MAKTESH (mak'tesh),(Heb. mak-taysh' ; depression).
The name of a quarter or district in or near Jerusalem, perhaps one of the adjacent valleys Zeph. :it), either Kidron or the one separating the Temple from the city.
MALACHI (Heb. mal-aw-kee' ; Sept. MaXaxtar, mal-ah-kee' as).
The last of the minor prophets, and conse quently the latest writer in the canon of the Old Testament. Nothing is known of his person or history. It appears that he lived after Zechariah, since in his time the second temple was already built (ch. iii :to) ; and it is probable that he was contemporary with Nehemiah (comp. ch. ii with Neh. xiii :23-27. and ch. iii :8, with Neh.
xiii :to).
(1) Meaning of Name. The name Malachi means, as some understand it, my angel ; but it seems more correct to regard it as a contracted form of the Hebrew, angel of I ehovah. As the word translated 'angel,' however, means also a 'messenger,' angels being, in fact, the messengers of God ; and as the prophets are often styled angels or messengers of Jehovah, it is supposed that 'Malachi' is merely a general title descriptive of this character, and not a proper name. It has been very generally supposed that it denotes Ezra, but the weight of opinion is against this.
(2) Date of Prophecy. Although it is well agreed that Malachi was the last of the prophets, the date of his prophecy has been variously deter mined. Usher makes him contemporary with Nehemiah, in B. C. 4t6; and the general opinion that this prophet was contemporary with, or im mediately followed, Nehemiah, makes most of the proposed alternatives range within a few years of that date.
(3) Character of Prophecy. He censures the same offenses which excited the indignation of Nehemiah, and which that governor had not been able entirely to reform. Speaking of God's greater kindness to the Israelites than to the Edomites, he begins with declaiming against the priests for their profane and mercenary conduct, and against the people for their multiplied divorces and in termarriages with idolatrous nations; he threatens thetn with punishment and rejection, declaring that God would 'make his name great among the Gentiles' (ch. i for that he was wearied with the impiety of Israel (ch. ii). Front this the prophet takes occasion solemnly to proclaim that the Lord whom they sought should suddenly come to his temple, preceded by that messenger who, like a harbinger, should prepare his way: that the Lord when he should appear would purify the sons of Levi from their unrighteous ness, and refine them as metal from the dross (ch. iii :1-3) ; that then 'the offering of Judah,' the spiritual sacrifice of the heart, 'should be pleas ant to the Lord,' as was that of the patriarchs and their uncorrupted ancestors (ch. iii :4) ; and that the Lord would quickly exterminate the cor ruptions and adulteries which prevailed. The prophet then proceeds with an earnest exhortation to repentance ; promising high rewards and re membrance to the righteous in that last day when the Lord shall make up his peculiar treas ures, and finally establish a distinction of doom and condition between the righteous and the wicked (ch. iii :16-t8), Malachi then concludes
with an impressive assurance of approaching sal vation to those who feared God's name from that 'Sun of Righteousness,' who should arise with healing in his wings,and render them triumphant ; enjoining in the solemn close of his exhortation, when uttering as it were the last admonition of the Jewish prophets, an observance of the law of Moses, till the advent of Elijah the prophet (ch. iv:5, or John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elias, Mark ix :12; Luke i : 17), who before the coming of that 'great and dreadful day of the Lord, should turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart' of the children to their fathers' (ch. iv.). Thus Mal achi sealed up the volume of prophecy with the description of that personage at whose .appear ance the Evangelists begin their gospel history.
(4) Canonicity. The claim of the book of Malachi to its place in the canon of the Old Tes tament has never been disputed; and its authority is established by the references to it it, the New Testament (Matt. xi :to; xvii :12; Mark i 1X II, 12; Luke i :17; Rom. ix :13).
(5) Style. The manner of Malachi offers few, if any, distinguishing characteristics. The style, rhythm, and imagery of his writings are sub stantially those of the old prophets, but they possess no remarkable vigor or beauty. This. is accounted for by his living dunng that decline of Hebrew poetry, which we trace more or less in all the sacred writings posterior to the Cap tivity.
The principal separate works on the subject are: Chytrwus, Explicot. Moloch. Prophet. Rost. 1568; Grynxus, Hypomnentata In Moloch. Frcf. 1652; Stock, Commentary upon the whole Prophc sye of Mo!achy, Lond. 1641; Schlater, A Brief and Plain Commentary upon the whole Prophecie of Mo!achy, Lond. 165o; Ursinus, Comment. in Moloch. Frcf. 1652; Sal. van Til, Moloch. illus &obis, Lug. Bat. 17o1; Wesselius, Malachias enucleatus, Lubeck, 1729 ; Malachi° Prophet° c. Targum Jonathis et Rodoki Raschii oc Aber: Eva. Comment. et Interpret. J. C. Hebenstreit, Lips. 1746; Venema, Comment. in Moloch. Leo yard. 1759; Bahrdt, Comment. in Malachiam, c. examine verss. vett. et lectt. variant Houbigontii, Lips. 1768; J. M. Faber, Comnzent. in Malachiam, Onold. 1779; J. F. Fischer, Observatt. Grit. in Molochiam, Lips. 1759; J. M. Faber, A b weischungen der alien Uebersctzer d. Propheten Malachias, in Eichhorn's Repert. vi, io4-124 Moore, Commentary, N. Y., 1865; J. Pye Smith, Scripture Testimony to the Messiah; Noyes, Comnzent.; Cowles, Comment.