The Bare Facts --
Overviews and Outlines --
Bible Studies: Whole Book -- Part of Book --
Sermons -- Bibliographies
See, I will send my messenger, Malachi says in chapter three. As the last of the minor prophets and the concluding book in the Christian order of the Old Testament, Malachi stands as a bridge. On the one hand, he looks backward to the warnings and admonitions of his predecessors. On the other hand, he points ahead to John the Baptist, the messenger who will point the way to the Lamb of God. Malachi's message is therefore simultaneously one of caution and of joy.
Left: An early 14th century painting of Malachi by Duccio di Buoninsegna.
The Bare Facts
Who: Unlike the minor prophets who went before, the title
"Malachi" may not indicate a name. Instead it could be a title meaning
"messenger of Yahweh." On the other hand, there is nothing to require that
it is not the author's name.
Where: Presumably Jerusalem.
When: The specific date of the book's writing could lie anywhere
between the return from exile and the time of Nehemiah, 568 to 433 B.C.
What: Malachi calls the people to a continued loyalty to Yahweh.
This loyalty lies in both attitude and action. He also points ahead to the
Day of the Lord and the coming of the Messiah.
Also Known As: Malachias (Catholic)
Memorable Passages
3:1-5
Messianic prophecy. The messenger will prepare the
way.
3:10
Tithing challenge. "Test me in this."
4:5
"I will send you Elijah"
Overviews and Outlines
- An Introduction to the
Book of Malachi
- An outlined introduction by David Malick
- An Argument of the
Book of Malachi
- One of David Malick's rhetorical outlines.
-
Malachi: Commentary
- A brief look by Arend Remmers.
- The Book of
Malachi
- An introduction from Quartz Hill School of Theology.
- Bible Explained
- This is a commentary by an energetic fellow named Ted Wade. He
provides brief notes on each chapter and most verses for the entire Bible.
-
Jewish Encyclopedia
- An article from the 1901-06 reference work. Generally liberal in its
critical presuppositions.
- Columbia
Encyclopedia: Malachi
- A brief article from the 2001 edition of this reference work.
- Bible Basics
- A very brief list of facts, but it includes a wav file pronouncing the
book's title.
- Easton Bible Dictionary:
Malachi
- The article from M.G. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary.
- Catholic
Encyclopedia: Malachias
- The appropriate entry from the public domain edition of this venerable
reference work.
-
Luther Productions
- A very brief overview including key verses.
- The Blue
Letter Bible
- An excellent source for text, cross-references, concordance, language
helps, commentaries, and more.
- JPS Bible
- The JPS 1917 Bible text and another Jewish version. There are links
that supposedly go to two Hebrew and one Aramaic text but they don't seem to
work.
Bible Studies: Whole Book
- The Minor Prophets:
Malachi
- A study by Al Maxey.
- The
Concise Ones: The Minor Prophets
- A look at Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi by Chuck Missler.
- Malachi
- A study from Hampton Keathley IV's series on the Minor Prophets.
-
Malachi, or The State of Things at the End
- A lengthy study by Edward Dennett
-
The Last Message or The Word of the Lord by Malachi
- A commentary by Hamilton Smith
- Love the Lord
Bible Studies: Malachi
- A four-lesson study with questions from an Arkansas-based ministry.
They seem orthodox enough, although the statement of faith makes me wonder if
they're not into prosperity gospel teachings.
- Talks for Growing
Christians
- A nifty study, which includes a brief sermon, question, and answers.
A project from Talks for Growing Christians.
- John Calvin's Commentary
- The commentary of the 16th-century
French reformer.
- Geneva Notes
- In 1599, English Puritans, working in Geneva, published the first study
Bible. These are the notes from that edition.
- Coffman's
Commentary
- A verse-by-verse commentary by Dr. James Burton Coffman, a leading Church
of Christ scholar.
-
Augustine of Hippo
- A brief mention by the great Bishop of Hippo in his City of God.
- Matthew Henry's
Commentary
- The chapter-by-chapter 1712 commentary by
the great English Puritan writer..
-
John Wesley Notes
- Over his career, the
founder of Methodism maintained notes on the entire
Bible.
-
JFB Commentary
- The comments of Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown from
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871).
- Clarke's
Commentary
- The first chapter for this book from
Adam Clarke's nineteenth-century
commentary.
- John Gill's Exposition of the
Entire Bible
- The commentary of the
17th century Baptist theologian and preacher.
- Scofield
Reference Notes
- The notes from the 1917 edition of the great study Bible. From a
dispensationalist viewpoint.
-
Old Testament Life and Literature
- Gerald Larue's 1968 overview of the Old Testament is, oddly enough, hosted
at an atheist website. Larue is very liberal in his presuppositions.
- Treasury
of Scripture Knowledge
- A combination brief commentary and thorough cross-reference.
Developed by
R.A. Torrey.
- David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible
- David Guzik, a former senior pastor at Clavary Chapel Simi Valley in
California, provides a verse-by-verse commentary. Currently Guzik directs the
Calvary Chapel Bible College in Siegen, Germany.
- A Valentine
for those who Fear Yahweh
- A brief commentary by Ralph W. Klein of Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago.
- The Jerome Bible
Commentary
- A commentary by a Catholic doctor, Jerome Dominguez, M.D. Is English
isn't perfect, but you have to admire his energy. Although Catholic in
orientation, this source has some good material for study.
-
Malachi
- An introduction from Aaron Rittmaster's Hebrew Prophets Web.
-
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi: Back in the Land
- A study by W. Gunther Plaut hosted at MyJewishLearning.com.
Bible Studies: Part of Book
-
Taking God Seriously (Malachi 3:1-4)
- A brief meditation by a Catholic writer.
-
Lectionary Notes (3:1-4)
- A set of notes by Ralph Klein.
-
Morning and Evening (3:2)
- An entry from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening.
-
Morning and Evening (3:6)
- An entry from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening.
-
The Means of Grace (3:7)
- A sermon by John Wesley
-
Lectionary Notes (4:1-2a)
- A set of notes by Ralph Klein.
Sermons
- Malachi: Think
Upon His Name
- The appropriate sermon from
Ray C. Stedman's Adventuring through the Bible series.
- You Shall Go
Forth Leaping Like Calves
- An overview sermon by John Piper.
- C.H. Spurgeon
- A listing of sermons, some of which are available online, by the
great British Baptist.
- Sermon
Outlines
- Links to sermon outlines from
SermonLinks.
- Ken Gehrels:
Bored with Grace
- An overview sermon by a Reformed pastor.
- Max Forsythe
- Sermons from a series on the minor prophets. Look for the
appropriate sermon(s) on this page, which contains all twelve.
Books and Bibliographies
- On
Saying "No" to a Prophet
- An article from Semeia by Julia M. O'Brien.
- The
Question of the Minimum
- An article by Larry Broding from a Catholic site.
- Then and
Now: The Recovery of Patristic Wisdom
- An article from The Christian Century by Thomas C. Oden.
-
Annotated Bibliography on Malachi
- An eleven-page list of sources by Thomas F. McDaniel of Eastern Baptist
Theological Seminary.
-
Denver Seminary Bibliography
- This will take you to the top of the "Commentary" section. You'll
need to scroll down to find the relevant section.
-
Two-Age Bibliography
- A list of recommended sources, mostly scholarly in nature, provided by a
website devoted to the "Redemptive Historical" school of theology.
Memorable Passages