Charles Ellicott Commentary Malachi 1:5

"And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel." — Malachi 1:5 (ASV)

And your eyes shall see. — Compare such expressions as Psalms 37:34; Psalms 52:6; Psalms 91:8. As with the individual, so with a nation: to stand in safety and be a witness to the destruction of the enemy is looked on as a sign of God’s favor.

The Lord will be magnified ... Israel. — Some translate, let the Lord be magnified, as in Psalms 35:27; Psalms 40:16; others, the Lord is great: i.e., has exerted His greatness. The latter seems the more appropriate translation here.

From the border. — Some translate, beyond the border. This translation is not in accordance with the usage of the expression, which means simply “over” or “above.” (Compare Jeremiah 4:6.) The meaning seems to be this: The Lord, whose protecting presence hovers specially over the border of Israel, is now great, in that He has restored Israel, but has destroyed the nationality of the wicked descendants of the godless Esau. “Border of Israel” is purposely used in contrast to “border of wickedness.”

Malachi 1:6; Malachi 2:9. — The priesthood rebuked. A close connection exists between the different parts of this section; it should therefore be read as one continuous paragraph. The subdivisions of it are Malachi 1:6-14; Malachi 2:1–9.