Malachi 4:1

The Great Day of the Lord

1 [a]"For behold, 1the day is coming, 2burning like an oven, when 3all the arrogant and 4all evildoers 5will be stubble. The day that is coming 6shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

Malachi 4:1 Meaning and Commentary

Malachi 4:1

For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven
Not the day of judgment, as Kimchi and other interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, think; but the day of Christ's coming in his kingdom and power, to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, which burned like an oven, both figuratively and literally; when the wrath of God, which is compared to fire, came upon that people to the uttermost; and when their city and temple were burnt about their ears, and they were surrounded with fire, as if they had been in a burning oven: and this being so terrible, as can hardly be conceived and expressed, the word "behold" is prefixed to it, not only to excite attention, but horror and terror at so dreadful a calamity; which though future, when the prophet wrote, was certain: and all the proud; yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble;
the proud Pharisees, that boasted of their own righteousness, trusted in themselves, and despised others; all workers of iniquity, in private or in public; all rejecters of Christ, contemners of his Gospel and ordinances, and persecutors of his people; as well as such who were guilty of the most flagitious crimes, as sedition, robbery, murder of which there were notorious instances during the siege of Jerusalem; these were all like stubble before devouring fire, weak and easily destroyed: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts:
which is repeated, to show the certainty of it, and to apply it to the persons before described: that it shall leave them neither root nor branch:
which signifies an entire and complete destruction; the city and temple so utterly destroyed, that not one stone shall be left on another; both magistrates and subjects shall perish, priests and people, so that there shall be no form of government, civil nor ecclesiastical; tribes and families lost, they and their posterity: and so the Targum,

``which shall not leave them son and nephew:''
and, indeed, the numbers cut off were so many, and the destruction so general, that it may be wondered at that any remained: it is a proverbial expression, setting forth the greatness of the calamity; see ( Matthew 3:10 Matthew 3:12 ) .

Malachi 4:1 In-Context

1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

Cross References 6

  • 1. [ver. 5; Malachi 3:2]
  • 2. [2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8]
  • 3. Malachi 3:15
  • 4. Malachi 3:15
  • 5. Isaiah 47:14; [Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17]
  • 6. Isaiah 47:14; [Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17]

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Ch 4:1-6 is ch 3:19-24 in the Hebrew
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.