Malachi

• DatesAbout 450–430 BC (debated)
• GenreMinor Prophets
• AuthorshipMalachi, possibly a title meaning “my messenger”
• TimelineExile & Return (including the Second Temple period)
• Key textsMalachi 1; Malachi 3; Malachi 4
• Read the textMalachi in the World English Bible
• Covered in classSession 3

What the sources say, and how sure we are

• The text says

  The temple has been rebuilt and a governor is in place. The book criticizes poor offerings, marriage to foreign wives, and unpaid tithes, problems that resemble those Nehemiah faces.Mal 1:8; Mal 2:10–16; Mal 3:8–10; Neh 13

• Debated

  “Malachi” means “my messenger” and is the same word used in 3:1, so scholars debate whether it is a personal name or a title. The date is placed between about 480 and 430 BC.Mal 1:1; Mal 3:1

• Christian conclusion

  The New Testament identifies the promised messenger and the coming of Elijah with John the Baptist.Mal 3:1; Mal 4:5; Mark 1:2; Matt 11:10–14