Malachi 3

A prophecie of the sending of S.John the Baptist and the coming of Christ, who should sperate the hypocrites from the true children of God, verse 1, &c. whereupon follows a threatening of punishment for the manifold sins reigning among the Jews, 5 and an exhortation to repentance, and that they should deal faithfully in the bringing in their tenths and heave-offerings, 7 ogether with a complaint with a regard of their blasphemous sayings, 13 and a comfortable encouragement of the Godly, 16.

1. Behold, I [viz. the Lord Christ] send mine angel, [or, my messenger, to wit, John the Baptist, Matthew 11:10. Mark 1:2. Luke 1:76 and 7.27.] who shall prepare the way before my face: [Heb. Rid the way, i.e. shall remove and take away all lets and impediments, by his preaching the people for the receiving of Christ. See Isaiah 40:3, &c. Matthew 3:3] and suddenly [or, soon, i.e. very soon after the coming of John the Baptist, and his preparing the way] shall that Lord [viz I the LORD Christ] come unto his temple, [i.e. Christ shall appear in the flesh in the new-rebuilded temple, whereby also is typified his church] whom ye seek, [i.e. whose coming ye wish and long for, or at least wife seem to be desirous after. The godly indeed among the Jews did earnestly long and hope for the coming of the Messia, as for the Saviour, Matthew 13:17. Luke 10:24.] to wit, the angel of the covenant, [viz. Christ himself,as as the mediatour of the covenant of grace between God and his church. See 2 Cor. 5.19.] in whom ye delight; behold he cometh, saith the LORD of hosts.

2. But who shall endure the day of his coming? [i.e. who shall be found then void of sin, or clean and pure, that he shall be able to abide and pass the trial? There shall be none at all then, that shall not stand in extream need of a Mediatour. See mat. 3. verse 10.11, 12.] and who shall subsist, when he appeareth? For he shall be as the fire of a gold-smith, [Heb. Of a melter, or, refiner] and as the soap of the fullers: [others understand it of fullers-earth]

3. And he shall sit, refining and purifying the silver, and he shall cleanse the children of Levi and he shall refine them thoroughly as gold and as silver; [He shall begin with the priests, that they may shine as lights among a wicked and adulterous generation: yet some do understand here by the children of Levi, all true believers and upright Christians, whom the Lord Christ doth make priests, to offer up spiritual and well-pleasing sacrifices. See Romans 12:1. Revelation 1:6. and 1 Pet. 2.5, 9.] then shall they bring meat-offerings unto the LORD, in righteousness: [i.e. suteably to Gods order and institution, according as he requires it at our hands in his lawes.]

4. Then shall the meat-offering of Juda and Jerusalem between [i.e. acceptable and well pleasing, as Jeremiah 6:20. Hosea 9:4] unto the LORD; as in the days of old, [Heb. According to the dayes of age, viz before the Babylonian captivity; or, when they were better and more pious, then now; or, understand it of those days wherein the former Temple stood and flourished] and as in the former years; [i.e. in the years past.]

5. And I shall draw near unto you for judgement [this regards the words of the wicked, when they said, where is the God that punisheth; chapter 2.17.] and I will be a quick witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulters, and against them that swear falsly, [i.e. I will convince them of and punish them for their wickedness. Nothing is hid from God: he seeth all we do and practice, yea all we think and devise, and therefore he can soon and easily convice us] and against those that withhold the wages of the day-labourer with violence, [or, that oppress (or, deceive) the day labourer in his wages. See Leviticus 19:13. Deuteronomy 24:14, 15.] that pervert (the right) to the window, and to the fatherless, and to the stranger [Heb. Perverting the stranger; &c.] and do not fear me, [the fear of God indeed, is the beginning of wisdom: on the contrary, not to fear God, is the beginning of all folly] saith the LORD of hosts.

6. For I the LORD am not changed: therefore ye O children of Jacob, are not consumed; [The meaning is, my being gracious and merciful, and ever so abiding ,is the onely reason,that ye are not wholly consumed and destroyed, as by your manifold sins ye otherwise well deserved. Lamentations 3:22, 23. compare Habakkuk 1:12. see also Psalms 33:11. Proverbs 19:21. Isaiah 14:26, 27 and 25.1 and 46.10.]

7. From your fathers days are ye turned away from mine institutions, and have not kep them: [i.e. not done accordingly] turn again unto me, [see Zach. 1. on verse 3.] and I will turn again unto you, saith the LORD of hosts; but ye say wherein shall we return? [as if they meant to say, what have we done amiss, or when did we depart from thee, that thou bidst us to return.]

8. Shall a man rob God? But ye rob me, [as if he said: it is against all sense and reason, that man should dare to do such a thing; and yet many among the Jews did it. See Nehemiah 13:10] and say, [oth. If ye say,] wherein do we rob thee? In the tenths and heave-offering. [or, oblation, sacrifice. The priest lived of the tenths, and had their share in the offerings, which not being duely paid, that was a robbing of God and disappointing his service. See verse 9.]

9. Ye are cursed with a curse, [i.e. are so cursed. That nothing thrives nor prospereth what ever you take in hand] because ye rob me, even all the people, [to wit, rob me: or all the people also cursed, because they also rob me, oth. They are all heathen, i.e. all those greedy Jews, deal so basely and wickedly with the tithes, as if they were all meer heathen.]

10. Bring all the tithes into the treasurie, [i.e. into my storehouse, where all was laid up, which appertained to the maintenance of God’s publique worship. See 1 Chr. 26.20. Nehemiah 10:38.] that there he meat in mine house and trie me now therein, [viz. whether I shall not bless you, if you do uprightly pay your Tythes, and whatsoever else belongs to the worship of God] saith the LORD of hostes; if (then) I shall not open unto you [viz. in due season] the windowes [or, sluces. See gen. 7.11.] of heaven and down blessing [i.e. a fruitful and plentiful rain, Heb. Emptie, or void blessing. i.e. give blessed rain in such abundance, that it shall seem, as if I emptied and poured out all my store at once] so that no (barnes) shall be sufficient. [Heb. Unto not enough: the sense is; I shall give you such plenty and abundance of fruit, that, that ye shall not able to gather them in all, nor shal have barns and receptacles enough whereto lay them up.]

11. And for your sakes [Or, for your good, or, advantage] will I rebuke [i.e. turn away, or drive away, refrain, withhold] the devourer, [hereby are understood the catterpilers, grasshoppers and other such like wasteful vermine, which consume and spoil the fruits of the earth. See Joel 1:4.] that he do not spoil the fruit of the land and the vine in the field shall bring forth no miscarriage unto you, [i.e. shall not be unfruitful nor miscarry. Compare Leviticus 26:19. Deuteronomy 11:14, 15. Job 12:14. Amos 4:7. Haggai 1:10.] saith the LORD of hosts.

12. And all the heathen shall call you happy: for ye shall be a pleasant land, [Heb. A land of pleasure, i.e. your country shall be a sweet and pleasant country. Compare Daniel 11:16. Zach. 7. 14.] saith the LORD of hosts.

13. Tour words are become too strong aginst me, saith the LORD: [this is yet another particular sin, which the prophet reproves in the people, namely that they durst take the boldness to speak, to arue with the LORD, and to lay this and that to his charge. Too strong that is, too bold, too daring and presumptious] but ye say, [oth. But if ye say] what have we spoken against thee?

14. Ye say, it is in vain to serve God: [Comp. Job 21:15.] for what profit is it that we observe his guard? [i.e. that we keep and observe, what he hath charged us to keep and observe] and that we go in black before the face of the LORD of hosts? [i.e. that we grieve and mourn in black clothes. See job 30.28 and Psalms 38:7 and 42.10 and 43.2.]

15. And now, [these are the words of the wicked again] we count the hig-minded happy: [i.e. the proud and insolent] also they that do wickedness, are builded, [i.e. they speed and prosper, they bud and grow, and get great wealth and riches in the world: thus the word building is likewise taken, Proverbs 24:3.] also they tempt the LORD [see Psalms 95:9.] and escape: [to wit, out of all trouble and danger; or they escape, i.e. they are not punished]

16. Then they that fear the LORD speak every one to his neighbour: [viz. the words following in the Text, to comfort one another; namely when they hear the wicked speak so presumptuously] the LORD sure marketh t and beareth, [viz. what the wicked so blasphemously utter, which God will not suffer to go unpunished, either here, or hereafter] and there is a book of remembrance written before his face, [spoken of God after the manner of men; implying that God doth not forget those that fear him. See Deuteronomy 32:34. Psalms139.16. Revelation 20:12] for those that fear the Lord, and for those that are mindeful of his name: [that is to say, for such as have the LORD always before their eyes, that stand in awe of, honour and worship him.]

17. And they shall, saith the LORD of hostes, in that day, which I shall make, be a propriety to me: [the sense is, on that day, when I shall punish the wicked and deliver and deliver my people, they shall be as my own peculiar inheritance, people hereditarity appertaining to me. See Psalms 135:4 and 1 Pet.2.9 and Titus 2:14. Oth. In that day, wheni shall make me a proprietie, i.e. when I shall separate my people from the wicked worldlings. Oth. I that day when I shall separate my most pecious Jewels] and I will spare them, as a man spareth his son, that serves him; [i.e. I will not destroy them with the wicked]

18. Then shall ye shall see again (the difference) between the righteous and the wicked: [oth. Therefore convert your selves, so shall ye see &c. this regards chiefly the wicked spoken of verse 14.15. That then they should be made to think and speak otherwise, then they were wont to do] between him that serveth God and him that severth him not.