For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
What does Malachi 3:6 mean?
The first words of this chapter seem an answer to the scoffers of those days. Here is a prophecy of the appearing of John the Baptist.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Malachi 3:6
I am the Lord, I change not - , better, more concisely, "I, the Lord I change not - . The proper name of God, "He who Is," involves His unchangeableness. For change implies imperfection; it changes to that which is either more perfect or less perfect: to somewhat which that being, who changes, is not or has not. But God has everything in Himself perfectly. "Thou Alone, O Lord, Art what Thou Art, and Thou Art Who Art. For what is one thing in the whole and another in parts, and wherein is anything subject to change, is not altogether what Is.
Context in Malachi 3
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Malachi 3 belongs to the late movement of the book, especially the section often described as the coming messenger and the day of the Lord. Malachi rebukes dull worship, faithless living, and priestly corruption, while promising the Lord’s coming and the messenger who prepares the way. Read this chapter with the wider themes of worship, covenant love, and priesthood in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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