MALACHI, the name assigned to the last book of the Old Testament in English (the last of the "prophets" in the Hebrew Bible), which according to the title (Mal. i. I) contains the "word of Yahweh to Israel by the hand of Malachi." In form the word means "my messenger." It could be explained as a con traction of Malachiah, "messenger of Yahweh"; but the Septua gint is probably right in not regarding it as a proper name ("by the hand of His messenger"). Not only do we know nothing from internal or external evidence of the existence of a prophet of this name, but the occurrence of the word in the title is naturally ex plained as derived from iii. I : "Behold, I send my messenger" (cf. ii. 7). The prophecy must, therefore, be regarded as anony mous; the title was added by the compiler who wrote similar editorial titles to the anonymous prophecies beginning Zech. ix. I, xi:. I. (Note the use of "burden").
The contents of the prophecy fall into a series of clearly marked sections, as in the paragraph division of the Revised Version. These apply, in various ways, the truth emphasized at the outset : Yahweh's love for Israel in contrast with his treatment of Edom (i. 2-5). Israel's response should be a proper regard for the ritual of His worship; yet any offering, however imperfect, is thought good enough for Yahweh's altar (i. 6-14). Let the priests, who are responsible, take warning, and return to their ancient ideals (ii. 1-9). Again, the common Fatherhood of God should inspire a right relation among fellow Israelites, not such conduct as the divorce of Israelite wives in order to marry non-Israelite women (ii. lo-16). The prevalence of wrong-doing has provoked scepticism as to righteous judgment; but the messenger of Yah weh is at hand to purge away indifferentism from worship and im morality from conduct (ii. 17–hi. 6). The payment of tithes now withheld will be followed by the return of prosperity (iii. 7-12).
Religion may seem useless, but Yahweh remembers His own, and will soon in open judgment distinguish them from the irreligious (iii. I3–iv. 3). The book closes with an appeal to observe the law of Moses, and with a promise that Elijah shall come before the threatened judgment—probably a later addition.
The topics noticed clearly relate the prophecy to the period of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Temple had been rebuilt (i. 1o;
iii. I, o), the province of Judah was under a Persian governor (i. 8), and there had been time enough for the loss of earlier en thusiasm. The majority of modern scholars are agreed that the prophet prepares for the work of those reformers (Ezra, 458 c.; Nehemiah, 444, 13.c.). The priests have fallen into contempt (ii. 9) and have neglected what is still one of their chief trusts, the oral law (ii. 6 seq.). The priestly code of written law, in its present form, was not promulgated until 444 B.c. (Neh. viii.–x.) and it is not presupposed by "Malachi" who writes under the influence of the earlier Code of Deuteronomy only, and must therefore belong to a date prior to 444. The independent charac ter of the attack on current abuses (marriage with foreign women, ii. I I ; non-payment of sacred dues, iii. 8) suggests priority to the work of Ezra. The prophecy affords an interesting and valuable glimpse of the post-exilic community, with its various currents of thought and life. The completion of the second Tem ple (516 B.c.) has been followed by disillusionment as to the anticipated prosperity, by indifference to worship, scepticism as to providence, and moral laxity. In view of these conditions, the prophet's message is to reassert the true relation of Israel to Yahweh, and to call for a corresponding holiness, especially in regard to questions of ritual and of marriage.
The book is a significant landmark in the religious history of Israel. Its emphasis on the observance of ritual finds fullest de velopment in the Priestly Code, subsequently promulgated; its protest against foreign marriages is made effective through the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah; the influence of its closing words on later expectation is familiar to every reader of the new Testa ment (Matt. xvii. 3, 4, 10-13; xxvii. 47, 49; John 1. 21, BIBLIOGRAPHY.--The chief commentaries in German are those by Nowack (1897, 1904), Wellhausen (1898), Marti (1904), Sellin (1922) ; there is one in French by A. van Hoonacker (1908). Those recommended in English are by G. A. Smith (1898, 1927), S. R. Driver (Century Bible, 1906), J. M. P. Smith (International Critical Commentary, 1912, W. E. Barnes (Cambridge Bible, 1917).
(H. W. R.)