Malachi 3:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

NIV: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,

NASB: And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.

CSB: He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

NLT: He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.

KJV: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

NKJV: He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

The first accusation brought in Malachi was targeted at the priesthood, for offering impure sacrifices (Malachi 1:6–8). As a result, God threatened to remove impurities from His sanctuary in the same way that priests discarded animal wastes (Malachi 2:3). Here, the same purification is in mind. The priesthood will be "refined."

A "refiner's fire" is the process used to remove impurities from precious metals. Since the heat required to melt silver and gold is enough to destroy other materials, this is the method used to generate purer alloys. Here, that metaphor is being applied to the priesthood of Israel. The tribe of Levi was charged with caring for the temple, and only Levites could be priests. Rather than abandon them (Malachi 1:2–5), or destroy them (Malachi 3:6), God plans to refine them. Of course, this means passing through the fire.

Earlier, it was said that God would prefer no sacrifice at all, as opposed to offerings which were inappropriate and indifferent (Malachi 1:10). Part of the purpose of His refining is to restore the worship of His people to something worth accepting (Malachi 1:11). While this may start with the priests, the people also have impure behaviors which need to be purged (Malachi 2:11–13).

Malachi 2:17—3:6 presents a dangerous accusation from Israel against God, and His sobering response. Israel accuses God of letting the wicked prosper and for not enacting enough justice in the world. God's reply reminds Israel, and us, that the first sin we need to be aware of is our own. God promises to send a messenger, preparing the way for Him. God also predicts the day when He will ''draw near'' for judgment. This uses metaphors including fire and powerful cleaning substances. In short, judgment is coming—to everyone.

The final message, completed in chapter 4, is an appeal for God's chosen people to return. God would prefer to see them redeemed, than to be destroyed, when the end finally comes. This passage includes God's promise to send a messenger heralding the Messiah. And, that the Promised One will someday rule and conquer the wicked. In the meantime, Israel must stop ''robbing'' Him by withholding His tithes and offerings. Only God's unchanging nature has kept Israel from destruction. At the same time, God will remember those who have been faithful during these faithless times.

Malachi's first message, to the priests, ended in chapter 2. The prophecy then shifts to accuse Israel of unfaithfulness across chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. The final message covers the last half of chapter 3 and all of the short fourth chapter. This last warning is centered on Israel's failure to pay God His tithes and offerings, as well as a promise to send Messiah to judge all sin.

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.