2 But who may abide H3557 the day H3117 of his coming? H935 and who shall stand H5975 when he appeareth? H7200 for he is like a refiner's H6884 fire, H784 and like fullers' H3526 soap: H1287
3 And he shall sit H3427 as a refiner H6884 and purifier H2891 of silver: H3701 and he shall purify H2891 the sons H1121 of Levi, H3878 and purge H2212 them as gold H2091 and silver, H3701 that they may offer H5066 unto the LORD H3068 an offering H4503 in righteousness. H6666
4 Then shall the offering H4503 of Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 be pleasant H6149 unto the LORD, H3068 as in the days H3117 of old, H5769 and as in former H6931 years. H8141
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Malachi 3
Commentary on Malachi 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In this chapter we have,
Mal 3:1-6
The first words of this chapter seem a direct answer to the profane atheistical demand of the scoffers of those days which closed the foregoing chapter: Where is the God of judgment? To which it is readily answered, "Here he is; he is just at the door; the long-expected Messiah is ready to appear; and he says, For judgment have I come into this world, for that judgment which you have so impudently bid defiance to.' One of the rabbin says that the meaning of this is, That God will raise up a righteous King, to set things in order, even the king Messiah. And the beginning of the gospel of Christ is expressly said to be the accomplishment of this promise, with which the Old Testament concludes, Mk. 1:1, 2. So that by this the two Testaments are, as it were, tacked together, and made to answer one another. Now here we have,
Mal 3:7-12
We have here God's controversy with the men of that generation, for deserting his service and robbing him-wicked servants indeed, that not only run away from their Master, but run away with their Master's goods.
Mal 3:13-18
Among the people of the Jews at this time, though they all enjoyed the same privileges and advantages, there were men of very different characters (as ever were, and ever will be, in the world and in the church), like Jeremiah's figs, some very good and others very bad, some that plainly appeared to be the children of God and others that as plainly discovered themselves to be the children of the wicked one. There are tares and wheat in the same field, chaff and corn in the same floor; and here we have an account of both.