SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:14
Habéis dicho: Por demás es servir a Dios; ¿y qué aprovecha que guardemos su ley, y que andemos tristes delante del SEÑOR de los ejércitos?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Malachi 3:14
Verse 14. Ye have said, It is vain to serve God] They strove to destroy the Divine worship; they asserted that it was vanity; that, if they performed acts of worship, they should be nothing the better; and if they abstained, they should be nothing the worse. This was their teaching to the people. Walked mournfully] Even repentance they have declared to be useless.
This was a high pitch of ungodliness; but see what follows; behold the general conclusions of these reprobates:-
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. Ye have said, it [is] vain to serve God , etc.] This they said in their hearts, if not with their lips, that it was a vain thing for a man to serve God; he got nothing by it; he had no reward for it; it fared no better with him than the wicked; nay, the wicked fared better than he; and therefore who would be a worshipper of God? (see Job 21:15). Abarbinel understands this also with respect to God, who is worshipped; to whom worship, say these men, is no ways profitable, nor does he regard it; (see Job 35:7) and therefore it is in vain to serve him, since neither he, nor we, are the better for it: and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance ; or “his observation” f85 ; that is, have observed that which he commanded to be observed; this respects not any single and particular ordinance, but every ordinance of God: the Sadducees of those times seem designed, who denied the resurrection of the dead, and a future state of rewards and punishments, and so might well conclude it in vain to serve God: and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts ? or “in black” f86 ; which is the habit of mourners; (see Psalm 38:6) with an humble spirit, as Jarchi interprets it; or with humiliation (or contrition) of spirit, as the Targum, which paraphrases the whole verse thus, “ye have said, he gains nothing who worships before the Lord; and what mammon (or riches) do we gain because we have kept the observation of his word, and because we have walked in contrition of spirit before the Lord of hosts?”
Aben Ezra and Abarbinel seem to understand this last clause of their being afflicted and suffering for the sake of religion, and which they endured in vain, seeing they were not respected and rewarded for it; but the other sense is best, which represents them as sincere penitents, and humble worshippers of God in their own account, and yet were not taken notice of by him: it seems to describe the Pharisees, who disfigured their faces, and affected down looks and sorrowful countenances f87 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 13-18 - Among the Jews at this time, some plainly discovered themselves to be children of the wicked one. The yoke of Christ is easy. But those wh work wickedness, tempt God by presumptuous sins. Judge of things a they will appear when the doom of these proud sinners comes to be executed. Those that feared the Lord, spake kindly, for preserving an promoting mutual love, when sin thus abounded. They spake one to another, in the language of those that fear the Lord, and think on his name. As evil communications corrupt good minds and manners, so goo communications confirm them. A book of remembrance was written befor God. He will take care that his children perish not with those tha believe not. They shall be vessels of mercy and honour, when the res are made vessels of wrath and dishonour. The saints are God's jewels they are dear to him. He will preserve them as his jewels, when the earth is burned up like dross. Those who now own God for theirs, he will then own for his. It is our duty to serve God with the dispositio of children; and he will not have his children trained up in idleness they must do him service from a principle of love. Even God's children stand in need of sparing mercy. All are righteous or wicked, such a serve God, or such as serve him not: all are going to heaven or to hell. We are often deceived in our opinions concerning both the one an the other; but at the bar of Christ, every man's character will be known. As to ourselves, we have need to think among which we shall have our lot; and, as to others, we must judge nothing before the time. But in the end all the world will confess that those alone were wise an happy, who served the Lord and trusted in Him __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
אמרתם 559 שׁוא 7723 עבד 5647 אלהים 430 ומה 4100 בצע 1215 כי 3588 שׁמרנו 8104 משׁמרתו 4931 וכי 3588 הלכנו 1980 קדרנית 6941 מפני 6440 יהוה 3069 צבאות׃ 6635
