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MALACHI

The final book of the Minor Prophets in the OT. It closes in Mal. 4:4-6(MT 3:22-24) with a look back at Moses and a look forward to the return of the prophet Elijah, which suggests that those verses were composed to conclude the first two sections of the Hebrew Bible, the Law and the Prophets. It also suggests that the book underwent a process of editing that covered a period of time.

Date

A variety of dates for the book of Malachi have been offered: 605-550 b.c.e., 515-456, or the late Persian period. Scholars offer several reasons for adopting the second option, which is the time between the completion of Zerubbabel’s temple and the coming of Ezra and Nehemiah.

1. The title of the ruler is “governor” (1:8) rather than king, suggesting a time after the fall of the Davidic dynasty.

2. Bitterness toward Edom (1:2-5) also suggests a time after its complicity in the fall of Jerusalem in 586.

3. References to the functioning altar (1:7), the sanctuary in Jerusalem (2:11) and a complacent, even contemptuous priesthood (1:13), however, point to a date after the Exile, when circumstances had settled down again, at least for the priests.

4. The problem of divorce (2:14) appears to be the same as that confronted by Ezra and/or Nehemiah.

5. The language resembles Hebrew of the exilic and early postexilic periods.

Historical Background

In all likelihood, then, the book of Malachi originated in the first half of the 6th century. Local government would have been minimal, with Judah administered for the Persian Empire through its governor in Samaria. Except for the temple, a few new houses, and perhaps some government buildings, Jerusalem languished. Dissension plagued the priesthood; marriage to “foreigners” (who may have been descendants of those people sent to Palestine by the Assyrians) was not uncommon. The city wall was not repaired until the time of Nehemiah. Even at that date, the population may have numbered no more than 5000, with the population of the Judean countryside ca. 50 thousand. (The most optimistic estimates double those numbers, while the most pessimistic halve them.) The situation was not desperate, but neither did it match the promises of Deutero-Isaiah or Ezekiel.

Authorship

The superscription (1:1) attributes the book to someone called “Malachi,” a term which means “my messenger.” As such, it could be a proper name, but an unlikely name for a child. Consequently, some scholars have suggested that it is an abbreviated form of a name like malʾăḵîyāhû, which probably should be translated “Messenger of God” rather than the blasphemous “Yahweh is my Messenger.” In 3:1 the same word appears again, and there it seems to refer to someone other than the prophet standing behind the book. It would seem best to conclude, then, that “Malachi” is a title, not a name, and that the book is anonymous.

The book reveals an absorbing interest in priestly matters, such as pollution, the altar, ritual, and the attitude of the priests. Consequently, many scholars consider the author a priest, and that could be correct. The difficulty is that in the postexilic period the Levites were divided into two groups: (1) Zadokites, called priests, and (2) non-Zadokites, called Levites. When the author addressed temple priests simply as Levites, he may well have been denying the distinction the priestly leaders deemed so crucial. That may have been more likely for a Levite than a Zadokite. In addition, the Levites were the officials responsible for collecting the tithes, so the insistence that farmers pay the full tithes (3:8-12) might also suggest a levitical provenance. Thus, the prophet may have been a non-Zadokite Levite interested in a purified cult and a unified priesthood. If so, it is likely his followers were mostly Levites, but perhaps included some sympathetic Zadokites.

The prophet’s messages would have constituted the majority, but not the entirety of the book. Passages that betray a second hand include the superscription 1:1; 3:1b-4 plus the title “Malachi” in 3:1a; and 3:16–4:3(3:21). The people the prophet had berated in the first two chapters for despising God’s covenant with Levi could scarcely be the people addressed in 3:1b-4, who are said to delight in God’s covenant. Nor would the people who brought lame animals to sacrifice or the priests who accepted them with contempt for God be described as people who revered the Lord (3:16). Hence, one should posit a second audience as well as a second hand. A later redactor would have added 4:4-6(3:22-24).

Genre

The dominant view is that the book is comprised of a series of question-and-answer speeches, usually called disputation speeches. The six speeches are 1:2-5; 1:6–2:9; 2:10-16; 2:17–3:5; 3:6-12; 3:13–4:3(3:21), with 4:4-6(3:22-24) considered an addition. Another suggestion is to construe the book as a covenant lawsuit comprised of a series of “controversies” or legal proceedings. Actually, both constructions are somewhat forced, since one finds within the book a prophecy of disaster (2:1-9), a narrative (3:16), and one or more prophecies of salvation (3:17–4:6[3:24]). Thus, one should note the catechetical style of the book without trying to force the whole book or all of its components into a single genre.

Outline and Message

The book of Malachi focuses on God’s covenant with the Levites and with the people. That relationship was also expressed in terms of God’s parentage of the people. One primary issue is the people’s abuse of that relationship. The argument of the book may be outlined under seven headings.

1:2-5 God’s Love for Israel

Though the people of Judah and Jerusalem might deny it, God loved Israel. That love could be seen by contrasting the future of Israel, whom God would restore, with that of Edom, whom God would condemn.

1:6–2:9 Pollution by the Priests

The priests were not properly attentive to the worship of God. Instead of setting a table fit for a divine parent, they accepted inferior victims for sacrifice and considered the ritual for which they were responsible a bother.

2:10-16 Unfaithfulness within the Community

Consequently, the people behaved no better than their religious leaders. They committed idolatry, divorced their wives in order to marry “foreign” women, and then could not seem to understand why God rejected their offerings.

2:17–3:5 Cleansing of the Community

What was needed was a genuine cleansing from their sins. Hence, God would punish them like a refining fire.

3:6-12 Paying for Cultic Services

The people would also need to pay their tithes to support the priests and provide the offerings essential to temple worship. If they would do so, God would bless them.

3:13–4:3(3:21) Hope for the Community

If the community as a whole seemed unwilling to heed God’s messenger, a loyal remnant would become God’s special possession. God would spare the faithful the fury to come.

4:4-6(3:22-24) Living in the Community

The community, both parents and children alike, would heed the message of the prophet Elijah, whom God would send to them before the day of Yahweh.

Bibliography. B. Glazier-McDonald, Malachi: The Divine Messenger. SBLDS 98 (Atlanta, 1987); J. M. O’Brien, Priest and Levite in Malachi. SBLDS 121 (Atlanta, 1990); D. L. Petersen, Zechariah 9–14 and Malachi. OTL (Louisville, 1995); P. L. Redditt, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. NCBC (Grand Rapids, 1995).

Paul L. Redditt

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MALACHI

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)