MAL 2:15 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Didn’t Yahweh make you and your wife one and give you some of his spirit because he wanted godly children to come from your marriage? So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don’t be unfaithful to the woman you married when you were young.

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ οὐ καλὸν ἐποίησε; καὶ ὑπόλειμμα πνεύματος αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἴπατε, τί ἄλλο ἢ σπέρμα ζητεῖ ὁ Θεός; καὶ φυλάξασθε ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ὑμῶν, καὶ γυναῖκα νεότητός σου μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς.
(Kai ou kalon epoiaʸse; kai hupoleimma pneumatos autou; kai eipate, ti allo aʸ sperma zaʸtei ho Theos; kai fulaxasthe en tōi pneumati humōn, kai gunaika neotaʸtos sou maʸ egkatalipaʸs. )

BrTr And did he not do well? and there was the residue of his spirit. But ye said, What does God seek but a seed? But take ye heed to your spirit, and forsake not the wife of thy youth.

ULT Did he not make them one, with a portion of his spirit? And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

UST Indeed, Yahweh made you one with your wife, and he gave you some of his spirit. He did this because he wanted you to have children who would honor him. So you must be careful not to let other women attract you. Let none of you be faithless to the woman whom you married when you were young.

BSB § Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

OEB Did not the one God make everyone, so that all both flesh and spirit is his? And what does that one God seek but godly children? Therefore keep watch over your spirit, and let none of you deal faithlessly with the wife of your youth.

WEBBE Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this. What did our ancestor do when seeking a child from God? Be attentive, then, to your own spirit, for one should not be disloyal to the wife he took in his youth.

LSV And He did not make one [only],
And a remnant of the Spirit [is] for him. And what [is] the one [alone]! He is seeking a godly seed. And you have been watchful over your spirit,
And with the wife of your youth,
None deal treacherously.

FBV Did he not make you one, and give some of his Spirit to you? And what does he want? Children of God.[fn] So watch what you do, and don't be unfaithful to the wife you married when you were young.

2:15 This is one of the most obscure verses in the Old Testament, and consequently there are many very different interpretations. Some take this line to refer to the man and wife become one flesh, as noted in Genesis. Others see the “not one” as the subject of the sentence and so another possible translation would be something like: “No one would have acted like that if he had a remnant of the spirit.” Some have seen the “one” as referring to Abraham as the father of Israel, and the fact that he divorced Hagar may have cited as a precedent by some for their divorces. The response then would be that Abraham was protecting the “children of God” through Isaac. Whatever the case, it seems best to leave some of the ambiguity present, though in the context of discussing marriage relationships it would seem that the original design for marriage in Eden would be a relevant aspect for Malachi to mention.

T4T It is certainly [RHQ] Yahweh who joined you together. Your spirits and your bodies belong to him. So what he wants [RHQ] from you are godly children. So make sure that each of you men remain ◄with/loyal to► the woman that you married when you were young.

LEB Did not one God make them?[fn] But a remnant of the spirit is his.[fn] And what does the one God desire? An offspring of God.[fn] You must be attentive to[fn] your spirit, and you must not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

2:15 Literally “Not one did he make”

2:15 The meaning of this sentence is difficult; literally “And a remnant of the spirit to him”

2:15 Or “a godly offspring”

2:15 Literally “You must keep watch on”

BBE ... So give thought to your spirit, and let no one be false to the wife of his early years.

Moff No Moff MAL book available

JPS And not one hath done so who had exuberance of spirit! For what seeketh the one? a seed given of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

ASV And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

DRA Did not one make her, and she is the residue of his spirit? And what doth one seek, but the seed of God? Keep then your spirit, and despise not the wife of thy youth.

YLT And He did not make one [only], And He hath the remnant of the Spirit. And what [is] the one [alone]! He is seeking a godly seed. And ye have been watchful over your spirit, And with the wife of thy youth, None doth deal treacherously.

Drby And did not one make [them]? and the remnant of the Spirit was his. And wherefore the one? He sought a seed of [fn]God. Take heed then to your spirit, and let none deal unfaithfully against the wife of his youth,

2.15 Elohim

RV And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Wbstr And did he not make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And why one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

KJB-1769 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.[fn][fn][fn]

2.15 residue: or, excellency

2.15 godly…: Heb. seed of God

2.15 treacherously: or, unfaithfully

KJB-1611 [fn][fn][fn]And did not he make one? yet had he the residue of the spirit: and wherefore one? that hee might seeke a godly seed: therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deale treacherously against the wife of his youth.
(And did not he make one? yet had he the residue of the spirit: and wherefore one? that he might seek a godly seed: therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deale treacherously against the wife of his youth.)

2:15 Or, excellencie.

2:15 Heb. a seed of God.

2:15 Or, vnfaithfully.

Bshps And did not he make one? yet had he aboundaunce of spiritie: And wherfore one? Because he sought a godly seede: therefore kepe your selues in your spirite, and let none transgresse against the wyfe of his youth.
(And did not he make one? yet had he aboundaunce of spiritie: And wherefore one? Because he sought a godly seede: therefore keep yourselves in your spirit, and let none transgresse against the wife of his youth.)

Gnva And did not hee make one? yet had hee abundance of spirit: and wherefore one? because he sought a godly seede: therefore keepe your selues in your spirit, and let none trespasse against the wife of his youth.
(And did not he make one? yet had he abundance of spirit: and wherefore one? because he sought a godly seede: therefore keep yourselves in your spirit, and let none trespass against the wife of his youth. )

Cvdl So dyd not the one, & yet had he an excellent sprete. What dyd then the one? He sought the sede promised of God. Therfore loke well to youre sprete, & let no man despyse ye wife of his youth.
(So did not the one, and yet had he an excellent spirit. What did then the one? He sought the seed promised of God. Therefore look well to your(pl) spirit, and let no man despise ye/you_all wife of his youth.)

Wycl Whether oon made not, and residue of spirit is his? and what sekith oon, no but the seed of God? Therfore kepe ye youre spirit, and nyle thou dispise the wijf of thi yongthe;
(Whether one made not, and residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh/seeks oon, no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye/you_all your(pl) spirit, and nyle thou/you despise the wife of thy/your yongthe;)

Luth Also tat der Einige nicht und war doch eines großen Geistes. Was tat aber der Einige? Er suchte den Samen von GOtt (verheißen). Darum so sehet euch vor vor eurem Geiste, und verachte keiner das Weib seiner Jugend!
(So did the/of_the Einige not and what/which though/but one large spirites. What did but the/of_the Einige? He suchte the seed/seeds from God (verheißen). Therefore so sehet you before/in_front_of vor eurem spirite, and verachte keiner the woman his Yugend!)

ClVg Nonne unus fecit, et residuum spiritus ejus est? et quid unus quærit, nisi semen Dei? custodite ergo spiritum vestrum, et uxorem adolescentiæ tuæ noli despicere.
(Isn't_it unus fecit, and residuum spiritus his est? and quid unus quærit, nisi seed of_God? custodite therefore spiritum of_you, and wife adolescentiæ tuæ noli despicere. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

וְ⁠לֹא אֶחָ֣ד עָשָׂ֗ה וּ⁠שְׁאָ֥ר ר֨וּחַ֙ ל֔⁠וֹ

and=not one(ms) he/it_had_made and,remnant spirit to=him/it

Malachi is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. See the General Notes to this chapter for a discussion of this sentence. Alternate translation: “After all, he made one, and a remnant of spirit was to him!”

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

וּ⁠שְׁאָ֥ר ר֨וּחַ֙ ל֔⁠וֹ

and,remnant spirit to=him/it

The pronoun him refers back to the pronoun one, meaning the husband and the wife. It may be more natural in your language to use a plural pronoun. See the General Notes to this chapter for a discussion of this clause. Alternate translation: “and a remnant of spirit was to them”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

וּ⁠מָה֙ הָֽ⁠אֶחָ֔ד מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ זֶ֣רַע אֱלֹהִ֑ים

and,what the=one seeking seed/offspring ʼElohīm

Malachi is not asking the question And why one? to get information. Rather, he is asking and then answering his own question. This was a common practice of Jewish public speakers in this time period (and also in New Testament times). Alternate translation: “And I will tell you why he made one: he was seeking seed of God”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

זֶ֣רַע אֱלֹהִ֑ים

seed/offspring ʼElohīm

Malachi is using this possessive form to mean offspring that would be faithful to God. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “offspring that would be faithful to God”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠נִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ בְּ⁠ר֣וּחֲ⁠כֶ֔ם

and,guard in/on/at/with,spirit,your_all's

Malachi is speaking as if a person’s spirit were a physical place where they could be guarded. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “So be careful about your attitudes”

Parallel MAL 2:15