2:16

The prophet stopped speaking his own words in 2:15, and in 2:16 the LORD once again spoke directly to the people.

2:16a

For: The Hebrew connector ki introduces the reason for the command in 2:15. However it can be difficult to translate here because it connects the LORD’s own words with what the prophet had been saying. The meaning is that the people should not be unfaithful to their wives because the LORD hates divorce. In some languages this connection may be implied without a connector. If that is true in your language, you can omit it, as many English versions do. For example:

The Lord God of Israel says, “I hate divorce.” (New Century Version)

I hate divorce: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as divorce literally means “sending away.” In some languages it may be more natural to use a verb phrase rather than a noun to express the action of divorce. For example:

I hate it when a man divorces his wife.
-or-
When a man and his wife divorce, I hate that.

Use an expression which is natural in your language.

2:16b

says the LORD, the God of Israel: There is a change of speaker in 2:16. In some languages it may be necessary to begin the verse with the speech clause to make this clear. See the example from the New Century Version in 2:16a.

the LORD, the God of Israel: Notice that the longer title for God is used here. This emphasizes the fact that the LORD had started speaking again. It also highlights the importance and authority of the statement.

2:16c

He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence: Scholars do not agree about the meaning of the Hebrew text here. English versions have translated it in different ways. There are many views, but the Notes will discuss only the three which seem most accepted:

(1) It refers to divorce as being cruel towards a person’s wife. A garment may be a symbol for the wife. For example:

I hate divorce…I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. (Good News Translation)

(2) It refers to cruel actions which affect or indicate a person’s own character. These actions might not be limited to divorce. For example:

I hate divorce…and the one who is guilty of violence. (NET Bible)

(3) It means to do violent or cruel actions and conceal them in some way. The garment would be a symbol for concealment. For example:

For I hate divorce…and people concealing their cruelty under a cloak. (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). In many languages the figure of a garment may be confusing. If that is true in your language, it may be best to drop the figure and translate the meaning directly. See Good News Translation example under option (1).

2:16d

the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 1:4d, 1:6e and 2:12b.

2:16e

So guard yourselves in your spirit: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as So guard yourselves in your spirit is identical to the one used in 2:15e.

2:16f

and do not break faith: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as break faith is the same one which was used in 2:15f. The meaning of these verse parts is also the same, though 2:16f does not explicitly mention “the wife of your youth.”

General Comments on 2:16a–f

Scholars do not agree about where the LORD’s direct words end. There are two main possibilities:

(1) The LORD’s words continue to the end of the verse.

(2) The LORD’s words end at 2:16c and the words in 2:16e–f are the words of Malachi.

In some English versions the punctuation system leaves this ambiguous (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures).

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

Although parts of this section are difficult to understand, the main message is clear. The message is that divorce is an act of unfaithfulness, another example of breaking a covenant.

This statement in 2:16e–f summarizes the theme of the section, and of the whole book, again. It gives a warning to those who fail to keep a commitment. This summary marks the end of this section.

© 2007 by SIL International®
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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