MALACHI, Book of. The book is per haps actually anonymous. The author's name appears only in i, 1, which is very probably an editorial addition. The word Malachi means "My messenger," and may have been taken from iii, I.• There is no serious question affecting the authorship of more than a few verses of the book. It has often been thought that ii, llf expresses a spirit of narrow Judaism which is inconsistent with i, 11. This is so upon one in terpretation of the latter passage which makes it refer to the turning of the nations to Yahweh either in the present or the future. That, how ever, is probably not the correct interpretation. The verse in the context, particularly in relation to the following verse, seems to be clearly pres ent and not future. At present it is not sus ceptible of the broader meaning given; that could not have been true at any probable time of writing. Hence the probable meaning is rather that worship is offered by Jews who are scattered widely among the nations; the refer ence is to the faithfulness of the Jews of the diaspora. Thus understood it is not inconsist ent with ii, Ilf.
Verses 4-6, chap. iv, are quite certainly a later addition. Verse 4 is a legal gloss, quite different from anything else in the book; verses 5-6 are a gloss upon verses 1-3, a restatement of much the same idea but from a different standpoint, one that is out of harmony with the book.
The mention of Edom, i, 2-4, gives a general indication concerning the date of the book. These verses indicate some recent crushing dis aster to Edom, which is narrated in a spirit of hatred to Edom. This hatred began, the his tory shows, with the treacherous violence of Edom at the destruction of Jerusalem in 586. The disaster here referred to was doubtless one that came from the invasion of the Nabateans, and might have taken place at any time during a considerable period before 312 B.C. The gen eral time between 586 and 312 is thus indicated.
The temple had been rebuilt after the exile, i, 10; iii, 1, 10, and the enthusiasm of the time of its rebuilding had passed away. This indi cates a time considerably after 516 B.C. The general condition of the people is that of the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, with the temple service in disorder and disrepute, i, 6-8, 12-13; ii, 1, 8, 17; iii, 7-10, 14, see Nehemiah x, 32-39; xiii, 10-13. Also, the divorce of Jewish wives and the marrying of foreign wives were found frequently, ii, 10-16, see Ezra, ix-x; Nehemiah x, 28-30; xiii, 23-31. There is in the book, however, no reference to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah. Hence the book is to be assigned to the period before their activity, and presum ably not long before, perhaps about 460 B.c.
The message of Malachi was intended to be primarily one of encouragement to the discour aged people in Palestine. The principal com prehensive thought of the hook is that Yahweh still loves Israel, in spite of appearances to the contrary. This is stated at the beginning of the book, in i, 2-5. The reason assigned for the adverse conditions from which the people were suffering was the failure of the people to do their duty toward Yahweh. This was particu larly a failure in relation to the outward na tional service. The outlook of the prophet is, therefore, in a considerable measure, formal. Yet this formal side is accompanied by a real ethical interest, as appears in ii, 27. A high standard for priestly activity is set up in ii, 7. The assurance of further prosperity for the peo ple if they amend their ways is in connection with the coming of the day of Yahweh.
Bibliography.— Driver, S. R., 'The Minor Prophets' ('Century Bible,' Edinburgh 1906) •, Perowne, T. T., 'Malachi' ((Cambridge Bible,' Cambridge 1896); Smith, G. A., (The Book of the Twelve Prophets' Bible,' Vol II, New York 1898) ; Smith, J. M. P., 'Mala chi' ( 'International Critical Commentary,' New York 1912).