Malachi 3:5

“And I will come near to you to judgment, etc.] And so will manifestly appear to be the God of judgment they asked after, (<390217>Malachi 2:17) this is not to be understood of Christ’s coming to judgment at the last day, but of his coming to judge and punish the wicked Jews at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction; for the same is here meant, who is spoken of in the third person before, and who will not be afar off; there will be no need to inquire after him, when he will come he will be near enough, and too near for them: and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers; not only a judge, but a witness; so that there will be no delay of judgment, or protracting or evading it, for want of…”

“I . . . come near . . . to judgment--I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" (Mal 2:17). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against sorcerers; for Mine eyes see every sin, though ye think I take no heed. Earthly judges need witnesses to enable them to decide aright: I alone need none (Psa 10:11; Psa 73:11; Psa 94:7, &c.). sorcerers--a sin into which the Jews were led in connection with their foreign idolatrous wives. The Jews of Christ's time also practised sorcery (Act 8:9; Act 13:6; Gal 5:20; JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 20.6; Wars of the Jews, 2.12.23]). It shall be a…”

“And I will come near to you to judgment - They had clamored for the coming of “the God of judgment;” God assures them that He will come to judgment, which they had desired, but far other than they look for. The few would be purified; the great mass of them (so that He calls them “you”), the main body of those who had so clamored, would find that He came as a Judge, not for them but against them. And I will be a swift witness - o “In judging I will bear witness, and witnessing, I, the same, will bring forth judgment, saith the Lord; therefore, the judgment shall be terrible, since the judge is an infallible witness, whom the conscience of no one will be able to contradict.” God would be a…”

“I will come near - You have spoken as if you thought I was far off, but you shall see I am near. To you - O Jews, not those very persons Malachi preached to, but those who were living when the Messiah came. Malachi 3:6”

“3:5 The words eager to witness suggest a legal proceeding in which God is both prosecuting attorney (accuser) and key witness (provider of evidence) against postexilic Judah. • Sorcerers practiced witchcraft, black magic, or fortune-telling for personal gain. • The coming day of God’s judgment would either purify the sinful Judeans (3:3) or destroy them (4:1-2).”

“I will come: Mal 2:17; Psa 50:3-6, Psa 96:13, Psa 98:9; Eze 34:20-22; Heb 10:30, Heb 10:31; Jam 5:8, Jam 5:9; Jde 1:14, Jde 1:15 a swift: Mal 2:14; Psa 50:7, Psa 81:8; Jer 29:23; Mic 1:2; Matt. 23:14-35 the sorcerers: Lev 20:6, Lev 20:10, Lev 20:27; Deu 5:11, Deu 5:17-21; Jer 7:9, Jer 7:10; Eze 22:6-12; Zac 5:3, Zac 5:4; Co1 6:9, Co1 6:10; Gal 5:19-21; Heb 13:4; Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15 against those: Exo 22:21-24; Lev 19:13; Deu 24:14, Deu 24:15, Deu 24:17, Deu 27:19; Pro 22:22, Pro 22:23, Pro 23:10, Pro 23:11; Jer 22:13-17; Jam 5:4, Jam 5:12 oppress: or, defraud, Th1 4:6 fear: Gen 20:11, Gen 42:18; Exo 1:17, Exo 18:21; Neh 5:15; Psa 36:1; Pro 8:13, Pro 16:6; Luk 23:40; Rom 3:8 Malachi 3:6”

“Mal 3:5. "And I will draw near to you to judgment, and will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those who swear for deceit, and those who press down the wages of the hireling, the widow and the orphan, and bow down the foreigner, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. Mal 3:6. For I Jehovah, I change not; and ye sons of Israel, ye are not consumed." The refining which the Lord will perform at His coming will not limit itself to the priests, but become a judgment upon all sinners. This judgment is threatened against those who wanted the judgment of God to come, according to Mal 2:17. To these the Lord will draw near to judgment, and rise up as a…”