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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Malachi 1:1-5

The prophecy of this book is entitled, The burden of the word of the Lord (Mal. 1:1), which intimates, 1. That it was of great weight and importance; what the false prophets said was light as the chaff, what the true prophets said was ponderous as the wheat, Jer. 23:38. 2. That it ought to be often repeated to them and by them, as the burden of a song. 3. That there were those to whom it was a burden and a reproach; they were weary of it, and found themselves so aggrieved by it that they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Malachi 1:4

Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished ,.... Or the Idumeans, as the Targum; the posterity of Esau, who acknowledge themselves greatly reduced by the desolations made in their country, cities, towns, and houses, being plundered of all their valuable things. Kimchi interprets it, if the congregation of Edom should say, though we are become poor and low, and our land is laid waste: but we will return ; being now become rich, as the Targum adds; that is, as Jarchi explains it, with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Malachi 1:5

And your eyes shall see ,.... The destruction of the Edomites, and their fruitless attempts to rebuild their desolate places; and the difference between them and the Israelites, who were returned to their own land, and inherited it, when they could not; and the love of God to the one, and his hatred of the other: and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel ; Aben Ezra interprets it, ye that dwelt in the border of Israel shall say, the Lord shall be magnified,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Malachi 1:4

They shall build, but I will throw down - We have already seen enough of the wickedness of the Edomites to justify the utmost severity of Divine justice against them. The pulling down predicted here was by Judas Maccabeus; see 1 Maccabees 5:65; and by John Hyrcanus; see Joseph Antiq., lib. 13 c. 9. s. 1. They shall call them, The border of wickedness - A wicked land. Among this people scarcely any trace of good could ever be noted. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Malachi 1:5

Your eyes - Ye Israelites shall see, in your succeeding generations, that: - The Lord will be magnified - By his kindness in Israel, and his judgments beyond. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Malachi 1:4

Verse 4 And to the same purpose he adds, If Edom shall say, We have been diminished, but we shall return and build houses; but if they build, I will pull down, saith God. He confirms what I have stated, that the posterity of Edom had no hope of restoration, for however they might gather courage and diligently labor in rebuilding their cities, they were not yet to succeed, for God would pull down all their buildings. This difference then was like a living representation, by which the Jews might... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Malachi 1:5

Verse 5 He adds, Your eyes shall see. The Jews had already begun in part to witness this spectacle, but the Prophet speaks here of what was to continue. See then shall your eyes; that is, “As it has already appeared of what avail gratuitous election has been to you, by which I have chosen you as my people, and as ye have also seen on the other hand how it has been with your relations the Edomites, because they had been rejected in the person of their father Esau; so also this same difference... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Malachi 1:1-5

The sovereignty of God in relation to man's secular condition of life. "The burden of the word of the Lord," etc. Malachi—which means "Messenger" the last of the Hebrew prophets, is a man whose personal history is wrapped in utter obscurity. He is supposed to have lived after Haggai and Zechariah, and to be contemporary with Nehemiah. It is likely that he occupied a relationship to Nehemiah somewhat analogous to that which Haggai and Zechariah sustained to Zerubbabel. The general opinion... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Malachi 1:2-5

§ 2. The prophet declares God's special love for Israel read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Malachi 1:2-5

The sovereign love of God. Remembering that the scriptural sense of "hate" in this and corresponding passages is to love less in comparison, or to reject when there is a competition of claims, we nevertheless learn from this passage— I. THAT GOD 'S LOVE TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO NATIONS IS A SOVEREIGN LOVE . By this we mean that it is a love which bestows special favours, for reasons which cannot be discovered in those that enjoy them, but in the gracious purpose of... read more

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