Malachi 2:4

2:4 Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant 1  may continue to be with Levi,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Malachi 3:15

3:15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. 2  In fact, those who challenge 3  God escape!’”

Malachi 4:6

4:6 He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, 4  so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.” 5 

1 sn My covenant refers to the priestly covenant through Aaron and his grandson Phinehas (see Exod 6:16-20; Num 25:10-13; Jer 33:21-22). The point here is to contrast the priestly ideal with the disgraceful manner in which it was being carried out in postexilic times.

2 tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”

3 tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”

4 tn Heb “he will turn the heart[s] of [the] fathers to [the] sons, and the heart[s] of [the] sons to their fathers.” This may mean that the messenger will encourage reconciliation of conflicts within Jewish families in the postexilic community (see Mal 2:10; this interpretation is followed by most English versions). Another option is to translate, “he will turn the hearts of the fathers together with those of the children [to me], and the hearts of the children together with those of their fathers [to me].” In this case the prophet encourages both the younger and older generations of sinful society to repent and return to the Lord (cf. Mal 3:7). This option is preferred in the present translation; see Beth Glazier-McDonald, Malachi (SBLDS), 256.

5 tn Heb “[the] ban” (חֵרֶם, kherem). God’s prophetic messenger seeks to bring about salvation and restoration, thus avoiding the imposition of the covenant curse, that is, the divine ban that the hopelessly unrepentant must expect (see Deut 7:2; 20:17; Judg 1:21; Zech 14:11). If the wicked repent, the purifying judgment threatened in 4:1-3 will be unnecessary.