God & Savior

Malachi 3:6

“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
Malachi 3:6
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Study notes

God says He does not change, which is why Jacob's descendants have not been destroyed.

Explanation

God's people had been unfaithful (3:7). The only reason they still exist is that God remains faithful to His covenant promises.

Original language
  • יְהוָ֖ה (Yah.weh): LORD
    Hebrew · Noun, proper name, title · Strong's H3068G · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Yahweh, God's personal name. The BSB shows it as "the LORD" in small capitals.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Malachi 3:6, word 3

  • שָׁנִ֑יתִי (sha.Ni.ti): to change
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · Strong's H8138A · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    I change.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Malachi 3:6, word 5

  • כְלִיתֶֽם (khe.li.Tem): destroy
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural · Strong's H3615H · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    You have come to an end.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Malachi 3:6, word 10

Cross-references
  • James 1:17 · Same theme

    With Him there is no change or shifting shadow.

  • Hebrews 13:8 · Same theme

    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

  • Lamentations 3:22 · Same theme

    We are not consumed.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א שָׁנִ֑יתִי וְאַתֶּ֥ם בְּנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב לֹ֥א כְלִיתֶֽם׃

  1. כִּ֛יki“that”
    Particle · from כִּי · “for” · Strong's H3588A
  2. אֲנִ֥י'a.Ni“I”
    Pronoun, personal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י · “I” · Strong's H0589
  3. יְהוָ֖הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  4. לֹ֣אlo'“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  5. שָׁנִ֑יתִיsha.Ni.ti“I change”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular · from שָׁנָה · “to change” · Strong's H8138A
  6. וְאַתֶּ֥םve.'a.Tem“and you”
    Conjunction + Pronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural · from אַתֶּם · “you(m.p.)” · Strong's H0859D
  7. בְּנֵֽי־be.nei-“[the] descendants of”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct · from בֵּן · “descendant” · Strong's H1121G
  8. יַעֲקֹ֖בya.'a.Ko“Jacob”
    Noun, proper name of a man · from יַעֲקֹב · “Jacob” · Strong's H3290
  9. לֹ֥אlo'“not”
    Particle, negative · from לֹא · “not” · Strong's H3808
  10. כְלִיתֶֽם׃khe.li.Tem“you have come to an end”
    Verb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural · from כָּלָה · “destroy” · Strong's H3615H
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)