Malachi 4 Footnotes

4:2 Sometimes this verse is taken as a specific promise of the appearance of Jesus Christ. The KJV reads, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” However, the Hebrew word for “sun” (shemesh) is feminine; a literal translation would be “and healing in her wings.” In monuments from the ancient Near East, the sun is sometimes portrayed with wings. It is doubtful that this verse should be regarded as a messianic promise, in the narrow sense, although it does speak of the coming of that righteousness that marks the kingdom of God.