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Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
Malachi 3:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.
  • BSB At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.
  • NKJV Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.
  • NASB Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name.
  • NLT Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

In contrast to the cynics, those who feared the LORD spoke together, and God listened and recorded their names in a book of remembrance.

Overview

Amid widespread cynicism, a faithful remnant encouraged one another in reverence for God, and He took notice, writing their names in a book of remembrance. This assures believers that God sees and treasures the faithfulness of His people. The image of names recorded points forward to the book of life in which Christ's redeemed are eternally secured (Revelation 21:27).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 40

  • Rev 20:12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
  • Ps 56:8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
  • Mal 4:2But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
  • Rev 15:4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
  • Isa 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
  • Heb 4:12–13For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
  • 1 Th 5:11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
  • Heb 10:24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
  • Mal 3:5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
  • Ps 34:15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
  • Acts 9:31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
  • Matt 18:19–20Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
  • Ezek 9:4And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
  • Acts 10:2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
  • Dan 7:10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
  • Matt 12:35–37A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
  • Eph 5:19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
  • Acts 1:13And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
  • Acts 4:23–33And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
  • Isa 26:8Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
  • Esth 6:1On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
  • John 12:20–22And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
  • Luke 2:38And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
  • Esth 4:5–17Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
  • Isa 65:6Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
  • Job 19:23–25Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
  • Ps 73:15–17If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
  • John 1:40–47One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
  • Luke 24:14–31And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
  • Dan 2:17–18Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
  • Ps 10:4The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
  • 2 Chr 6:7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
  • 2 Sam 7:1And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;
  • 1 Sam 23:16–18And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
  • Acts 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
  • Deut 6:6–8And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
  • Job 28:28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
  • Isa 50:10Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.
  • Ps 33:18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
  • Ps 66:16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Malachi videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Malachi 3:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MalachiMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The messenger who prepares the way, the sun of righteousness rising with healing, and the Lord suddenly coming to his temple set the stage for the gospel that opens with John and Jesus.

How Malachi 3:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.