Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 11:10

"This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee." — Matthew 11:10 (ASV)

This is he, of whom it is written—The words in the Greek are not taken from the Septuagint version of Malachi 3:1, but are a free translation from the Hebrew. In the original, it is Jehovah Himself who speaks of His own coming: Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. In the Evangelist’s paraphrase, it is Jehovah who speaks to the Christ: shall prepare Your way before You. The reference to the prophecy of Malachi in the song of Zacharias (Luke 1:76) had from the first connected it with the Baptist’s work, and our Lord, in adopting that reference, stamps the whole chapter with the character of a Messianic prophecy.