Commentary on the Twelve Prophets

Commentary on the Prophet Malachi

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET MALACHI he blessed prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied through divine influence after the return of the people from Babylon. While blessed Haggai addressed the people on the rebuilding of the Temple and in particular disclosed the destruction of those in the company of Gog, blessed Zechariah mentioned those things as well as the doings of the Maccabees much later,1 setting out as well many and varied revelations in which he indicated the variety of God’s beneficence towards them and provided instruction suf- ficient to bring them to the practice of religion and a devout life. Since Jews, however, though vouchsafed divine providence and the return from Babylon, and though being in receipt of countless good things and enjoying great prosperity, did not use the respite properly, the priests sinning in some matters and the whole people in others, of necessity the present prophet under divine influence was appointed to this task, accusing the priests and the people of the sins, the nature of which you could learn better from the text itself, and disclosing also some future events. Now, the prophet’s name in Greek is Messenger, and in Hebrew Malachi, the Hebrews’ normal term for messenger; hence in translation into Greek he is called Messenger in place of Malachi.2 1. As we have noted in connection with Zechariah in particular, Theodore tries to see the prophets treating of historical situations, unwilling as he is to recognize nonhistorical material like apocalyptic (even though unwittingly incorporating an apocalyptic figure like Gog). Yet we shall see him typically unwilling to investigate some of the historical details of Malachi’s ministry. His customary statement of the book’s uJpovqesi", however, would be helpful for his readers. 2. It may be that Theodore’s lack of Hebrew does not allow him to appreciate the fact that, whereas the Greek speaks of “his messenger,” the Hebrew title 398 Chapter One He begins this way, An oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by means of his messenger (v.1), as if to say, By divine influence the messenger was entrusted with the task of prophecy by way of an accusation against Israel, since he was on the point of indicating by this general term both the priests and the people, all the Israelites being referred to in common.3 Then, after this title customary in the prophetic books,4 the prophet begins his own address thus: Take it to heart, words most apposite for those who had neglected hitherto to do as they ought.5 He now bids them give careful thought to their duty, realize what they have been guilty of, estimate how far they have strayed from the right path, and thus also apply some correction to their failings. Next, after the exhortation and encouragement by which he made them more solicitious for their duty, he goes on, I loved you, says the Lord (v.2). It was right that to the ingrates, accused as they were of the depravity of their behavior, he should mention his love above all, as though they were judged against that. [600] You replied, In what way did you love us? It is not a statement he cites, since there were no grounds for them in reply to ask, In what way did you love us? as it was clear to everyone how many good things he had brought them, whether what had happened in the past or occurring frequently afterwards and happening just lately. It is normal for the divine Scripture, remember , to use the word for the event, and to indicate by a word the disposition of those doing something, as for example, “They said, Who will see them?”6 meaning, Their attitude was COMMENTARY ON MALACHI 1 399 reads malachi, “my messenger.” Or it may be, on the other hand, that the LXX represents the original Heb. reading. 3. One of the historical issues calling for comment, referred to in n. 1, is this mention of “Israel” as the recipient of the prophet’s message at a time when the northern kingdom had long disappeared, Judah and Jerusalem receiving less attention in the book. A comment to the effect that the title had been taken over by Judah as a “dignified religious name” (W. Rudolph) might have been helpful . 4. Theodore made the same observation at the beginning of Habakkuk, where this word for “oracle,” lh'mma, is used, even...