The Prophets · Old Testament

Malachi 3

Malachi 3: a messenger sent, the tithes tested, and a book of remembrance

General context

The Lord of hosts says he will send his messenger to prepare the way before him, and the Lord whom they seek will come suddenly to his temple, the messenger of the covenant. It asks who can abide that day, since he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner, purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, so the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant as in the days of old. He will come near as a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, and those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, the fatherless and the stranger, and do not fear him. He is the Lord, he does not change, and so the sons of Jacob are not consumed. They have gone from his ordinances since their fathers' days; he tells them to return and he will return, and they ask, Wherein shall we return? He asks whether a man will rob God, says they have robbed him in tithes and offerings and are cursed, and tells them to bring the tithes into the storehouse and prove him, whether he will not pour out blessing beyond room to receive. He will rebuke the devourer so ground and vine keep fruit, and all nations will call them blessed. Their words have been stout against him, and when they ask what they have spoken, the answer quotes them: serving God is vain, the proud are happy, the wicked delivered. Those who feared the Lord spoke often together, the Lord heard, and a book of remembrance was written for them; they will be his when he makes up his jewels, spared as a man spares his son, and then the righteous and the wicked will be told apart.

Cited passages: Malachi 3:1, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:3, Malachi 3:4, Malachi 3:5, Malachi 3:6, Malachi 3:7, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 3:9, Malachi 3:10, Malachi 3:11, Malachi 3:12, Malachi 3:13, Malachi 3:14, Malachi 3:15, Malachi 3:16, Malachi 3:17, Malachi 3:18

Malachi 3 (KJV)

¹Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

²But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

³And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

⁴Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

⁵And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.

⁶For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

⁷Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

⁸Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

⁹Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

¹⁰Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹²And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹³Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

¹⁴Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?

¹⁵And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

¹⁶Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

¹⁷And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

¹⁸Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

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Historical context

Verse 1 names three figures without identifying any of them: "my messenger," who prepares the way; "the Lord, whom ye seek," who comes suddenly to his temple; and "the messenger of the covenant." The chapter does not say whether these are one, two or three, and does not name a time. It also does not connect "my messenger" to the Malachi named in 1:1. Later in the book, 4:5 says the Lord will send Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day, and the text does not state whether that is the same sending. A later book cites the line: Mark 1:2 reads, "As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee," which is a citation and not part of Malachi's own wording. The list in verse 5 names offences and classes of people, sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, oppressors of the hireling, the widow, the fatherless and the stranger, and names no individual. The storehouse in verse 10 is not located or described. "A book of remembrance" in verse 16 is mentioned once and is not described further. No date, ruler or building project is named in the chapter.

Cited passages: Malachi 3:1, Malachi 3:5, Malachi 3:10, Malachi 3:16, Malachi 1:1, Malachi 4:5, Mark 1:2, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:17

Literary context

The chapter answers the question that ended chapter 2. They asked where the God of judgment is, and the reply is that he is coming, with two verses of dread attached before any comfort. The refining images are domestic and industrial at once, a refiner's fire and fullers' soap, and the first people put through them are the priests rather than the offenders listed afterwards. The exchange pattern continues, with Wherein shall we return and Wherein have we robbed thee, and the answer to the second is three words, In tithes and offerings. Verse 10 is the one place in the book where the hearers are invited to test the Lord rather than answer him, and the promised blessing is measured by there being no room for it. The complaint quoted in verses 14 and 15 is the sharpest speech given to the hearers anywhere in Malachi, that serving God is vain and the proud are the happy ones, and it is not refuted by argument. Instead the chapter turns to people talking quietly among themselves and to a book written down, so the answer to a loud complaint is a record kept.

Cited passages: Malachi 2:17, Malachi 3:1, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:3, Malachi 3:5, Malachi 3:7, Malachi 3:8, Malachi 3:10, Malachi 3:14, Malachi 3:15, Malachi 3:16, Malachi 3:17

Key moments

I will send my messenger (Malachi 3:1). A messenger is promised to prepare the way before the Lord comes to his temple.
Refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap (Malachi 3:2). The chapter asks who can stand when he appears.
The sons of Levi purified (Malachi 3:3). The priests are the first to be refined so offerings can be right.
A swift witness (Malachi 3:5). Judgment names sorcerers, oppressors of wages, and those who wrong the stranger.
Prove me now herewith (Malachi 3:10). The people are told to bring the tithes and test the Lord.
It is vain to serve God (Malachi 3:14). The hearers are quoted saying their service has brought no profit.
A book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16). Those who feared the Lord speak together and are written down before him.

For reflection

The hearers say it is vain to serve God, and the reply is not an argument but a record written down for those who spoke to each other. What does it mean for a complaint to be answered by a book of remembrance?