_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 ]