Malachi 3:1
הִנְנִ֤י שֹׁלֵחַ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔י וּפִנָּה־דֶ֖רֶךְ לְפָנָ֑י וּפִתְאֹם֩ יָב֨וֹא אֶל־הֵיכָל֜וֹ הָאָד֣וֹן׀ אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֗ים וּמַלְאַ֨ךְ הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֤ם חֲפֵצִים֙ הִנֵּה־בָ֔א אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the path before Me, and suddenly He will come to his temple; the Lord whom you are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant who you are desiring; behold, he comes, says YHWH of hosts.
Paraphrase: Now let me answer your question. You have asked where is the God who always deals justly with His people. Let me tell you where you can find Him. You will find Him in His temple. This is the God who you are asking about. He has a word for you: “Listen up, people, I am sending My messenger so that he will go before Me and get everything ready for My arrival. He will clear all obstacles out of My way. He will lay out the covenant terms for you and setup this covenant between you and YHWH, the Great King. Then when everything is ready, I will make my entrance suddenly and with great and awesome power and glory.
Comments:
Clendenen suggests that “whenever a messenger of God appears in the Old Testament, the covenant between the Lord and Israel is always the issue.” See comment on Malachi 3:1.
Malachi 3:2
וּמִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔וֹ וּמִ֥י הָעֹמֵ֖ד בְּהֵרָֽאוֹת֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוּא֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
and who is enduring the day of His coming? and who is standing when He appears? For He is as a fire of refining and as a launderers’ soap.
Paraphrase: Now let me ask you who think you have a case against God. Answer this question. Are you able to stand in the presence of the holy God? (Psalm 130:3) Do you think for a moment that when God comes into the room, you would be able to look Him in the eye? Do you think that you can call God to account as if you were the judge and He the guilty? Do you think you can answer even one of His questions? (Romans 9:20) Is it possible that you have completely misunderstood the character of the God whom you claim to serve? Don’t you know that when God comes, He is the One who takes the bench? or do you really think that when God comes, He would stand in the dock and be the defendant? Is this the God we worship? On the contrary, God doesn’t come to us so we can put Him on trial! He comes to put us on trial! His eyes are too pure to see evil; He cannot tolerate wickedness and injustice. (Habakkuk 1:13) Do you want to know what God’s coming is like? Look at the smelter as he places the ore into the fire. He does this so that all the impurities are separated from the pure metal. In the same way, God will come and put His people in the fire. The wicked and the hypocrites will be incinerated, but the righteous will come forth as pure metal. (Job 23:10) You see a similar illustration of God’s coming when you observe someone washing clothes. They use a strong soap to remove dirt and stains from the clothing. God too has a strong soap that He will use to separate the wicked from the righteous.
Comments:
For a pilpel verb, see Gesenius §55. It has the same nuance as the piel.
For בְּהֵרָאוֹתוֹ see BBH §20.10.
Malachi 3:3
וְיָשַׁ֨ב מְצָרֵ֤ף וּמְטַהֵר֙ כֶּ֔סֶף וְטִהַ֤ר אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִי֙ וְזִקַּ֣ק אֹתָ֔ם כַּזָּהָ֖ב וְכַכָּ֑סֶף וְהָיוּ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מַגִּישֵׁ֥י מִנְחָ֖ה בִּצְדָקָֽה׃
and He sat refining and purifying silver; He purified the sons of Levi and refined them as gold and as silver. And they were to YHWH ones bringing an offering in righteousness.
Paraphrase: At that time, YHWH will take His people and refine them just as smiths refine gold and silver by subjecting them to extreme heat. In this way, God will purify His people starting with the Levites. He will burn away the evil that clings to them. They will start bringing the temple sacrifices in the proper way; the way which I commanded them in the law.
Comments:
Malachi 3:4
וְעָֽרְבָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מִנְחַ֥ת יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּימֵ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וּכְשָׁנִ֖ים קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת׃
and the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to YHWH as the days of old and as the ancient years.
Paraphrase: Then My newly purified (John 1:31) people will bring offerings to Me. The people of Judah and Jerusalem will come with their sacrifices. They will place My portion on the altar (Leviticus 3:3), and it will be sweet smelling savor for Me. (Leviticus 1:9) It will bring me great pleasure just as such sacrifices always have.
Comments:
The first vav is a vav-reversive.
Driver notes (footnote in the right column of p132) that the phrase רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ pleasing aroma or sweet savor (Leviticus 1:9, 17) has the idea of propitiation in it. cf Hebrews 9:22
Malachi 3:5
וְקָרַבְתִּ֣י אֲלֵיכֶם֮ לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒ וְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ עֵ֣ד מְמַהֵ֗ר בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י שְׂכַר־שָׂ֠כִיר אַלְמָנָ֨ה וְיָת֤וֹם וּמַטֵּי־גֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרֵא֔וּנִי אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
and I will draw near to you for judgment and will be a witness making haste against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those swearing to a lie and against those defrauding the wages of the wage-earner, the widow, and the orphan, and those pushing away the sojourner, and they did not fear me.” says YHWH of armies.
Paraphrase: Having done this for the faithful amongst My people, I will now deal with the wicked and rebellious. I will will setup court; I will summon them to appear before My holy tribunal and will expose their sin and evil. Without any delay, I will bring evidence which will show the wickedness that is practiced by some of My people. First, I will expose the sorcerers. (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Chronicles 33:6) Second, I will expose the adulterers and those who practice sexual impurity. (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10-21; Matthew 12:39) Third, those who swear oaths to something they know is false. (Exodus 20:7) Fourth, those who oppress the poor like widows and orphans. (Micah 2:2) In the same group are those employers who refuse to give their employees the wages which they have rightly earned by their labor. (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; James 5:4) Fifth, those who have no respect for the aliens and sojourners among you and send them away without any help or compassion. (Exodus 22:21-24) You have no respect for them because you have no respect for Me.” This is the word of YHWH, the Great King and Sovereign over heaven and earth.
Comments:
God’s hatred of oppression is repeated many times throughout the Bible; see this article.
Malachi 3:6
כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א שָׁנִ֑יתִי וְאַתֶּ֥ם בְּנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב לֹ֥א כְלִיתֶֽם׃
for I, YHWH, do not change, and you, sons of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Paraphrase: Now after all this, it may be a question in your mind how the nation can possibly survive. There is so much sin in Israel; will not the entire nation be wiped out by this process of refining and purifying? Well I am not like you. My Name is YHWH, the Self-Existing and unchanging One. I do not vacillate back and forth like you (1 Kings 18:21); I do not make promises and then reverse them; I do not say one thing and mean another. On the contrary, My word is steadfast and can be relied on. It will never return to Me empty; it will accomplish what I intended and will succeed in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) Now I made a covenant with your fathers; and because of this promise, I will not destroy you completely. If you were destroyed, then My promise to your fathers would fail, but no promise of Mine will ever fail. (Joshua 21:45; 23:14; 2 Corinthians 1:20) This is the reason that My process of refining will not bring you to a complete end.
Comments:
Pusey reasons (p490) that YHWH is not a predicate nominative here because “sons of Jacob” is not.
Malachi 3:7
לְמִימֵ֨י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם סַרְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם שׁ֤וּבוּ אֵלַי֙ וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֥ה נָשֽׁוּב׃
For from the days of your fathers, you departed from My statutes and did not observe. Turn to me and I will turn to you,” says YHWH of armies, and you said, “In what will we turn?”
Paraphrase: Consider your own history; look back to the historical record. Note your constant failure to observe the terms of the covenant I made with you at mount Sinai. What laws have you kept? Which of my ordinances and statutes did you regard as holy? You’ve broken every one of them and dragged My holy Name through the mud. Now listen to Me, My people. Don’t fall down in despair and call your case hopeless. Yes, you have sinned and broken the covenant; but today, I declare a full amnesty for everyone of My people who will own their sin and guilt and confess it to Me. I am ready to receive anyone who will turn from these sins which I have listed. (Malachi 3:5) As the prophet Isaiah said so many years ago, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to Me, and I will have compassion on him.” (Isaiah 55:7) I will no longer remember your sin (Jeremiah 31:34); I will remove your transgressions from you as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) But now, in the face of this general amnesty which I have proclaimed to you, you responded in a most appalling way. You looked at Me and asked from what sin you should repent! You really thought you were blameless and that you had no need for repentance. (Luke 15:7)
Comments:
Malachi 3:8
הֲיִקְבַּ֨ע אָדָ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ קֹבְעִ֣ים אֹתִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה קְבַעֲנ֑וּךָ הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר וְהַתְּרוּמָֽה׃
Will a human rob God? but you are robbing Me. And you say in what do we rob You? The tenth and the offering.
Paraphrase: You really don’t know which of My laws you’ve broken? Let Me ask you this question; what do you think of a human person stealing from God? Surely we all agree that this is a terrible sacrilege, one of the most sinful acts a human person could ever commit. Even the thought has never entered your mind. Well let me tell you the truth; in addition to the sins I listed previously (Malachi 3:5), you are guilty of this very act of sacrilege. No doubt, you will react with horror to this charge. “How have we robbed God?!” you will ask in righteous indignation. Well, the answer is simple, in tithes and offerings.
Comments:
Malachi 3:9
בַּמְּאֵרָה֙ אַתֶּ֣ם נֵֽאָרִ֔ים וְאֹתִ֖י אַתֶּ֣ם קֹבְעִ֑ים הַגּ֖וֹי כֻּלּֽוֹ׃
Malachi 3:10
הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֜ר אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאוֹצָ֗ר וִיהִ֥י טֶ֙רֶף֙ בְּבֵיתִ֔י וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי נָא֙ בָּזֹ֔את אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־לֹ֧א אֶפְתַּ֣ח לָכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת אֲרֻבּ֣וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם בְּרָכָ֖ה עַד־בְּלִי־דָֽי׃
Mal 3:11
וְגָעַרְתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ בָּֽאֹכֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְלֹא־תְשַׁכֵּ֨ל לָכֶ֤ם הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
Mal 3:12
וְאִשְּׁר֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם כִּֽי־תִהְי֤וּ אַתֶּם֙ אֶ֣רֶץ חֵ֔פֶץ אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ס
Mal 3:13
חָזְק֥וּ עָלַ֛י דִּבְרֵיכֶ֖ם אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מַה־נִּדְבַּ֖רְנוּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃
Mal 3:14
אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ וְכִ֤י הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית מִפְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
Mal 3:15
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים זֵדִ֑ים גַּם־נִבְנוּ֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י רִשְׁעָ֔ה גַּ֧ם בָּחֲנ֛וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ׃
Mal 3:16
אָ֧ז נִדְבְּר֛וּ יִרְאֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע וַ֠יִּכָּתֵב סֵ֣פֶר זִכָּר֤וֹן לְפָנָיו֙ לְיִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י שְׁמֽוֹ׃
Mal 3:17
וְהָ֣יוּ לִ֗י אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת לַיּ֕וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה סְגֻלָּ֑ה וְחָמַלְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יַחְמֹ֣ל אִ֔ישׁ עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ הָעֹבֵ֥ד אֹתֽוֹ׃
Mal 3:18
וְשַׁבְתֶּם֙ וּרְאִיתֶ֔ם בֵּ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק לְרָשָׁ֑ע בֵּ֚ין עֹבֵ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֔ים לַאֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א עֲבָדֽוֹ׃ס