Psalms 50:7

50:7 He says: ¹ 

“Listen my people! I am speaking!

Listen Israel! I am accusing you! ² 

I am God, your God!

Jeremiah 29:23

29:23 This will happen to them because they have done what is shameful ³  in Israel. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken lies while claiming my authority. ⁴  They have spoken words that I did not command them to speak. I know what they have done. I have been a witness to it,’ says the Lord.” ⁵ 

Malachi 2:14

2:14 Yet you ask, “Why?” The Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young, ⁶  to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law. ⁷ 

Malachi 3:5

3:5 “I ⁸  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ⁹  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ¹⁰  who refuse to help ¹¹  the immigrant ¹²  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

¹ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. God’s charges against his people follow.

² tn Heb “Israel, and I will testify against you.” The imperative “listen” is understood in the second line by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

³ tn It is commonly assumed that this word is explained by the two verbal actions that follow. The word (נְבָלָה, nÿvalah) is rather commonly used of sins of unchastity (cf., e.g., Gen 34:7; Judg 19:23; 2 Sam 13:12) which would fit the reference to adultery. However, the word is singular and not likely to cover both actions that follow. The word is also used of the greedy act of Achan (Josh 7:15) which threatened Israel with destruction and the churlish behavior of Nabal (1 Sam 25:25) which threatened him and his household with destruction. The word is also used of foolish talk in Isa 9:17 (9:16 HT) and Isa 32:6. It is possible that this refers to a separate act, one that would have brought the death penalty from Nebuchadnezzar, i.e., the preaching of rebellion in conformity with the message of the false prophets in Jerusalem and other nations (cf. 27:9, 13). Hence it is possible that the translation should read: “This will happen because of their vile conduct. They have propagated rebellion. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives. They have spoken words that I did not command them to speak. They have spoken lies while claiming my authority.”

⁴ tn Heb “prophesying lies in my name.” For an explanation of this idiom see the study notes on 14:14 and 23:27.

⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

⁶ tn Heb “the Lord is a witness between you and [between] the wife of your youth.”

⁷ sn Though there is no explicit reference to marriage vows in the OT (but see Job 7:13; Prov 2:17; Ezek 16:8), the term law (Heb “covenant”) here asserts that such vows or agreements must have existed. References to divorce documents (e.g., Deut 24:1-3; Jer 3:8) also presuppose the existence of marriage documents.

⁸ tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the Lord) indicates that the Lord himself now speaks (see also v. 1). The prophet speaks in vv. 2-4 (see also 2:17).

⁹ tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”

¹¹ tn Heb “those who turn aside.”

¹² tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”