Haggai, Malachi

An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture

Richard A. Taylor, E. Ray Clendenen

• Publisher: Holman Reference
• Year: 2004
• ISBN:
  9781433672668
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include: * commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.

Section III

Section III Outline

• III. JUDAH EXHORTED TO RETURN AND REMEMBER (3:7-4:6)
  1. First Command: Return to the Lord with Tithes (3:7-10a)
     1. Call for Repentance (3:7)
     2. Call for Tithes (3:8-10a)
  2. Positive Motivation: Future Blessing 3:10b-12)
     1. Blessing from Heaven (3:10b)
     2. Blessing from the Land (3:11)
     3. Blessing from the Nations (3:12)
  3. Situation: Complacency toward Serving the Lord (3:13-15)
     1. Strong Words (3:13)
     2. Worthless Worship (3:14)
     3. Bitter Blessing (3:15)
  4. Motivation: The Coming Day (3:16-4:3)
     1. A Book of Remembrance (3:16)
     2. A Day of Distinction (3:17-18)
     3. A Day of Burning (4:1-3)
  5. Second Command: Remember the Law (4:4-6)

III. Judah Exhorted To Return And Remember (3:7-4:6)

This final division is marked off by the use of the verb šub, "return," in 3:7 and 4:6 (see comments at 1:3-4). The order of sections in this division is altered from the previous pattern so that it begins and ends with commands. The result is that the book concludes with the command to remember the law. The situation section is made prominent by placing it in the center of the division. It also contains the longest speech of Judah in the book, which affords deeper insight into the people's sinful attitudes that called for Malachi's prophecy. The general effect of the rearrangement of sections in this last division is that it stands out as the most prominent of the three, forming a climax to Malachi's prophecy. Also, although the explicit commands of the first two divisions are negative because Judah was guilty of active disobedience, those of this division are positive because Judah was guilty of passive disobedience. The overall effect is, "Stop doing those things and begin doing this."

First Command: Return to the Lord with Tithes (3:7-10a)

This first section is marked as command by the imperative verb "return" opening the section in v. 7 and by the imperative "bring" at the end of the section in v. 10a. The second command elaborates the first. Israel's return to the Lord is to manifest itself in bringing to him the tithes they have been withholding. The structure and logic of this opening section may be displayed by the following chart using the author's translation. As in the case of similar previous charts, the paragraph is portrayed in terms of multiple layers of embedding, indicated by levels of indentation (see the introduction to 1:2-5). The most prominent element of a paragraph or subparagraph is typically marked as "Thesis."

God speaks:

Reason:

Thesis: Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from my statutes. v. 7

Paraphrase: And you have not kept [them].

Thesis:

Thesis: Return to me.

Result: And I will return to you,

says Yahweh of hosts.

The people request clarification:

And you say, How shall we return?

God elaborates:

Will a man rob God? For you are robbing me. v. 8

The people request further clarification:

And you say, How have we robbed you?

God elaborates further:

Reason:

Thesis: [You have robbed me of] the tithe and the contribution.

Amplification:

Antithesis: You are being inflicted with a curse. v. 9

Thesis: Yet you are robbing me—the nation, all of it.

Thesis:

Thesis: Bring all the tithe to the treasure house. v. 10a

Result: That it may be nourishment in my house.

Call for Repentance (3:7)

3:7 Like the last section of division one (2:1-9), this verse in the first section of division three is packed with all three hortatory elements, neatly expressed here as nowhere else in the book.

Situation: "Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them.
Command: Return to me,
Motivation: And I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.

The occurrence of the divine quotation formula, "says the LORD Almighty," marks this speech by the Lord as the most prominent part of the paragraph (vv. 7-10a). Although the command is the most prominent part of the speech and is appropriately what Judah responds to, it is accompanied by expressions of the situation and motivation. This suggests that this "packed" verse may be considered a key verse in Malachi's prophecy. Some expression of the situation is necessary at this point because the main situation section has been reserved for the center of the discourse (3:13-15). As with most commands, however, the situation in view can be inferred at least in part from the command itself.

The prophet's opening expression, "Ever since1 the time of your forefathers," covers considerable time, about a thousand years.2 The term "forefathers" is ’abot, "fathers." Although "your fathers" is first used in Scripture of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 48:21; Exod 3:13-16), the first time it is used in a negative way is in Num 32:14, referring to the refusal of the exodus generation to trust God and conquer the promised land (see also Mal 2:10). It is used later of Israel during the time of the Judges when they abandoned Yahweh for the Canaanite gods (1 Sam 12:15). Then the prophet Isaiah announced God's judgment for "your sins and the sins of your fathers. . . . Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds" (Isa 65:7). The Lord condemned Israel through the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 7:25-26) in terms similar to those of Malachi:

From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.

I...

Table of contents

• Haggai, Malachi
• Editors' Preface
• Author's Prefaces
• Malachi
• Abbreviations
• Selected Bibliography
• Haggai
• Section I
• Section II
• Section III
• Section IV
• Section V
• Section I
• Section II
• Section III