Malachi 4:1
in Malachi 4“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
KJV
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
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This verse in Malachi 4
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For, behold, the day cometh, which shall burn as an oven - He had declared the great severance of the God-fearing and the God-blaspheming, those who served and those who did not serve God; the righteous and the wicked; now he declares the way and time of the severance, the Day of Judgment.
This site's exposition
shall burn as an oven
The day of the Lord is pictured as a furnace: the proud and the wicked go in as stubble, catching first and burning fastest. The oven image reverses Israel's exodus memory of the furnace of affliction, since here the furnace consumes evil itself, and the finality is total, neither root nor branch, no seed and no growth left behind. Henry and Gill both note that the same fire has two edges in this chapter, since the burning against the wicked in verse 1 is answered by the healing sun for the righteous in verse 2, one day producing opposite ends for the two groups the whole book has been dividing since chapter 3.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
So, brothers, having received no slight opportunity to repent, let us, when there is yet time, turn to God who called us, while we still have one who awaits us. For if we bid farewell to these pleasures and overcome our soul by refusing to …
(Chapter 4, verse 1) Behold, for the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the proud and all the evildoers will be stubble; and the coming day will set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. LXX: For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when it will burn them up, and all the aliens and all the evildoers will be stubble; the day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. For the wicked have made me labor in their speeches, and have said: Every one that doth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such please him: and if it be not so, who will confront him? and since he is good to those who serve him not, they have said: Where is the God of justice?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And this is represented to us under a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the unbelieving Jews with it, and of the comforts and triumphs of those among them that received the gospel. Concerning the state of trial and preparation we are now in, in which we are directed to have an eye to divine revelation, and to follow that; they then must keep to the law of Moses (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the day cometh . . . burn-- (Mal 3:2; Primarily is meant the judgment coming on Jerusalem; but as this will not exhaust the meaning, without supposing what is inadmissible in Scripture--exaggeration--the final and full accomplishment, of which the former was the earnest, is the day of general judgment. This principle of interpretation is not double, but successive fulfilment.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven - The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. And all the proud - This is in reference to Mal 3:15 of the preceding chapter. The day that cometh shall burn them up - Either by famine, by sword, or by captivity. All those rebels shall be destroyed. It shall leave them neither root nor branch - A proverbial expression for total destruction. Neither man nor child shall escape.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַיּוֹם֙ | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בָּ֔א | ba' | [is] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בֹּעֵ֖ר | boer | burning | H1197 → | |
| כַּתַּנּ֑וּר | katanur | like <the> furnace | H8574 → | |
| וְהָי֨וּ | vehayu | and they will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זֵדִ֜ים | zedim | arrogant [people] | H2086 → | |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֹשֵׂ֤ה | ʾoseh | [one who] does | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| רִשְׁעָה֙ | rishah | <of> wickedness | H7564 → | 15 times |
| קַ֔שׁ | kash | stubble | H7179 → | |
| וְלִהַ֨ט | velihat | and it will set ablaze | H3857 → | |
| אֹתָ֜ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַבָּ֗א | haba' | <the> coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אָמַר֙ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֔וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲזֹ֥ב | yaazo | it will leave | H5800 → | |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | for them | ||
| שֹׁ֥רֶשׁ | shoresh | root | H8328 → | |
| וְעָנָֽף׃ | veanaf | and branch | H6057 → |
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִנֵּ֤הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
הַיּוֹם֙the day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
בָּ֔א[is] coming
ba'H935 →2568 times
בֹּעֵ֖רburning
boerH1197 →
כַּתַּנּ֑וּרlike <the> furnace
katanurH8574 →
וְהָי֨וּand they will be
vehayuH1961 →3559 times
כָל־all
khol-H3605 →5413 times
זֵדִ֜יםarrogant [people]
zedimH2086 →
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
עֹשֵׂ֤ה[one who] does
ʾosehH6213 →2628 times
רִשְׁעָה֙<of> wickedness
rishahH7564 →15 times
קַ֔שׁstubble
kashH7179 →
וְלִהַ֨טand it will set ablaze
velihatH3857 →
אֹתָ֜ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַבָּ֗א<the> coming
haba'H935 →2568 times
אָמַר֙he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֔וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אֲשֶׁ֛רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲזֹ֥בit will leave
yaazoH5800 →
לָהֶ֖םfor them
lahem
שֹׁ֥רֶשׁroot
shoreshH8328 →
וְעָנָֽף׃and branch
veanafH6057 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Malachi 3:2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.
it leads to
- Zechariah 13:9
This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They…
- Isaiah 4:4
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
- 1 Corinthians 3:13–15
his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
- Zechariah 13:9
Through
2 Thessalonians 1:8in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
- 2 Peter 3:7
And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
- 1 Peter 4:17
Through
2 Peter 3:7And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:10
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid…
- Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like…
- 2 Peter 3:12
as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.
- 2 Peter 3:10
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Judgment35 verses
On this page
About Malachi
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Malachi; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Pseudo-Clement, 2 CLEMENT 16.