Malachi 1:1-5
The opening word מַשָׂא (maśśāʾ, “burden,” “oracle”) is commonly used for describing a prophecy. It is related to the verb נַשָׂא (nāśāʾ, “to bear”), hence implying a responsibility, duty, charge, or assignment from God. Most modern translations, including NIV, render it “oracle,” which communicates better than “burden” but fails to bring out the onerous aspects the prophet’s duty often entailed.
The opening word מַשָׂא (maśśāʾ, “burden,” “oracle”) is commonly used for describing a prophecy. It is related to the verb נַשָׂא (nāśāʾ, “to bear”), hence implying a responsibility, duty, charge, or assignment from God. Most modern translations, including NIV, render it “oracle,” which communicates better than “burden” but fails to bring out the onerous aspects the prophet’s duty often entailed.
The opening word מַשָׂא (maśśāʾ, “burden,” “oracle”) is commonly used for describing a prophecy. It is related to the verb נַשָׂא (nāśāʾ, “to bear”), hence implying a responsibility, duty, charge, or assignment from God. Most modern translations, including NIV, render it “oracle,” which communicates better than “burden” but fails to bring out the onerous aspects the prophet’s duty often entailed.
The Last Old Testament Prophet
The opening word מַשָׂא (maśśāʾ, “burden,” “oracle”) is commonly used for describing a prophecy. It is related to the verb נַשָׂא (nāśāʾ, “to bear”), hence implying a responsibility, duty, charge, or assignment from God. Most modern translations, including NIV, render it “oracle,” which communicates better than “burden” but fails to bring out the onerous aspects the prophet’s duty often entailed.
The opening word מַשָׂא (maśśāʾ, “burden,” “oracle”) is commonly used for describing a prophecy. It is related to the verb נַשָׂא (nāśāʾ, “to bear”), hence implying a responsibility, duty, charge, or assignment from God. Most modern translations, including NIV, render it “oracle,” which communicates better than “burden” but fails to bring out the onerous aspects the prophet’s duty often entailed.
From the contents of Malachi, we deduce that the prophet wrote sometime after Ezra. Zerubbabel, the first governor after the return from the Babylonian exile, had, with the aid of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, encouraged the people to rebuild the temple. That was in 515 B.C. Ezra returned with another group of exiles in 458 B.C. That was also the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. In the twentieth year of that same king (445 B.C.), Nehemiah returned and led the people in rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem. In the twelfth year of his governorship, Nehemiah returned to Persia for an unknown period of time (cf. Neh 5:14; 13:6). It was during this interim, perhaps in 434 B.C., that Malachi took the helm of spiritual affairs in Jerusalem.
Many similarities exist between the thrust of Malachi’s message and Nehemiah’s reforms. This is why we connect the two. Among the points the two books have in common are the following: mixed marriages (Neh 10:30; 13:23–27; Mal 2:11; cf. Ezra 9–10); corrupt priesthood (Neh 13:9; Mal 1:6–2:9); financial abuses (Neh 13:10–13; Mal 3:5–10).
So the exiles had returned; the temple had been rebuilt; the city of Jerusalem had returned to a substantial degree of normalcy; and the inevitable lethargy, laxity, and’ leniency in spiritual matters had developed. A measure of comfort and security under Persian suzerainty encouraged the people of Judah to let their hands fall in their task of building their nation under God. To this declining state of affairs the last prophet of the OT addressed himself.
Love of God for Israel
a long-eared mammal of the dog family (smaller than a true wolf), an omnivore which will also eat carrion, that hunts at night, often in packs, with a distinctive howl
