Malachi 3:15

“And now we call the proud happy, etc.] Or “therefore now”f88; since this is the case, that the worshippers of God are not regarded, and there is nothing got by serving him; they that are proud and haughty, that neither fear God nor regard men, are the happy persons; even presumptuous sinners, as the wordf89 signifies, that stretch out their hands against God, and strengthen themselves against the Almighty; these enjoy all worldly happiness, while they that serve the Lord are mourning in sackcloth, and are in the utmost distress. The Targum explains it of the ungodly, and as it is explained in the following clause: yea, they that work wickedness are set up: or “built up”f90; or “seeing,…”

“And now--Since we who serve Jehovah are not prosperous and "the proud" heathen flourish in prosperity, we must pronounce them the favorites of God (Mal 2:17; Psa 73:12). set up--literally, "built up": metaphor from architecture (Pro 24:3; compare Gen 16:2, Margin; Gen 30:3, Margin.) tempt God--dare God to punish them, by breaking His laws (Psa 95:9).”

“And now we call the proud happy (blessed) - This being so, they sum up the case against God. God had declared that all nations should “call them blessed” Malachi 3:12. if they would obey. They answer, using His words; And “now we (they lay stress on the word we,) pronounce blessed,” in fact, those whom God had pronounced cursed: Psalms 119:21. “Thou hast rebuked the proud, who are cursed.” Their characteristic, among other bad men, is of insolence Proverbs 21:24. arrogance, boiling over with self-conceit, and presumptuous toward God. The ground of Babylon’s sentence was “she hath been proud toward the Lord, the Holy One of Israel;” Jethro says of the Egyptians, as a ground of his belief in…”

“And now - You say, we see before our eyes, that the proud contemners of God and his law, are the flourishing ones. Delivered - Escape all punishment. Malachi 3:16”

“3:15 To call the arrogant blessed was blasphemy against God’s justice (see 3:13).”

“we call: Mal 4:1; Est 5:10; Psa 10:3, Psa 49:18, Psa 73:12; Dan 4:30, Dan 4:37, Dan 5:20-28; Act 12:21; Pe1 5:5 yea: Mal 2:17; Job 12:6, Job 21:7-15, Job 21:30; Pro 12:12; Ecc 9:1, Ecc 9:2; Jer 12:1, Jer 12:2; Hab 1:13-17 set: Heb. built, Job 22:23 they that tempt: Num 14:22, Num 14:23; Dan 6:16; Psa 78:18, Psa 78:41, Psa 78:56, Psa 95:9, Psa 106:14; Mat 4:6, Mat 4:7; Act 5:9; Co1 10:9; Heb 3:9 Malachi 3:16”