Malachi 2:16

when thou hatest her, leave thou her (not), saith the Lord God of Israel. Forsooth wickedness shall cover the cloth of him, saith the Lord of hosts; keep ye your spirit, and do not ye despise. (even if thou hatest her, leave thou her not, saith the Lord God of Israel. Yea, let his cloak cover his wickedness, saith the Lord of hosts; so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not ye despise her.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

In Context

15Whether one (he) made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh (the) one (God), no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth; (Did not God make two one, both flesh and spirit? and what seeketh he, but a godly seed? And so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;)

17Ye made the Lord for to travail in your words, and ye said, Wherein made we him for to travail? In that that ye say, Each that doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such men please him; either certainly, Where is God of doom? (Ye have travailed, or tired, the Lord with your words, and ye have said, How have we travailed, or tired, him? Because ye say, Everyone who doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such people please him; and certainly when ye say, Where is the God of judgement?)

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Cross References

Proverbs 5:20My son, why art thou deceived of an alien woman; and art fostered in the bosom of another? (My son, why art thou deceived by a strange, or an unknown, woman; and why art thou comforted in the bosom of another?)

Isaiah 28:20Forsooth the bed is strait, so that the tother fall down; and a short mantle shall not cover ever either. (For the bed is too short, so that no one can stretch out on it; and the blanket is too small, so that no one can be covered by it.)

Isaiah 59:6The webs of them shall not be into cloth, neither they shall be covered with their works; the works of them be unprofitable works, and the work of wickedness is in the hands of them. (Their webs shall never be made into cloth, nor shall they ever be covered with, or protected by, their works; their works be unprofitable works, and these wicked works come from their own hands.)

Matthew 5:31And it hath been said, Whoever leaveth his wife, give he to her a libel [or a little book] of forsaking, (or give her a bill of divorce, or a notice of his leaving).

Mark 10:2And the Pharisees came [nigh], and asked him, Whether it be leaveful to a man to leave [or to forsake] his wife? and they tempted him. (And the Pharisees came near, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to leave his wife? and they tested him.)

Matthew Henry on Malachi 2:11-17

Unlawful Marriages; Breach of the Marriage-covenant; Charge of Corrupt Principles. ( b. c. 400.) 10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. 12 The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this,… Read the whole commentary →

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