_Behold_, &c. To silence the cavils of unbelievers, spoken of in the last verse of the preceding chapter, the prophet here foretels the coming of the Messiah, who should set things in order; and of his harbinger, who should prepare men for his reception. _I will send my messenger_ It is God who spea... [ Continue Reading ]
_But who may abide the day of his coming_ The LXX. read, τις υωομενει ημεραν εισοδου αυτου, _who shall be able to bear the day of his coming?_ So also the Chaldee. “Quare hoc?” “Why this?” says Grotius: “Because he himself shall bear the cross, that he may come to the kingdom, and shall show the sam... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he shall sit as a refiner_ He shall be diligently employed in his office, in performing which he shall resemble a refiner and purifier of silver. _And he shall purify the sons of Levi_ And whereas the misconduct of the sons of Levi has been very great, (particularly of those who have been taken... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will come near to you to judgment_ In answer to their demand, _Where is the God of judgment? Malachi 2:17_, God here tells them that he will hasten the time of judgment, and it shall come speedily upon them, on account of those sins that were general among them: and that if they did not repen... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am the Lord_ Hebrew, _Jehovah; I change not_ In my nature or perfections there is no change, or _shadow of turning_, and therefore I have and always must have an unchangeable hatred to all sin: and my long- suffering also changes not, and _therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed_ Are not dest... [ Continue Reading ]
_Even from the days of your fathers_, &c. Here the discourse is again addressed to the wicked, and from hence to the end of Mal 3:12 the people are reprehended for slighting the institutions of divine worship, and for withholding the legal tithes and oblations; are assured that they are under a curs... [ Continue Reading ]
_Will a man rob God_ Grotius reads, “Would any one dare to rob his judges as ye have robbed me?” the word rendered _God_ sometimes meaning judges or magistrates. Some others render the clause, _Is it right that God should be robbed_ (or defrauded) _by man?_ Here God gives them an answer to their que... [ Continue Reading ]
_Bring ye all the tithes_ Make a punctual and full payment of all tithes: and in this instance make good your solemn engagement with Nehemiah, mentioned Nehemiah 10:29. _Into the storehouse_ This was one or more large rooms built on purpose for this use; _that there may be meat_ That there may be pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your words_, &c. “From this verse to the end of Malachi 4:3, the prophet expostulates with the wicked for their hard speeches; and declares that God will make a fearful distinction between them and the righteous.” Newcome. _Have been stout against me_ Your words have been blasphemous, and void of a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then_ When contempt of God was grown to such a height; _they that feared the Lord_ Those that were truly religious, that knew God's judgments to be a great deep, and that his ways are as high above our ways as heaven is above the earth; _spake often one to another_ Conversed together about spiritua... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then shall ye_ Ye contemners of God and religion; _return and discern_ See clearly, and distinguish perfectly; _between the righteous and the wicked_ Between the characters and the portion of the truly righteous, and of those who are not so. How different the lot is, and to all eternity will be, be... [ Continue Reading ]