Malachi 3:6
New International Version
“I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

New Living Translation
“I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.

English Standard Version
“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

Berean Standard Bible
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

King James Bible
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

New King James Version
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

New American Standard Bible
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

NASB 1995
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

NASB 1977
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Legacy Standard Bible
“For I, Yahweh, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Amplified Bible
“For I am the LORD, I do not change [but remain faithful to My covenant with you]; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

Christian Standard Bible
“Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.”

American Standard Version
For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Contemporary English Version
Descendants of Jacob, I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I never change. That's why you haven't been wiped out,

English Revised Version
For I the LORD change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I, the LORD, never change. That is why you descendants of Jacob haven't been destroyed yet.

Good News Translation
"I am the LORD, and I do not change. And so you, the descendants of Jacob, are not yet completely lost.

International Standard Version
"Because I the LORD don't change; therefore you children of Jacob aren't destroyed."

Majority Standard Bible
?Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

NET Bible
"Since, I, the LORD, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished.

New Heart English Bible
"For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Webster's Bible Translation
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

World English Bible
“For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“For I, YHWH, have not changed, "" And you, the sons of Jacob, "" You have not been consumed.

Young's Literal Translation
For I am Jehovah, I have not changed, And ye, the sons of Jacob, Ye have not been consumed.

Smith's Literal Translation
For I am Jehovah, I changed not; and ye the sons of Jacob were not finished.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For I am the Lord, and I do not change. And you, the sons of Jacob, have not been consumed.

New American Bible
For I, the LORD, do not change, and you, sons of Jacob, do not cease to be.

New Revised Standard Version
For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For I am the LORD, I change not; but you sons of Jacob have not departed from your iniquities.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because I AM LORD JEHOVAH and I have not changed, and you sons of Yaqob have not passed from your evil
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For I the LORD change not; And ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Robbing God
6“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. 7Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’…

Cross References
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 102:27
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

Isaiah 46:9-10
Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. / I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. / They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

1 Samuel 15:29
Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”

Psalm 33:11
The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.

Psalm 100:5
For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.

Isaiah 41:4
Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.”


Treasury of Scripture

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

I am.

Genesis 15:7,18
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it…

Genesis 22:16
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

Exodus 3:14,15
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you…

I change not.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1 Samuel 15:29
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

Psalm 102:26
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

therefore.

Psalm 78:38,57
But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath…

Psalm 103:17
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

Psalm 105:7-10
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth…

Jump to Previous
Change Changed Consumed Cut Descendants Destroyed Jacob Unchanged
Jump to Next
Change Changed Consumed Cut Descendants Destroyed Jacob Unchanged
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.














I, the LORD, do not change
This phrase is foundational to understanding the nature of God as presented in the Bible. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred tetragrammaton, which signifies God's eternal and self-existent nature. The declaration "do not change" underscores God's immutability, a key attribute in conservative Christian theology. This means that God's character, promises, and purposes remain constant throughout time. In a world where everything seems to be in flux, this assurance provides believers with a firm foundation for their faith. Historically, this immutability is a source of comfort, as it assures the Israelites—and by extension, all believers—that God's covenantal promises are reliable and steadfast.

therefore you, O sons of Jacob
The phrase "sons of Jacob" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. This is a direct address to the Israelites, reminding them of their unique covenant relationship with God. The use of "Jacob" instead of "Israel" may emphasize their human frailty and tendency to stray, as Jacob was known for his struggles and imperfections. Historically, the Israelites often wavered in their faithfulness, yet God remained committed to them. This serves as a reminder of God's grace and patience, as He continues to uphold His promises despite human shortcomings.

are not consumed
The word "consumed" in Hebrew is "kalah," which can mean to be finished or destroyed. This phrase highlights God's mercy and faithfulness. Despite the Israelites' repeated disobedience and failure to uphold their end of the covenant, they are "not consumed" because of God's unchanging nature. This is a powerful testament to divine grace, as it implies that God's commitment to His people is not based on their merit but on His steadfast love and promise. In a broader theological context, this assurance of preservation is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are assured of their security in Christ. Historically, this has been a source of hope for the faithful, knowing that God's mercy triumphs over judgment.

(6) For I am the Lord, I change not.--Better, For I Jehovah change not. Because it is the Eternal's unchangeable will that the sons of Jacob, His chosen people, should not perish as a nation, He will purify them by the eradication of the wicked among them, that the remnant (the superior part; see Note on Malachi 2:15) may return to their allegiance. (Comp. Romans 11) Ewald renders the words: For I, the LORD, have not changed: hut ye sons of Jacob, have ye not altered? But the last verb does not mean "to alter;" and, moreover, the former translation is exactly in accordance with the wording of the prayer in Ezra 9:14-15.

Verse 6. - For I am the Lord, I change not; or, Jehovah, I change not. This is to show that God performs his promises, and effectually disposes of the allegation in Malachi 2:17, that he put no difference between the evil and the good. The great principles of right and wrong never alter; they are as everlasting as he who gave them. God here speaks of himself by his covenant name, which expresses his eternal independent being, "the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Because God's eternal purpose stands good, and his "gifts and calling are without repentance" (Romans 11:29), therefore the Israelites are indeed chastised and corrected, but not wholly consumed; they have a place and a nation, and the great promises made to their foregathers will all be fulfilled in due time (Jeremiah 30:11; Micah 7:20). He calls them "sons of Jacob," to remind them of the covenant made with their great ancestor, which was the portion of all true Israelites (comp. Jeremiah 33:20, 21). Orelli would read, "Ye have not made an end," i.e. of your sins; so virtually the Septuagint, which joins this clause to the following verse. But the present text is most probably correct.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Because
כִּ֛י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I,
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

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

do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

change,
שָׁנִ֑יתִי (šā·nî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8138: To fold, duplicate, to transmute

you
וְאַתֶּ֥ם (wə·’at·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

descendants
בְּנֵֽי־ (bə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

have not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

been destroyed.
כְלִיתֶֽם׃ (ḵə·lî·ṯem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent


Links
Malachi 3:6 NIV
Malachi 3:6 NLT
Malachi 3:6 ESV
Malachi 3:6 NASB
Malachi 3:6 KJV

Malachi 3:6 BibleApps.com
Malachi 3:6 Biblia Paralela
Malachi 3:6 Chinese Bible
Malachi 3:6 French Bible
Malachi 3:6 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Malachi 3:6 For I Yahweh don't change (Malachi Mal Ml)
Malachi 3:5
Top of Page
Top of Page