Malachi
The LORD’s messenger to a careless people: love questioned, sins exposed, and the Sun of righteousness promised.
Malachi is the last voice of the Old Testament. About a century had passed since the return. The temple stood, the walls were rebuilt, and the people were no longer idolaters. But the fire had gone out. Priests offered blind and lame animals, the people robbed God of tithes and offerings, men divorced their Jewish wives to marry foreign women, and many said it was vain to serve God.
Malachi’s method is a dialogue. God makes a statement, the people object with a question—“Wherein hast thou loved us?” “Wherein have we despised thy name?” “Wherein shall we return?” “Wherein have we robbed thee?”—and God answers. The questions reveal a people who no longer see their sin.
Yet there was a faithful remnant: “they that feared the LORD spake often one to another,” and a book of remembrance was written for them (3:16). Malachi promises the messenger who will prepare the way, the Lord suddenly coming to His temple, the day that shall burn as an oven, and the Sun of righteousness arising with healing in His wings. The last words of the Old Testament are a promise of Elijah and a warning of a curse; then God was silent for four hundred years.
Writer: Malachi
Written: About 420 BC, in the days of Nehemiah; the last of the Old Testament prophets.
Name: My messenger; messenger of the Lord
Title and authorship
Malakhi means “my messenger.” The word appears in 3:1: “Behold, I will send my messenger.” The prophet with an angel’s name is otherwise unknown.
Malachi wrote the book (1:1). Some have suggested the name is a title rather than a personal name, but the book is presented like every other prophetic book, with the prophet named in the heading.
Historical background
Jerusalem about 420 BC in the traditional chronology, most likely during Nehemiah’s absence from the city or shortly after, when the abuses Nehemiah confronted in chapter 13—neglect of tithes, corrupt priests, mixed marriages—were rampant.
The restored remnant of Judah, especially its priests, a century after the return.
After Nehemiah
Nehemiah returned to Babylon in 433 BC after twelve years as governor. When he came back he found Tobiah living in a temple chamber, tithes unpaid, the Sabbath profaned, and Jews married to foreign wives (Nehemiah 13). Malachi addresses the same conditions.
The four hundred silent years
After Malachi no inspired prophet spoke until John the Baptist. During those centuries Persia gave way to Greece (Alexander, 332 BC), the Ptolemies and Seleucids, the Maccabean revolt (167 BC), and Rome (63 BC). The Septuagint was produced, synagogues spread, and the Pharisees and Sadducees arose.
The rise of philosophy
In the same era, Buddha taught in India, Confucius in China, and Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece. The wisdom of man was being set up in opposition to the word of God, preparing the intellectual climate that Paul would confront (1 Corinthians 1:20–25; Colossians 2:8).
Key passages
Malachi 3:1
The messenger prepares the way, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple.
Malachi 3:6
“I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Malachi 4:2
The Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings for those who fear God’s name.
Malachi 2:17–3:1
The complaint about justice is answered by the promise of the coming messenger and Lord.
Outline
1–2 · The covenant profaned
The Lord’s love is questioned while priests and people dishonor worship and covenant relationships.
3 · The Lord’s coming and the call to return
Purifying judgment, honest worship, and the distinction between the righteous and wicked answer the people’s complaints.
4 · The coming day
The final warning and promise direct attention to the Lord’s day and the messenger who prepares for it.
Original language
מַלְאָכִי (malakhi, H4401) — “Malachi”
“My messenger,” from malak (H4397), messenger or angel. The book mentions three messengers: the priest as the messenger of the LORD (2:7), the forerunner (3:1a), and the messenger of the covenant, the Lord Himself (3:1b).
שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה (shemesh tsedaqah, H8121) — “Sun of righteousness”
The Messiah rising like the dawn after the long night, with healing in His “wings” (the sun’s rays). Zacharias calls Him “the dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78).
קָבַע (qaba, H6906) — “rob”
To rob or defraud; rare in Scripture. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me... In tithes and offerings” (3:8).
סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן (sepher zikkaron, H2146) — “book of remembrance”
A memorial record of those who feared the LORD and thought upon His name. Persian kings kept such books of memorable deeds (Esther 6:1); God keeps His own.
Doctrinal study
Two forerunners
Malachi 3:1 promises a messenger to prepare the way before the Lord; Christ identified him as John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10). Malachi 4:5 promises Elijah “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” John came “in the spirit and power of Elias” (Luke 1:17), but Christ said Elijah “truly shall first come, and restore all things” (Matthew 17:11), pointing to a future ministry before the Second Coming (Revelation 11:3–6).
Jacob loved, Esau hated
“I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau” (1:2–3) speaks of nations and their destinies, as the context of Edom’s desolation shows. Paul quotes it in Romans 9:13 to show that God’s choice of Israel rested on His sovereign purpose, not on works.
God’s unchanging character
“I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed” (3:6). Israel’s survival depends on God’s faithfulness, not its own. The same truth assures believers (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).
Commentary notes
Eight questions
Wherein hast thou loved us? (1:2) Wherein have we despised thy name? (1:6) Wherein have we polluted thee? (1:7) Wherefore? (2:14) Wherein have we wearied him? (2:17) Wherein shall we return? (3:7) Wherein have we robbed thee? (3:8) What have we spoken so much against thee? (3:13). Each question exposes a heart that no longer sees its sin.
Moses and Malachi
Moses gave the first Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah (Genesis 3:15); Malachi gave the last (4:2). Malachi points back to the Law of Moses and forward to the coming of Elijah—the two who appeared with Christ on the mount of transfiguration.
The last word
The Old Testament in the English order ends with the word “curse” (4:6). The New Testament ends with “grace” (Revelation 22:21). What the Law could not remove, Christ removed by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
Christ in the book
- The messenger of the covenant, the Lord who comes suddenly to His temple (3:1)
- The refiner and purifier of silver (3:2–3)
- The Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings (4:2)
Applications
Historical
- Malachi preaches God’s judgment to the restored remnant of Israel for their religious formalism, corruption, and indifference.
- The temple has been rebuilt, but the community’s spiritual condition has declined. Restoration of institutions has not guaranteed faithful worship.
- The book addresses failures in priestly service, family responsibilities, justice, and material stewardship.
Doctrinal
- Prophecies of the first and second comings of Christ and the events surrounding each: the forerunner (John the Baptist, and Elijah before the great and dreadful day), the Lord’s sudden coming, the refining judgment, and the dawn of the kingdom.
- The coming messenger prepares the way for the Lord; the book bridges the prophetic expectation of the Old Testament and the Gospel announcement.
- The Day of the Lord distinguishes the wicked from those who fear God and joins judgment with the healing of the righteous.
Devotional
- God’s message to us when we are stubborn and hard-hearted. He questions our motives, exposes our excuses, and reminds us of His love and His coming.
- The repeated objections to the Lord’s accusations reveal resistance to correction and efforts to minimize responsibility.
- Malachi requires honor toward God in worship, marriage, and conduct toward others.
Answering the critics
Critics generally accept the text but debate the date and whether “Malachi” was a real name or a title.
Not every question raised by critics is harmful; we can have questions about the Bible without questioning the Bible. The exact date does not affect the message, and the message matters more than the messenger’s identity. God knew why He placed this book last.