Malachi 1:5
ESV
Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, "Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!"
NIV
You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
NASB
And your eyes will see this, and you will say, 'The Lord be exalted beyond the border of Israel!'
CSB
Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The Lord is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.’
NLT
When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ‘Truly, the Lord’s greatness reaches far beyond Israel’s borders!’'
KJV
And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.
NKJV
Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’
What does Malachi 1:5 mean?
Part of Israel's spiritual apathy is their tendency to doubt God. Almost every time Malachi brings up their sin, Israel responds with disbelief. In verses 2 through 5, God has explained how His destruction of Edom is proof of His love for Israel. Instead of allowing them to be obliterated, as happened to Edom, He has preserved them. They may be oppressed and unhappy, but they have a future. Even though Edom was a closely-related nation, they have not been given this chance (Malachi 1:2–3).Malachi's purpose here is to explain to Israel that God is not just the God of the Jews, but of all people. His choice to allow Babylon to attack Israel, His destruction of Edom, and the return of Israel to Jerusalem are all examples of God acting in the world. God intervenes, not merely within the borders of Israel, but on the entire earth, in order to make His promises true.
