Charles Ellicott Commentary Malachi 3
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Malachi 3
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Malachi 3
"Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts." — Malachi 3:1 (ASV)
I will send.—Or, I send. It is the participle used as the prophetic present. (Compare to Note on Malachi 1:11.)
My messenger. —Hebrew, Malachi, my angel, or my messenger, with a play on the name of the prophet. In Malachi 2:7, he calls the priest the angel or messenger of the LORD. There can be little doubt that he is influenced in his choice of the term by his own personal name (see Introd.).
This “messenger,” by the distinct reference to Isaiah 40:3, contained in the words, and he shall prepare, etc., is evidently the same as he whom [the deutero-] Isaiah prophetically heard crying, In the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Moreover, from the nature of his mission, he is proved to be identical with the “Elijah” of Malachi 4:3. These words had their first, if not their perfect, fulfillment in John the Baptist (Matthew 17:12).
The Lord. —This word “Lord” occurs eight times with the definite article, but always, except here, with the name of God following it: namely, Exodus 23:17, followed by Jehovah; Exodus 34:23, by Jehovah, the God of Israel; in Isaiah 1:24, Isaiah 3:1, Isaiah 10:33, and Isaiah 19:4, by Jehovah Zebaoth; and in Isaiah 10:16, by the Lord of Zebaoth.
And here, as elsewhere, it must mean God Himself, because He is said to come to his temple, and because He is said to be He whom ye seek: that is, the God of judgment (Malachi 2:17).
Even — that is, “namely,” for so the Hebrew conjunction “and” is frequently used: for example, Exodus 25:12; 1 Samuel 28:3.
The messenger (or angel) of the covenant. —This expression occurs only in this passage. Identified as He is here with “the Lord,” He can be no other than the Son of God, who was manifested in the flesh as the Messiah. In the word “covenant” there is, perhaps, some reference to the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31), but the meaning of the word must not be limited to this.
Delight in. —Rather, desire.
"Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner`s fire, and like fuller`s soap: and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner [from his right], and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough [to receive it]. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts. And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape. Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, [even] mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." — Malachi 3:1-18 (ASV)
REBUKE OF INFIDELITY. THE ADVENT OF THE LORD FORETOLD (Malachi 2:17 to Malachi 3:18).
A new section of the prophecy begins with this verse. The prophet now directs his reproofs against the people for their discontent and their lack of faith in God's promises, because the expected manifestation of God’s glory did not take place immediately. Because the doers of evil seem to flourish, the people say that God takes delight in them; or—that is, if this is not the case—“Where is the God of judgment?” since He does not intervene to punish them. (Compare to Psalm 73:1 and following)
"But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner`s fire, and like fuller`s soap:" — Malachi 3:2 (ASV)
This coming of the Lord to His temple acts as a crucial test ; the people should, therefore, seriously have considered how far they were prepared for that advent before they desired it so eagerly and impatiently.
"and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness." — Malachi 3:3 (ASV)
Sons of Levi. —Meaning especially the priests, the sons of Aaron, son of Amram, son of Kohath, son of Levi (Exodus 6:16–20); for judgment must begin at the house of God. (Ezekiel 9:6; 1 Peter 4:17.)
In righteousness refers rather to the moral character of the offerer than to the nature of the sacrifices, as being those prescribed by the Law. This and the following verse do not, of course, imply that there are to be material sacrifices in Messianic times. The prophet speaks in language suitable to the age in which he lived. (See Note on Malachi 1:11.)
"Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years." — Malachi 3:4 (ASV)
Days of old ... former years. —Perhaps, if we must define the period, from the time of Moses to the first year of the reign of Solomon. But we cannot be certain on this point. It seems to be one of the characteristics of Malachi to be somewhat of a laudator temporis acti .
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