Malachi 1:2-5

JEHOVAH’S LOVE OF ISRAEL, Malachi 1:2-5.

The contents of these verses form the basis of all subsequent appeals, for they emphasize the fatherly love of Jehovah toward the Hebrews, which entitles him to their gratitude and devotion. The prophet points out that they do not have to go far to find proofs of the divine love. Jacob and Esau were brothers, hence one would naturally expect their descendants to be treated alike by God; but what contrast between the fortunes of the two! Israel, after many ups and downs, restored to its old home, there to remain forever; the territory of Edom doomed to be a perpetual desolation. There can be but one reason for all this Jehovah loved Jacob, but Esau he hated. This love of Jehovah for Israel, the prophet thinks, should be the motive and model for Israel’s attitude toward him.

2, 3. I have loved you In his emphasis of the divine love which manifested itself throughout the entire history of Israel, Malachi resembles Hosea (see p. 30).

Yet ye say These words give the first illustration of the dialectical and didactic character of the literary style of Malachi (compare Malachi 1:6-7; Malachi 2:17; Malachi 3:13-14). The author states a simple thesis, in this case “I have loved you.” Over against it he sets an objection which may have been raised at some previous time, or which he suspects may be in the mind of some one. This gives to him an opportunity to elaborate and prove the truth which in the beginning he simply affirmed.

Wherein hast thou loved us? These words express the objection. During the postexilic period doubts of this sort arose in the minds of many Jews, who were disappointed because the bright visions of the pre-exilic prophets were not realized; and this skepticism increased when it was seen that the expectations of Haggai and Zechariah also were not being fulfilled (see pp. 553f. and pp. 695). The prophet introduces his answer by another question.

Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? The two earliest of the Minor Prophets, Amos (Amos 1:11) and Hosea (Hosea 12:3), call attention to this relationship. As the succeeding verses show, the prophet is thinking primarily of the descendants of the two, but he traces the history back to the ancestors, because in their lives the difference in the attitude of Jehovah could already be seen. Everything else being equal, twin brothers might be expected to have similar experiences in life, and their descendants might be expected to enjoy similar fortunes. In the case of these two a vast difference could be seen.

Yet Though they were twin brothers.

I loved Jacob,… hated Esau Keil is right in insisting that the meaning of these words “must not be weakened down into loving more and loving less… To hate is the opposite of love. And this meaning must be retained here.” At the same time the meaning must not be pressed too literally. The expression is an anthropomorphism like repent (see on Joel 2:13) and swear (Amos 4:2), used by the prophet to present to his listeners or readers an idea in a form which they could easily understand. The great mass of Jews considered prosperity an infallible proof of the divine love and favor, adversity of the divine hatred. But if they explained their own present prosperity as an evidence of the divine favor, they must explain the affliction of Esau as an evidence of the divine wrath. The prophet says nothing concerning the ground of distinction, for to judge the motive was outside of his sphere. So far as his words are concerned Jehovah might have had good grounds for his action or he might have been arbitrary; but when we bear in mind the date of Malachi we must consider it very probable, to say the least, that he possessed a sufficiently lofty conception of the character of Jehovah to exclude arbitrariness (compare Malachi 1:4).

R.V. renders the rest of Malachi 1:3, “and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” These words and Malachi 1:4 supply the proof of the divine hatred against Edom, and by implication the divine love for the Jews.

Mountains The territory of Edom was rocky and mountainous (see on Amos 1:11; Obadiah 1:3-4), therefore the whole country might be called mountain.

Heritage Denotes the territory of the Edomites as a possession inherited from their ancestors and from their god (compare Judges 11:23-24).

For the dragons of the wilderness R.V., “to the jackals.” The meaning of the Hebrew word translated dragon or jackal is not quite certain, since it occurs nowhere else in this form. It is related to a word ordinarily translated sea-monster (compare Genesis 1:21), which is used in an oracle against Edom in Isaiah 34:13, where it is translated jackals. The idea is that Edom has been wasted so completely that now only beasts of the desert live there. LXX. and Peshitto read, “into dwellings of the wilderness.” A similar expression, to which Stade proposes to change the phrase in this verse, “pastures of the wilderness,” occurs in Jeremiah 9:10; but here it would be no improvement, and unless a more serious corruption is assumed the translation of R.V. is preferable. If an emendation is thought necessary, that suggested by Marti is the most satisfactory, “and made his heritage to a wilderness.”

When the devastation of Edom took place is not stated; however, Malachi 1:4 suggests that it occurred quite recently, for at the time of the utterance the damage had not yet been repaired, nor had there been made any attempt in that direction. In all probability Malachi has in mind the expulsion of the Edomites from their territory by the Nabatean Arabs, which began during the period of the exile and reached its culmination during the early part of the fifth century B.C. (compare Amos 1:11; Joel 3:20; Obadiah 1:1-15).

But, some one might say, the Israelites also passed through a period of oppression and homelessness, and yet they were restored to their old home, and prosperity is returning; may not the Edomites enjoy a similar restoration? This objection is met in Malachi 1:4 by the declaration that the desolation of Edom will continue forever, that every attempt to restore its fortunes will prove futile.

We are impoverished R.V., “beaten down.” This the Edomites admit, but they are not disheartened, for they expect to rebuild the waste places.

We will return and build If the calamity alluded to is the expulsion of the Edomites from their home land (see on Malachi 1:3), this translation should be retained. They expect to recover the territory, and then to rebuild the desolate places. The Hebrew idiom also permits the translation “we will build again,” which does not imply an expulsion or a hope of return. Jehovah will prevent the execution of their plans (compare Isaiah 9:8-10), for his hatred against Edom will continue, and he will keep it in ruins forever.

I will throw down Bring to naught all attempts of restoration.

They shall call Better, R.V., “men shall call.” The subject is indefinite. Whoever observes the vain struggle will pass the judgment expressed in the rest of the verse.

The border of wickedness,… The people against whom Jehovah hath indignation The continued desolation and the failure of every attempt to rebuild the waste places would constitute conclusive evidence that the wrath of Jehovah is resting upon Edom, but that presupposed, according to popular belief, the commission of some great crime by the Edomites. If they or men include people outside of the Jewish community the expression “Jehovah hath indignation” implies that Malachi assumes the recognition of Jehovah as the true God by people other than the Jews (compare Malachi 1:11).

Forever See on Joel 3:20.

5. When the Jews see with their own eyes the fulfillment of these threats upon Edom they will be convinced of the divine majesty and love.

Your eyes shall see They need not depend upon hearsay, for with their own eyes will they witness the humiliation of Edom.

Ye shall say Convinced by the fulfillment of the threats.

Jehovah will be magnified from the border of Israel R.V., “Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel”; margin R.V., “Jehovah is great beyond the border of Israel.” Of these three translations the last is the best. The treatment accorded to the Edomites will prove to the Jews that Jehovah is supreme even over the nations outside of Israel. However, the force of the preposition is not quite clear; literally it is “from upon,” which may be used in the sense of above or over, “Jehovah is great over the borders of Israel,” that is, the contrast between the fortunes of Edom and those of Israel is proof that Jehovah’s great powers are exercised especially on behalf of the Jews in other words, that he loves them. This thought would seem to fit even better into the context.