Malachi 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

NIV: Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

NASB: But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why the one? He was seeking a godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth.

CSB: Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.

NLT: Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.

KJV: And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

NKJV: But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

Prior verses accuse Israel of being unfaithful to each other. Specifically, men are divorcing their wives. Verse 14 explained that this is offensive to God, in part because such vows are made in His presence. Verse 15 clearly describes divorce as a spiritual failure. This claim is repeated and magnified in verse 16. The way in which these men of Israel are divorcing their wives—in order to marry pagan women (Malachi 2:11)—is especially foul. Rather than acting as protectors, these divorcing men are committing acts of spiritual violence against their wives.

Verse 15 is notoriously tricky to translate. Every language contains phrases with meanings not easily seen in the literal words. Examples from English would be phrases such as "raining cats and dogs" or "under the weather." In the case of Hebrew, we don't always have extensive context to help determine meaning. This is reflected in the various translations of this particular verse. While major translations of the Bible are extremely similar in most verses, there are many ways the words of Malachi 2:15 have been interpreted. All are centered around the same basic theme.

Regardless of the exact meaning, there is a clear sense in this verse that God is involved in the concept of marriage. This verse is specifically in the context of men being "faithless" to their wives, through divorce. In contrast, God sees marriage as a joining of spirits, according to His will, which can't be broken without spiritual damage. God has specific purposes for marriage, which are thwarted by divorce.

Malachi 2:10–16 is perhaps the Bible's strongest indicator of God's views on divorce. This passage begins the second of Malachi's three prophetic lessons, ending in Malachi 3:6. The people of Israel are rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple, but under the control of a foreign nation. Rather than honoring God, and their own wives, it seems the men of Israel were divorcing Jewish women in order to marry pagans (Ezra 9:1–2; Nehemiah 13:23–27). This is described in this passage as an act of violence against the women. In no uncertain terms, Malachi expresses God's hatred for divorce.

God will humiliate the priests who are insulting Him with improper sacrifices. While the priests are being unfaithful to God, the people of Israel are also being unfaithful to each other. In particular, they are marrying pagans, and committing divorce, which God absolutely despises. God's covenant with Israel included both blessings for obedience, and consequences for disobedience. And yet, as Israel disobeys, they blame God for their hardships. God's people are defying Him, then blaming Him for the end results!

Malachi's structure is intricate, but can be divided into three primary messages. The first message is to Israel's priests, and runs from Malachi 1:2 through Malachi 2:9. Chapter 2 begins with a warning, to the priests, that God will humiliate them for their arrogant, apathetic attitudes. The topic then transitions to Malachi's second message, directed to Israel as a whole, accusing them of being unfaithful to each other. This rebuke of infidelity continues through the beginning of chapter 3, before calling Israel to repentance in the final message.

Malachi is the last message of prophecy given to Israel prior to 400 years of silence. Israel has rebuilt the temple, following the invasions of Babylon, but they are still under foreign oppression. Israel's spiritual condition, however, is dire. Hosea depicted Israel as prone to failure, but repentant. Later, Ezekiel exposed Israel's blatant disobedience. By the time of Malachi, Israel has passed into numbness and apathy. Unlike other Old Testament prophets, Malachi takes the form of a dialogue, where Israel responds to accusations as if unaware that they've occurred. The next prophetic voice from God would not come until the ministry of John the Baptist.