Albert Barnes Commentary Malachi 4:6

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." — Malachi 4:6 (ASV)

And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children - Now they were unlike, and separated by that unlikeness from each other. Yet not on earth, for on earth parents and children were similarly alienated from God, and united among themselves in wickedness or worldliness. The common love of the world or of worldly pursuits, or gain or self-exaltation, or making a fortune or securing it, is, to that extent, a common bond of interest to those of one family, through a common selfishness, though that selfishness is the parent of general discord, fraud, violence, and other misdeeds. Indeed, the conversion of children or parents becomes rather a source of discord, embittering the unconverted. This is why our Lord says, “Think not, that I (Matthew 10:34–36) am come to send peace on the earth.

I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law: and a man’s foes shall be those of his own household;” a prophecy fulfilled continually in the early persecutions, even to the extent of those other words of our Lord (Matthew 10:21), “the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”

It is fulfilled also in the intense hatred of the Jews today toward any who are converted to Christ—a hatred that seems to have no parallel in the world. Nor do the words seem to mean that fathers and children should be united in one common conversion to God, as Ibn Ezra says. The Jews, although mostly agreed that Elijah will come, disagree about the purpose of his coming.

By some he is spoken of as a Redeemer. Tanchuma (f. 31. 1) says, “God said to Israel, ‘In this world I sent an angel to cast out the nations before you, but in the future (or, in the world to come, Yalkut Shim’oni f. 98-29) I myself will lead you and will send you Elijah the prophet.’” Pesikta Rabbathi (in Yalkut Shim’oni ii. f. 32. 4) states, “Both redeemed Israel: Moses in Egypt, and Elias in that which is to come.” (Ibid., f. 53. 2), “I send you a redeemer.” Midrash Shocher Tov (Ibid. f. 884) records, “Israel said, ‘It is written of the first redemption, “He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen;” send me two like them.’ God answered; ‘I will send you Elijah the prophet: this is one; the other is he of whom Isaiah spoke (Isaiah 42:1), “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen.”’” Shemoth Rabba (Sect. 3. col. 108. 2. ad loc.) says, ‘In the second redemption, you shall be healed and redeemed by the word I, i.e., I will send.’”

Or, he is seen as a comforter: “I will send you Elias; he shall come and comfort you” (Debarim Rabbah sect. 3. fin.). Or his role is to pronounce some things clean, others unclean (Shir Hashirim Rabbah f. 27. 3; all the above in Schottgen ad loc.). Others believe, in different ways, that he will come to determine to which tribe each person belongs (Kimchi on Ezekiel 47:0, and this with different explanations as to strictness; see Edaioth fin. Mishnah T. iv. p. 362. Surenhus.). Rabbi Simeon says his purpose is ‘To remove controversies.’ And the wise men and doctors say it is, ‘To make peace in the world,’ as is said, “Behold I send.”

Rabbi Abraham ben David explains the peace to be “from the nations,” and adds that Elijah’s role is “to announce to them the coming of the redeemer, and this in one day before the coming of the Messiah.” Regarding “turn the hearts etcetera,” he explains it as “the hearts of the fathers and children (on whom softness had fallen from fear, and they fled, some here, some there, from their distresses) on that day they shall return to their might and to one another and shall comfort each other.” Abarbanel says that Elijah shall be the instrument of the resurrection, and that, through those who rise, the human race shall be directed in the recognition of God and the true faith.

Ibn Ezra states “that he shall come at the gathering of the captives, as Moses at the redemption of Egypt, not for the resurrection.” (These are collected by Frischmuth, de Eliae adventu, Thes. Theol. Phil. V. T. T. i, pp. 1070 and following). R. Tanchum, quoting Maimonides, says, “This is without doubt a promise of the appearance of a prophet in Israel a little before the coming of the Messiah. Some of the wise think that it is Elias the Tishbite himself, and this is found in most of the Midrashoth. Others think that it is a prophet like him in rank, occupying his place in the knowledge of God and the manifesting of His Name, and that is why he is called Elijah.

And so explained the great Gaon, Rab Mosheh ben Matmon, at the end of his great book on jurisprudence, called Mishneh Torah. And, perhaps he (the person sent) may be Messiah ben Joseph, as he says again. And the exactness of the matter in these promises will only be known when they appear: and no one has any accredited account in this, but each of them says what he says according to what appears to him, and what seems most likely to him in the explanation of the truth.”

Regarding “the turning of the heart of the father to the children,” he (Ibn Ezra) explains it to be “the restoration of religion, until all should be of one heart in obedience to God.” “All shall be one heart to return to the Lord, both fathers and children,” for he speaks primarily of their mutual conversion to one another, not directly to God.

The form of the expression seems to imply that the effect of the preaching of Elijah will be to bring back the children (the Jews then living) to the faith and love which their fathers, the patriarchs, had; that (John 8:56) “as these patriarchs believed, hoped for, longed exceedingly for, and loved Christ to come, so their sons should believe, hope in, long exceedingly for, and love Christ, Who had come, yes, is present; and so Elijah should turn the heart of the fathers (which before was turned from their unbelieving children) to them, now believing, and cause the patriarchs to own and love the Jews believing in Christ as truly their children, for Christ says, ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was glad.’”

Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse - that is, with an utter destruction from which there would be no redemption. In the end, God will so smite the earth, and all who are not converted to Him. The prayer and zeal of Elijah will gain a reprieve, in which God will spare the world for the gathering of His own elect and the full conversion of the Jews, which will fulfill the Apostle’s words (Romans 11:26), “So shall all Israel be saved.”

After the glad tidings, Malachi (and the Old Testament in him) ends with words of awe, telling us of the consequence of the final hardening of the heart: the eternal separation, when the unending end of the everlasting Gospel itself will be accomplished, and its last grain will be gathered into the Lord’s granary. The Jews, who would be wiser than the prophet, repeat the previous verse because Malachi closes with such solemnity. The Maker of the human heart knew better the hearts which He had made, and taught their authors to end the books of Isaiah and Ecclesiastes with words of awe, from which the human heart so struggles to escape. To turn to God here, or face everlasting destruction from His presence there, is the only choice open to you.

“Think of this, when lust goads you, or ambition solicits you, or anger convulses you, or the flesh flatters you, or the world allures you, or the devil displays his deceitful pomp and enticement. In your hand and your choice are life and death, heaven and hell, salvation and damnation, everlasting bliss or misery. Choose which you will. Think: ‘A moment that delights, an eternity that tortures;’ on the other hand, ‘a moment that tortures, an eternity that delights.’”

“I see that all things come to an end;
Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalms 119:96)

“As the hart pants after the water brooks,
So pants my soul after You, O God.” (Psalms 42:1)