The Meaning of Malachi 3:16 Explained

Malachi 3:16

KJV: Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

YLT: Then have those fearing Jehovah spoken one to another, And Jehovah doth attend and hear, And written is a book of memorial before Him Of those fearing Jehovah, And of those esteeming His name.

Darby: Then they that feared Jehovah spoke often one to another; and Jehovah observed it, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.

ASV: Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then they that feared  the LORD  spake often  one  to another:  and the LORD  hearkened,  and heard  [it], and a book  of remembrance  was written  before  him for them that feared  the LORD,  and that thought  upon his name. 

What does Malachi 3:16 Mean?

Study Notes

they remnant, Romans 9:25-29 , (See Scofield " Jeremiah 15:21 ")
feared .
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Verse Meaning

In the first two hortatory speeches the first motivation sections are positive and the second ones are negative. In this last speech the first is mainly positive, but the second is a mixture of positive and negative, though mainly negative.
Upon hearing the Lord"s rebuke through His prophet, some of Malachi"s hearers who genuinely feared the Lord got together. Evidently they discussed Malachi"s message and agreed among themselves that they needed to repent. They even wrote down their commitment on a scroll.
"Almost surely this was a scroll that contained their names as signatories to some sort of statement of their commitment to Yahweh in faith that they were disassociating themselves from the prevailing sins, that his promises were reliable, and that his covenant was to be kept. In other words, it was a covenant renewal document." [1]
Yahweh paid attention to their heart attitude and heard what they said.
"How can an individual remain faithful to God in a faithless world? Malachi gave three tips for developing a lifestyle of faithfulness.
•Vow to be faithful to God, even if those around you are not. Consider writing your own "scroll of remembrance."•Surround yourself with a group of likeminded individuals for encouragement. This group "talked with each other" ( Malachi 3:16) as they encouraged each other to remain faithful (see Hebrews 10:25).•Remember that God"s day of reckoning will come someday. Keep a long-range perspective ( 1 Corinthians 3:12-15)." [2]

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.
[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 3:16 mean?

Then spoke those who feared Yahweh one to another and listened Yahweh and heard [them] so was written a book of remembrance before Him for those who fear Yahweh and who meditate on His name
אָ֧ז נִדְבְּר֛וּ יִרְאֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־ רֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע וַ֠יִּכָּתֵב סֵ֣פֶר זִכָּר֤וֹן לְפָנָיו֙ לְיִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י שְׁמֽוֹ

נִדְבְּר֛וּ  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
יִרְאֵ֥י  those  who  feared 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אִ֣ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֵעֵ֑הוּ  another 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב  and  listened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָשַׁב  
Sense: to hear, be attentive, heed, incline (of ears), attend (of ears), hearken, pay attention, listen.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע  and  heard  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וַ֠יִּכָּתֵב  so  was  written 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
סֵ֣פֶר  a  book 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
זִכָּר֤וֹן  of  remembrance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זִכָּרֹון  
Sense: memorial, reminder, remembrance.
לְפָנָיו֙  before  Him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לְיִרְאֵ֣י  for  those  who  fear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י  and  who  meditate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: חָשַׁב 
Sense: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count.
שְׁמֽוֹ  on  His  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.