1God's judgment on the wicked, 2and his blessing on the good: 4he exhorteth to the study of the law; 5and telleth of Elijah's coming and office.
1FOR,1 behold, 2the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:a and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, 3that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
1 Some join this chapter altogether to the third.
2 Namely, the day of the judgment of the Lord; either this is to be understood of the first appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh or the second, when He shall come to judgment at the last day. Some understand it thus: that this day began with the first day of Christ’s incarnation and is to last until He shall appear in the clouds to the last judgment.
a Obadiah verse 18.
3 That is, He shall destroy and consume them as such that they shall never recover or rise up again.
2¶But unto you that fear my name shall 4the Sun of righteousness arise with 5healing in 6his wings; and ye shall 7go forth, and 8grow up as calves of the stall.
4 Thus is Christ Jesus called, because He enlightens the minds by His Word and Spirit, and cheers the hearts of the faithful with the forgiveness of sin and the imputation of righteousness. Compare Isa. 60:1, 19; Dan. 9:24; Luke 1:78, 79.
5 Namely, for the afflicted minds, who feel their sins.
6 Namely, of the Sun of righteousness, Who is Jesus Christ.
7 Namely, into a fat and goodly pasture. Others understand this of going forth out of the captivity of sin, and the bondage of Satan, to serve God in holiness and righteousness. See John 8:36; 2 Cor. 3:17.
8 In temporal and spiritual wellbeing, through the blessing of the Lord.
3And ye shall 9tread down the wicked; for they shall be 10ashes under 11the soles of your feet 12in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
9 That is, conquer, namely in Christ Jesus, your Head, Who has overcome the world, John 16:33, and daily yet subdues and conquers the enemies of His church, until at last He makes them altogether His footstool. See 1 Cor. 15:57; 1 John 5:4.
10 That is, as things of no worth at all, and most vile and contemptible. Compare Isa. 66:24; Dan. 12:2.
11 Or, plants.
12 See Mal. 3 on verse 17.
4 ¶ 13Rememberb ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him 14in Horeb 15for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
13 Since the time was at hand that the people of God would be without prophets for many years to preach unto them, (for, Malachi was the last of the prophets in the Old Testament), therefore the prophet exhorts them that during that time they should diligently practice the reading and the studying of the law given them by Moses, thereby to arm themselves against all assaults and temptations, and to strengthen their faith.
b Deut. 6:3.
14 See Deut. 4:10.
15 To the entire people of Israel.
5¶Behold, I will send you 16Elijah the prophet before the coming of the 17great and 18dreadful day of the LORD:
16 That is, John the Baptist, who was to appear in the spirit and power of Elijah, as Christ declared it, Mat. 11:14; 17:11, 12, 13; Mark 9:11. And the angel, Luke 1:17.
17 Namely, in which the Lord shall appear in the flesh.
18Dreadful to the wicked, but stirring up the godly to repent seriously of their sins and to amend their life. Compare Joel 2:31.
619And he shall 20turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite 21the earth 22with a curse.
19 The sense is: His preaching shall be of that power and efficacy in the hearts of the elect through the operation of the Holy Ghost that both fathers and children shall convert themselves to the Lord and together serve Him with one accord.
20 Or, bring back, or, convert.
21 The inhabitants of the earth.
22 That is, lest I do utterly destroy the world on account of her unbelief and contempt towards Jesus Christ, together with stubbornness and impenitence. See Zech. 14 on verse 11; Deut. 18:15, 16; Acts 3:22, 23; 1 Cor. 16:22. Of such there have been many in the world at all times, as now also there are but too many, so that, according to the rigor of justice, God would have a true cause to punish the world most severely, but He spares them yet, on account of the small company of the pious and the godly, who are in the world. See Gen. 18:23, 24, etc.