Malachi
God raised up certain "prophets" who were His mouthpieces.
They would speak out against their sin and idolatry and would
continually warn of God's judgment. Some of the prophets spoke
out in the North and some in the South, but God was faithfully
warning them of certain catastrophe if they would not turn to
him.
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Malachi (or Malachias, מַלְאָכִי, Malʾaḫi, Mál'akhî) is a book of
the Hebrew Bible, written by the prophet Malachi. Possibly
this is not the name of the author, since Malachi means 'my
messenger' or 'my angel' in Hebrew. The last of the twelve
minor prophets (canonically), the final book of the Hebrew
Bible in Christian, but not Jewish tradition is commonly
attributed to a prophet by the name of Malachi. Although the
appellation Malachi has frequently been understood as a proper
name, its Hebrew meaning is simply "My [i.e., God's]
messenger" (or 'His messenger' in the Septuagint). This
sobriquet occurs in the superscription at 1:1 and in 3:1,
although it is highly unlikely that the word refers to the
same character in both of these references. Thus, there is
substantial debate regarding the identity of the author of the
biblical book of Malachi. The Jewish Targum identifies Ezra
(or Esdras) as the author of Malachi. St. Jerome suggests this
may be because Ezra is seen as an intermediary between the
prophets and the 'great synagogue'. There is, however, no
historical evidence to support this claim...
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3. Contents:
The book, in the main, is composed of two extended polemics
against the priests (Mal 1:6 through 2:9) and the people
(Mal 2:10 through 4:3), opening with a clear, sharp
statement of the prophet's chief thesis that Yahweh still
loves Israel (Mal 1:2-5), and closing with an exhortation to
remember the Law of Moses (Mal 4:4-6). After the title or
superscription (Mal 1:1) the prophecy falls naturally into
seven divisions:
(1) Malachi 1:2-5, in which Malachi shows that Yahweh still
loves Israel because their lot stands in such marked
contrast to Edom's. They were temporarily disciplined; Edom
was forever punished.
(2) Malachi 1:6 through 2:9, a denunciation of the priests,
the Levites, who have become neglectful of their sacerdotal
office, indifferent to the Law, and unmindful of their
covenant relationship to Yahweh.
(3) Malachi 2:10-16, against idolatry and divorce. Some
interpret this section metaphorically of Judah as having
abandoned the religion of his youth (2:11). But idolatry and
divorce were closely related. The people are obviously
rebuked for literally putting away their own Jewish wives in
order to contract marriage with foreigners (2:15). Such
marriages, the prophet declares, are not only a form of
idolatry (2:11), but a violation of Yahweh's intention to
preserve to Himself a "godly seed" (2:15).
(4) Malachi 2:17 through 3:6, an announcement of coming
judgment. Men are beginning to doubt whether there is longer
a God of justice (2:17). Malachi replies that the Lord whom
the people seek will suddenly come, both to purify the sons
of Levi and to purge the land of sinners in general. The
nation, however, will not be utterly consumed (3:6).
(5) Malachi 3:7-12, in which the prophet pauses to give
another concrete example of the people's sins: they have
failed to pay their tithes and other dues. Accordingly,
drought, locusts, and famine have ensued. Let these be paid
and the nation will again prosper, and their land will
become "a delightsome land."
(6) Malachi 3:13 through 4:3, a second section addressed to
the doubters of the prophet's age. In 2:17, they had said,
"Where is the God of justice?" They now murmur: "It is vain
to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his
charge?" The wicked and the good alike prosper (3:14,15).
But, the prophet replies, Yahweh knows them that are His,
and a book of remembrance is being kept; for a day of
judgment is coming when the good and the evil will be
distinguished; those who work iniquity will be exterminated,
while those who do righteously will triumph.
(7) Malachi 4:4-6, a concluding exhortation to obey the
Mosaic Law; with a promise that Elijah the prophet will
first come to avert, if possible, the threatened judgment by
reconciling the hearts of the nation to one another, i.e. to
reconcile the ideals of the old to those of the young, and
vice versa...
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The contents of the book are comprised in four chapters. In
the
Hebrew text the third and fourth chapters (of the
A.V.) form but
one. The whole consists of three sections, preceded
by an
introduction (Mal. 1:1-5), in which the prophet
reminds Israel
of Jehovah's love to them. The first section (1:6-
2:9) contains
a stern rebuke addressed to the priests who had
despised the
name of Jehovah, and been leaders in a departure
from his
worship and from the covenant, and for their
partiality in
administering the law. In the second (2:9-16) the
people are
rebuked for their intermarriages with idolatrous
heathen. In the
third (2:17-4:6) he addresses the people as a whole,
and warns
them of the coming of the God of judgment, preceded
by the
advent of the Messiah.
This book is frequently referred to in the New
Testament
(Matt. 11:10; 17:12; Mark 1:2; 9:11, 12; Luke 1:17;
Rom. 9:13).
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messenger or angel, the last of the minor prophets, and the
writer of the last book of the Old Testament canon
(Mal. 4:4, 5,
6). Nothing is known of him beyond what is contained
in his book
of prophecies. Some have supposed that the name is
simply a
title descriptive of his character as a messenger of
Jehovah,
and not a proper name. There is reason, however, to
conclude
that Malachi was the ordinary name of the prophet.
He was contemporary with Nehemiah (comp. Mal. 2:8
with Neh.
13:15; Mal. 2:10-16 with Neh. 13:23). No allusion is
made to him
by Ezra, and he does not mention the restoration of
the temple,
and hence it is inferred that he prophesied after
Haggai and
Zechariah, and when the temple services were still
in existence
(Mal. 1:10; 3:1, 10). It is probable that he
delivered his
prophecies about B.C. 420, after the second return
of Nehemiah
from Persia (Neh. 13:6), or possibly before his
return.
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("messenger of Jah"), or Jehovah; contracted for Malachijah,
as Abi for Abijah (2 Kings 18:2; compare 2 Chronicles 29:1).
The name is that of an office rather than of a person; it
occurs in the sense "My (Jehovah's) messenger" (Malachi 3:1,
compare Haggai 1:13). Malachi was Jehovah's last inspired
messenger of Old Testament, announcing the advent of the
great Messenger of New Testament; the transition link
between the two dispensations, "the skirt and boundary of
Christianity," to which is due his abrupt earnestness. Not
identical with Ezra, as Chaldee paraphrase represents, for
Malachi is never called a scribe, always a prophet, but Ezra
always a scribe, never a prophet.
The analogy of the headings of the other prophets
favors the view that Malachi is a proper name. He supported
or followed up the governor Nehemiah in the restoration of
the national polity civil and religious, as Haggai and
Zechariah previously had supported Joshua the high priest
and Zerubbabel the civil governor in building the temple,
Malachi (Zechariah 1:10; Zechariah 3:1-10) presupposes the
temple already built. Like Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:5; Nehemiah
13:15-22; Nehemiah 13:23-30) he censures the secular and
mercenary spirit of the priests (Malachi 1:10; Malachi 2:14-
16; Malachi 3:8-10); the people's marriages with foreigners;
the non-payment of the tithes (Nehemiah states the cause,
the high priest's alliance with Tobiah the Ammonite and
Sanballat); and the rich men's want of sympathy toward the
poor. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:7) implies that "prophets"
supported him, by his desire, in his reformation...
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("messenger of Jah"), or Jehovah; contracted for Malachijah,
as Abi for Abijah (2 Kings 18:2; compare 2 Chronicles 29:1).
The name is that of an office rather than of a person; it
occurs in the sense "My (Jehovah's) messenger" (Malachi 3:1,
compare Haggai 1:13). Malachi was Jehovah's last inspired
messenger of Old Testament, announcing the advent of the
great Messenger of New Testament; the transition link
between the two dispensations, "the skirt and boundary of
Christianity," to which is due his abrupt earnestness. Not
identical with Ezra, as Chaldee paraphrase represents, for
Malachi is never called a scribe, always a prophet, but Ezra
always a scribe, never a prophet.
The analogy of the headings of the other prophets
favors the view that Malachi is a proper name. He supported
or followed up the governor Nehemiah in the restoration of
the national polity civil and religious, as Haggai and
Zechariah previously had supported Joshua the high priest
and Zerubbabel the civil governor in building the temple,
Malachi (Zechariah 1:10; Zechariah 3:1-10) presupposes the
temple already built. Like Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:5; Nehemiah
13:15-22; Nehemiah 13:23-30) he censures the secular and
mercenary spirit of the priests (Malachi 1:10; Malachi 2:14-
16; Malachi 3:8-10); the people's marriages with foreigners;
the non-payment of the tithes (Nehemiah states the cause,
the high priest's alliance with Tobiah the Ammonite and
Sanballat); and the rich men's want of sympathy toward the
poor. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:7) implies that "prophets"
supported him, by his desire, in his reformation...
Read More
