Malachi 2:15
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.
Original Language Analysis
וְלֹא
H3808
וְלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 17
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
הָֽאֶחָ֔ד
And wherefore one
H259
הָֽאֶחָ֔ד
And wherefore one
Strong's:
H259
Word #:
2 of 17
properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first
עָשָׂ֗ה
And did not he make
H6213
עָשָׂ֗ה
And did not he make
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
3 of 17
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם
of the spirit
H7307
בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם
of the spirit
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
5 of 17
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
וּמָה֙
H4100
וּמָה֙
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
7 of 17
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
הָֽאֶחָ֔ד
And wherefore one
H259
הָֽאֶחָ֔ד
And wherefore one
Strong's:
H259
Word #:
8 of 17
properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first
מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ
That he might seek
H1245
מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ
That he might seek
Strong's:
H1245
Word #:
9 of 17
to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after
זֶ֣רַע
seed
H2233
זֶ֣רַע
seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
10 of 17
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
a godly
H430
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
a godly
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
11 of 17
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙
Therefore take heed
H8104
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙
Therefore take heed
Strong's:
H8104
Word #:
12 of 17
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc
בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם
of the spirit
H7307
בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם
of the spirit
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
13 of 17
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ
of his youth
H5271
נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ
of his youth
Strong's:
H5271
Word #:
15 of 17
(only in plural collective or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)
Cross References
1 Corinthians 7:14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.2 Corinthians 6:18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.Malachi 2:14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.Job 27:3All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;Titus 1:6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.Proverbs 7:25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.Proverbs 6:25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.Jeremiah 2:21Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?Ephesians 6:4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Matthew 15:19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Historical Context
The concern for 'godly seed' reflects post-exilic Israel's precarious position. As a small remnant surrounded by pagan nations, their survival as a distinct covenant people depended on raising children in pure Yahweh-worship. Mixed marriages threatened this by dividing children's religious loyalty (as Solomon's foreign wives turned his heart, 1 Kings 11:4). Nehemiah's horror at discovering children of mixed marriages who couldn't even speak Hebrew (Nehemiah 13:24) illustrates the generational consequences Malachi warns against.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's creational design of 'one flesh' monogamy challenge contemporary serial monogamy and 'trading up'?
- What does 'seeking godly seed' reveal about marriage's purpose beyond personal fulfillment?
- In what practical ways must believers 'guard their spirit' against the cultural normalization of covenant-breaking?
Analysis & Commentary
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? This notoriously difficult verse likely alludes to Genesis 2:21-24—God made אֶחָד (echad, one) unified flesh from Adam and Eve, though He had רוּחַ (ruach, spirit/life-force) sufficient to create many wives for Adam. The divine self-limitation to monogamy establishes God's creational design. That he might seek a godly seed—זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים (zera elohim, offspring of God) reveals marriage's covenantal purpose: producing children raised in Yahweh-worship. Divorce and remarriage to pagan women undermines this goal, creating religiously divided households.
Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth—the imperatives שָׁמַר (shamar, guard/keep watch) and בָּגַד (bagad, deal treacherously) bookend the warning. Covenant fidelity requires vigilant spiritual discipline, guarding one's רוּחַ (spirit/disposition) against the treachery of casual divorce. The repetition of 'wife of thy youth' emphasizes the particular heinousness of abandoning long-faithful partners.