Malachi Word Study - Chapter 4

Iyer@brahminbeliever.com | | Updated on Mon 17 December 2018

The version used is KJV

Themes

  • Elijah coming before the dreadful day with hope for the righteous and destruction for the wicked

Titles of God

  • LORD of Hosts (YHWH tsavat)
  • LORD (YHWH)

Audience

  • nation of Israel

Figures of speech

  • simile: [4:1] coming judgement day as burning like oven
  • metaphor: [4:1] arrogant/proud and evildoers/wikedly are stubble
  • metaphor: [4:2] Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings
  • simile: [4:2] those who fear the YHWH like calves leaping out from the stall
  • metaphor: wicked will be like ashes treaded down

Key and Repeating words (key)

  • Sun of righteousness [4:1]
  • burn 2 [4:1, 4:1]
  • law of Moses [4:4]
  • Elijah [4:5]
  • heart 2 [4:6, 4:6]

  • turn [4:6]

  • all 3 [4:1, 4:1, 4:4]

  • do 2 [4:1, 4:3]
  • fathers 2 [4:6, 4:6]
  • children 2 [4:6, 4:6]
  • shall 10 [4:1, 4:1, 4:1, 4:1, 4:3, 4:3, 4:3, 4:2, 4:2, 4:6]
  • day 4 [4:1, 4:1, 4:3, 4:5]

  • hosts 2 [4:1, 4:3]

  • ye 3 [4:3, 4:2, 4:4]

  • LORD 3 [4:1, 4:3, 4:5]

  • I 4 [4:3, 4:5, 4:4, 4:6]
  • my 2 [4:2, 4:4]

Questions

  • what is the coming day and when is it coming [4:1]
  • why is the reference to Sun of righteousness [4:2]
  • are the wicked of Israel or of the whole nations [4:3]
  • which law of Moses [4:4]
  • whats the significance of turning the hearts of fathers to their children and hearts of children to their fathers [4:6]

Contrasts

  • [4:1] arrogant and evildoers burnt vs [4:2] those who fear healed and protected by Sun of righteousness
  • [4:2] those who fear shall leap like calves vs [4:3] wicked are trampled like ashes

Lists

Verb, Pronoun, Conjunction, Adjective

format is verse followed by verb/pronoun/conjunction/adjective

1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

v pn conj adj
cometh
burn
do
be
cometh
burn
saith
leave
 them
it
them
 For
that
as
and
and
and
that
of
that
nor
 stubble

2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

v pn conj adj
fear
healing
ye
go
grow
 you
my
his
 But
unto
that
of
with
in
and
and
as
of

3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

v pn conj adj
ye
tread
be
do
saith
 they
your
I
 And
for
under
of
in
that
of
 wicked

4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

v pn conj adj
ye
commanded
 my
I
him
 of
in
for
with
and

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

v pn conj adj
send
Elijah
coming
 I
you
 before
of
and
of
 great
dreadful

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

v pn conj adj
turn
come
smite
 he
their
I
 And
of
and
of
and
with

Cause and effect / implications

  • [4:1] be arrogant and do evil -> reduced to stubble and burnt leaving neither root nor branch
  • [4:2] fear YHWH -> be healed and leap out like calves out from the stall
  • [4:3] be wicked -> be trampled by those who fear YHWH as ashes under their feet
  • [4:4-6] remember the law of Moses -> earth noth be destroyed

Purpose/Result

Result Purpose Why
[4:5]YHWH will send you Elijah [4:6] Elijah will turn the hearts of fathers to children and children to their fathers to remember Law of Moses

General to specific

Action/role of God

  • [4:1] He will make a day come when it wil burn all wicked and arrogant men
  • [4:2] He will raise Sun of righteousness with healing for those who fear Him
  • [4:3] He spoke those words
  • [4:4] He asks the nation of Israel to remember the statues of Moses
  • [4:5] He will send Elijah the prophet
  • [4:5] He will come on that great and awesome/dreadful day
  • [4:6] He will strike the earth/land with a curse

Action/role of people

  • [4:1] first group - some of them were arrogant and wicked
  • [4:1] first group will be destroyed
  • [4:2] second group - will fear His name
  • [4:2] second group will rejoice and be happy as a calf
  • [4:3] second group will tread down the first group
  • [4:4] second group will remember the law of Moses
  • [4:5] following Elijah's message, the fathers hearts will turn to their children and children to their fathers

Chiasm

[4:6] Using the ABBA pattern, turn the heart of the fathers > to the children < and the heart of the children < to their fathers

Emotional terms

  • fear [4:2], strike the land [4:6]
  • grow up as calves/leaping like calves [4:2]

Tone of the chapter

  • warning and promise