.

Job 34:9
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’

Psalm 10:11
He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.”

Psalm 94:7
They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

Matthew 12:36-37
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. / For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Romans 3:13-14
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.” / “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

James 3:5-6
In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. / The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

2 Peter 3:3-4
Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. / “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”


Treasury of Scripture

Your words have been stout against me, said the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken so much against you?

Your.

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?

Exodus 5:2
And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

2 Chronicles 32:14-19
Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? …

What.

Malachi 3:8
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Malachi 1:6-8
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? …

Malachi 2:14,17
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant…

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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.














Your words
This phrase refers to the speech or declarations of the people of Israel. In the Hebrew text, the word for "words" is "דִּבְרֵיכֶם" (dibrekhem), which can also mean "sayings" or "utterances." This indicates not just casual conversation but significant statements that reflect the heart and attitude of the speaker. In the context of Malachi, these words are not just idle talk but are seen as a reflection of the people's spiritual state and their relationship with God.

have been harsh
The Hebrew word used here is "חָזְקוּ" (chazku), which can mean "strong," "severe," or "harsh." This suggests that the words spoken by the people were not only negative but also forceful and damaging. Historically, this reflects a period when the Israelites were disillusioned and questioning God's justice and faithfulness. Their harsh words reveal a deep-seated frustration and a lack of trust in God's promises.

against Me
The phrase "against Me" indicates that the words spoken were not just general complaints but were directed specifically at God. This is a serious accusation, as it implies a direct challenge to God's character and authority. In the broader scriptural context, speaking against God is seen as a grave sin, reflecting a rebellious heart. It shows a lack of reverence and a failure to recognize God's sovereignty.

says the LORD
This phrase underscores the authority and seriousness of the message. "The LORD" in Hebrew is "יְהוָה" (YHWH), the personal name of God, which signifies His eternal and unchanging nature. When the text states "says the LORD," it emphasizes that this is not merely a prophet's opinion but a divine pronouncement. It serves as a reminder of God's ultimate authority and the importance of heeding His words.

Yet you ask
This phrase reveals the people's incredulity and lack of self-awareness. The word "ask" suggests a questioning or challenging attitude. It indicates that the people are either unaware of their wrongdoing or are in denial about the severity of their actions. This reflects a common biblical theme where God's people fail to recognize their own sinfulness and need for repentance.

‘What have we said against You?’
This rhetorical question highlights the people's ignorance or willful blindness to their own actions. It suggests a disconnect between their perception and reality. In the historical context, this reflects a time when the Israelites were struggling with their faith and were unable to see how their attitudes and words were offensive to God. This question serves as a call to self-examination and repentance, urging the people to reflect on their relationship with God and to realign their hearts with His will.

(13) Your words . . . against me.--Better, your words put a constraint on me: viz., to prove myself to you to be "the God of judgment."

Spoken.--Or rather, conversed together. (Comp. Malachi 3:16.) They seem to have been in the habit of conversing together, and comparing the promises of God towards them with the then state of affairs. God had promised that they should be a proverb among the nations for blessedness; but, say they, seeing that things are as they are, "we [feel more inclined to] call the proud happy [or blessed]." (See further in Note on Malachi 3:15.)

Verses 13-18. - § 3. The impious murmuring of the people is contrasted with the conduct of those who fear God; and the reward of the pious is set forth. Verse 13. - Your words have been stout against me. Ye have spoken hard words of me (comp. Jude 1:15, where we read of "the hard speeches (σκληρῶν) which ungodly sinners have spoken against" God). Some specimens of these speeches are given in answer to the usual sceptical inquiry. They are of the same character as those in Malachi 2:17, and imply that the course of this world is not directed by a moral Governor. What have we spoken so much (together) against thee! What have we said against thee in our conversations with one another?

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Your words
דִּבְרֵיכֶ֖ם (diḇ·rê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

against Me
עָלַ֛י (‘ā·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

have been harsh,”
חָזְק֥וּ (ḥā·zə·qū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

says
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the LORD.
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

“Yet you ask,
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם (wa·’ă·mar·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have we spoken
נִּדְבַּ֖רְנוּ (niḏ·bar·nū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

against You?’
עָלֶֽיךָ׃ (‘ā·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Prophets: Malachi 3:13 Your words have been stout against me (Malachi Mal Ml)
Malachi 3:12
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