The big idea
In short: keep faith with the people you’re bound to. “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?” (2:10). And to husbands: “take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously” against “the wife of thy youth” (2:14–16).
Malachi also names people who “oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless” (3:5).
The rule underneath: Law 6 · Keep your word
Promises and covenants bind, even at a cost.
Keep it: People can build a life on you.
Break it: Families, friendships, and deals fall apart.
Shows up in: Numbers, Joshua, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Matthew, James
Other rules in this book: Work honestly, Enough, and give, Image, not tool
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?Malachi 2:10 · KJV
At a glance
- What it is
- Six arguments between God and the people. 4 chapters in English Bibles (3 in Hebrew Bibles).
- Who wrote it
- “Malachi” means “my messenger” (3:1). It may be a name or a title. debated
- When
- After the temple was rebuilt (515 BC), probably about 500–450 BC, around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
- Where it sits
- Last in the Christian Old Testament, pointing ahead to Elijah (4:5). Jewish Bibles end with Chronicles instead.
- Why it matters
- The Gospels identify John the Baptist with the messenger and with Elijah (3:1; 4:5; Matthew 11:10–14).
- Read it in
- About 15 minutes.
What it says
1 · Leftovers for God. God says, “I have loved you.” The people answer, “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (1:2). Priests offer blind, lame, and sick animals. God asks: would your governor accept that as a gift? (1:8).
2 · Broken faith. Priests have twisted the teaching they were given (2:8). Men have broken faith with each other (2:10) and with their wives. “The LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant” (2:14). God “hateth putting away,” meaning divorce (2:16). People say God rewards evildoers: “Where is the God of judgment?” (2:17).
3 · The messenger and the storehouse. “I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me” (3:1). God will judge sorcerers, adulterers, liars, and “those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger” (3:5). “Will a man rob God?… In tithes and offerings” (3:8). “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house” (3:10). People say, “It is vain to serve God” (3:14). But God keeps “a book of remembrance” of those who honor him (3:16).
4 · The last word. “The Sun of righteousness” will rise “with healing in his wings” (4:2). God will send Elijah, who “shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (4:5–6).
5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.Malachi 4:5-6 · KJV
Go deeper
- Original words. Bagad, “deal treacherously,” appears five times in 2:10–16. It means to betray a trust. “Storehouse” (3:10) was the temple storeroom, which also fed the Levites (the tribe that served at the place of worship), foreigners, orphans, and widows (Deuteronomy 14:28–29).
- Structure. Six disputes. Each follows the same pattern: God makes a claim, the people ask “Wherein?”, and God answers (1:2; 1:6; 2:10; 2:17; 3:7; 3:13).
- How the laws interlock. Law 6 is the center: faithfulness to God, to each other, and to a spouse (2:10–16). Law 7 is named: cheating workers of wages (3:5). Law 8 is the tithe and the storehouse (3:10), which in the law fed the poor. Law 3 is behind it all: “hath not one God created us?” (2:10).
Hard parts
The tithe and the “windows of heaven” (3:10)
What it says “Prove me now herewith… if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing” (3:10).
The rule underneath Enough, and give. In the law, the tithe fed the Levites and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28–29).
What people added Many churches teach tithing, giving a tenth of income, from this verse. Some teachers promise financial return for giving; critics call this prosperity teaching. Other readers note that the promise was spoken to a farming community about food in a storehouse. Churches have split; this page does not settle it.
“I hated Esau” (1:3)
What it says God says of the two brothers’ nations, “I loved Jacob” (1:2) and “I hated Esau” (1:3). Paul quotes it in Romans 9:13.
The rule underneath God first. The verse is about which nation God chose for his purpose.
What people added Many readers take “hated” as ancient language for “chose the other,” as in Luke 14:26. Others see a hard statement about election. debated
Divorce (2:16)
What it says “He hateth putting away” (2:16).
The rule underneath Keep your word. The concern is men betraying the wives they promised to keep.
What people added Some traditions read this as a firm rule against divorce. Others note the Hebrew can mean “a man who hates and divorces covers his garment with violence,” focusing on cruelty to the wife. debated Churches have split; this page does not settle it.
Where it leads
- 11 · How to live together: keep faith with the people in your house (2:14–16).
- 06 · How to handle money: pay workers fairly, and give to the storehouse that feeds the poor (3:5, 10).
- 02 · How to love: turn the hearts of parents and children to each other (4:6).
One thing to do
This week
Turn one heart
“He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (4:6). Reach out to a parent or a child, or someone who has been like one to you, with whom things are distant. Call, write, or visit. Write in your journal what happened.
How to read it. Read it in one sitting. Notice each “Wherein?”