Malachi 3:17
“And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God declares that the faithful will be His treasured possession in the day He acts, and He will spare them as a father spares his own devoted son.
What Does Malachi 3:17 Mean?
God speaks His heart toward the faithful remnant: 'They shall be mine... in that day when I make up my jewels.' They are His treasured possession, gathered and kept like precious gems. And His care for them is tender beyond measure: 'I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.' The God of hosts stoops to the language of a loving father sparing a beloved child.
What a contrast to the despair of those who thought serving God was vain. Here God calls His own His 'jewels,' His most prized treasure, and promises to deal with them as gently as a father with a cherished son. This is the reward of those who feared Him when it seemed to cost everything. The verse overflows with the affection of God for His people, revealing that behind all the rebukes of the book beats the heart of a Father. To be His, to be spared and treasured by Him, is a reward beyond any earthly profit the cynics could have imagined.
In the Original Language
segullah (סְגֻלָּה), 'jewels' -- a treasured personal possession, the special treasure a king prizes above all his goods.