Introduction

On the Book of the Prophet Malachi. Introduction.

The Author of the Book. Who was the author of the book known as the “Book of Malachi”? Scholars of this book respond differently to this question. Some thought that the name Malachi was not the author’s proper name but a common designation. The meaning of the word Malachi itself—“messenger” or “envoy of Jehovah”—provided the basis for this. There were many such messengers of Jehovah. Which of them appears here? Some interpreters thought that an angel of God is meant here, who appeared in the form of a prophet-denouncer, and whose words were soon written down by someone. Others saw here the designation of one of the outstanding figures of the Jews after the Babylonian captivity—Ezra, Jesus the high priest, and others. Even the Seventy translators apparently took this name as a common designation: they placed in verse 1 of the book the expression “His angel” instead of “Malachi.” But all such suppositions cannot be recognized as well-founded. First, the tradition of the Jewish Church stands rather on the side of the view that Malachi was the proper name of the last prophet-author. Thus the Talmud expresses such a thought, calling the prophet Malachi a member of the great synagogue. Jerome also testifies that in the translations of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus stood the proper name of the prophet Malachi. Finally, the interpreters of the Orthodox Church—both ancient and modern—acknowledge that the Book of Malachi was indeed written by a prophet bearing such a name as a proper name, and the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of this prophet on January 3rd. The same is true: the majority of contemporary foreign interpreters also recognize the name Malachi as the proper name of the author of the Book of Malachi. And indeed, it would be strange if, in the collection of prophetic books, only one book was adorned with such an indefinite designation of its author: “messenger of Jehovah.” As for the supposed persons who, it is claimed, hid themselves under the name “messenger of God”—Ezra, Jesus the high priest, and others—everything that is known from history about these persons gives absolutely no grounds for recognizing any of them as the author of the Book of Malachi (see more on this in the dissertation of Mr. Tikhomirov, chap. I).

As for the personality and position of the prophet among the Jewish people, nothing definite can be said about this. There exist only traditions, more or less dependent on one and the same account found in the work titled “On the Life and Death of the Prophets.” This work was, in all probability, composed in the Hebrew language. From it, of course, Epiphanius of Cyprus drew his information about Malachi, and from him our hagiographer, St. Dimitri of Rostov, borrowed it. According to these accounts, Malachi was born in Supha, from the tribe of Zebulun. He received his name “Angel” from the people because of his extraordinary beauty and angelic purity, and also because he often conversed with an angel. Malachi died in his youth. Some interpreters suppose that Malachi came from the priestly line, since he takes great interest in the contemporary condition of the priesthood and worship. But this supposition lacks sufficient grounds, for, for example, any good Israelite could take interest in the condition of the priesthood and worship.

The Time of the Prophet Malachi’s Life. The majority of interpreters unanimously say that the prophet Malachi lived after the Babylonian captivity and some time after the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The Temple had already been built, sacrifices were in full swing, although the initial zeal for this matter of piety had already sufficiently cooled (Mal 1:6-14). The moral defects of the Jewish people were now not those which formed the subject of the denunciations of Haggai and Zechariah, but rather were approaching those which existed in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. These defects have the greatest similarity to those which are denounced in chapter 13 of the Book of Nehemiah. Thus, Malachi (Mal 2:11) condemns the custom of marrying pagan women (cf. Nehem 13:23-25), reproaches the Jews for stinginess in bringing sacrifices (Mal 1:7-9) and tithes (Mal 3:10), as Nehemiah also does in part (Nehem 13:10-12). In the days of Ezra, when the government itself participated in the maintenance of the Temple (Ezra 6:8-10, 7:20), there would hardly be room for such laments over the scarcity of offerings as are contained in Malachi’s words. Similarly, it cannot be supposed that during Nehemiah’s presence in Jerusalem such incidents as Malachi reports (Mal 1:8) would be possible. In all probability, at the time when Malachi was pronouncing his words, Nehemiah was absent. Nehemiah himself reports about his departure from Jerusalem, which took place in the 12th year of his service as governor, that is, in the year 433, (Nehem 13:6). He also speaks of the disorders that became established in his absence among those who returned from captivity, and which he eliminated upon his return to Jerusalem. In view of this, it is hardly possible to suppose that Malachi could find such same disorders shortly after Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem and at this time would speak his denunciations. Most likely, these denunciations were uttered precisely during Nehemiah’s absence from Jerusalem. Hence it is certain that the activity of the prophet Malachi falls in the epoch of Ezra and Nehemiah, that is, in the 5th century before Christ.

The Content of the Book. The general thought of the words of the prophet Malachi is a protest against negligence in worship and, in general, against the violation of theocratic customs among the Israelite people. In particular, Malachi denounces with great force the lack of the fear of God in the priests and those Israelites who lightly dissolved their marriage bonds with their lawful wives. But with his denunciatory preaching, the prophet Malachi wishes not only to contribute to the restoration of morality among the people and the customs of true theocracy: his main goal was to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. Many impatient Jews had already begun to doubt whether the promised Messiah would indeed come as a judge of sinners and benefactor for the righteous. The prophet Malachi proclaims that the Lord will come soon, that He will come forth as a judge for all people in general, and therefore also for the Jews. But both the priests and the common Jews would not be able to endure the fiery trial to which the Lord will subject all when He comes, if, by His condescension to the chosen people, He did not send them a new Elijah, who must turn Israel to the path of salvation.

This content of the book in the Hebrew Bible is contained in three chapters, to which division the Protestant editions of the Bible also follow. In the translation of the Seventy, the Vulgate, the Slavic, and the Russian, the Book of Malachi is divided into four chapters, so that the third chapter of the Hebrew Bible is divided into two: the first verse of the fourth chapter in our editions is the 19th verse of the third chapter in the Hebrew Bible.

Characteristic Traits of the Book of Malachi. The Book of the Prophet Malachi, from the external aspect, has the peculiarity that in it, instead of the ancient poetic-rhetorical manner of expressing ideas, there appears, predominantly, a dialectical exposition. The prophet, ordinarily, sets forth a general proposition, and then puts forward an opposite idea, which gives him occasion to explain thoroughly and substantiate the proposition he has put forward (see Mal 1:2-6). This gives a special liveliness to the speech of the prophet and may be explained by the fact that in the post-captivity period, soon there appeared in Judaism what is called “counter-questioning.” Malachi writes in prose—only rarely are verses encountered. His language is almost perfectly pure, sometimes only slightly colored by Aramaisms. The latter can be explained by the fact that after the captivity, the Jews were subjected, in their language, to the influence of Palestinian (western) Aramaeans, who lived near the rather small Jerusalem colony. Moreover, this West-Aramaic language was the official language of the western half of the Persian kingdom (p. 111).

As for the worldview of the prophet Malachi, as it is reflected in his book, he, like the two other post-captivity prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, attaches primary importance to the newly rebuilt Jerusalem Temple in the life of the chosen people. All the well-being of the people is founded, according to his conviction, on respect for the Temple and reverent performance of worship in it. Accordingly, he sets the strictest demands on the Jewish priesthood. But, on the other hand, Malachi regards pagans quite differently from both the other post-captivity prophets. He hates only the Edomites, these inveterate enemies of the Jewish people, while to other pagan nations he foretells acceptance into the Kingdom of God (Mal 1:11), whereas Haggai and Zechariah depicted the day of the Lord as a destruction of all pagan power (Hag 2:5-9; Zech 1:15). Malachi speaks only of this judgment, that it will concern the Jewish people (Mal 3:13-18). Also noteworthy is the sympathy that Malachi feels for all the weak and wronged, especially for the rejected wives. He is a fierce enemy of divorce (Mal 2:16). Finally, Malachi foretells that God will come to His Temple suddenly and here will execute His judgment over the Jews, and will be preceded by a Forerunner or Angel (Mal 3:1).

The Canonical Authority of the Book of Malachi. The Book of Malachi was undoubtedly included in the canon of sacred books when this canon received its completion, that is, at the end of Nehemiah’s work. This is confirmed to us, for example, by the circumstance that by the 3rd century before Christ there already existed a collection of 12 prophets (see Sir 49:12). Sirach, apparently, also quotes the Book of Malachi when speaking of the prophet Elijah (Sir 48; cf. Mal 4:6). In the New Testament, the book of the prophet is cited repeatedly, as a prophetic and divinely inspired book, well-known to all and recognized as canonical (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:17; Rom 9:13).

Commentaries on the Book of Malachi. Among the patristic commentaries on the book of the prophet Malachi, there are commentaries by Ephrem the Syrian, Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria, and Theodoret (all translated into Russian). Russian commentaries belong to Bishop Palladius, Smirnov I. K. (Bishop John), Gretov A. (Book of the Prophet Malachi. An Essay in Critical-Exegetical Study. Moscow, 1889) and Professor P. Tikhomirov (The Prophet Malachi. A Study. Holy Trinity Monastery of Sergius, 1903, p. 596). Commentaries in foreign languages are pointed out in the book of Prof. Tikhomirov. To the books indicated there should be added Moore’s book (on the prophet Malachi, 1903, in Latin) and the third, newly revised edition of Orelli’s commentary: “Minor Prophets,” 1908, in German. (Introductory information in the book was recently provided by Prof. P. Yungerov, “A Particular Historical-Critical Introduction to the Sacred Books of the Old Testament,” issue 2, 1907).