V. 1. Behold, I will send my angel.
The people are weary, the preacher and the prophet are weary. They say, "Wait here, wait there" [Isa. 28:10.] etc. As much as we serve the Lord, the Gentiles fare better than we. But be of good cheer, he says, behold, salvation is already at the door, and this kingdom shall be changed, and there shall be an end of your murmuring and of the lamentations of the prophets, who think that they preach in vain. The godly will be separated from the godless, and the godless will no longer be more powerful and blissful. And all this is spiritual, and chiefly in the doctrine and efficacy thereof. Where there is the truthful gospel, there Christ reigns; there heretics and anti-Christians, ungodly and hypocrites are excluded, who remain in sin and death. In the old synagogue there were more godless teachers than godly ones. Two teachers who are opposed to each other cannot remain at the same time, and the people desire a more truthful and consistent teacher in whom they can trust. This is promised here by the Lord, who is to give the listeners a righteous and secure mind in all tribulations. He says, I will send you the right Malachi [XXXXX - my angel], who is John the Baptist.
Who shall prepare the way before me.
These are the words of Christ, although he himself states them differently. The prince who wants to enter a city sends messengers ahead of him to prepare what is necessary for him, and others who
make room for him, so that he would not be hindered by the influx of the people, XXX means to make empty, to make room, or also to make an appearance. John will therefore make that the appearance of the way be beautiful and spacious. For the way, that is, the work of the Lord, is hindered by many things that must be removed, but especially human reason, self-love, one's own wisdom, one's own righteousness etc. Therefore, to prepare is to humble and to make them ready to let God work on them. For the way is the way of the Lord. Of our ways the prophet mentions nothing; only that we should turn from them. For our works are in the way that Christ cannot work or enter. John said to all the Jews, even to those who did the best works, "Repent" [Matt. 3:2], as to sinners. Let, he says, the Lord come in, he will make you righteous and do the will of the Lord, not you, not your works. That is, "punish the world for sin, for righteousness" etc. [Those who believe in him are ready to meet the Lord and receive him; in these he can work, namely in those who have been brought to the knowledge of sins.
And soon will come.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, immediately after this angel. John 1:26 says: "He came in the midst of you, whom you did not know, who was before me," that is, he who was appointed to preach and to save.
To his temple.
Either your physical one or the spiritual one, which is the church.
The Lord you are looking for.
That he may deliver you from the wicked, who shall be your priest, and your king, and your patron. "The angel of the covenant," that is, the messenger of the covenant and the marvelous king who will reign, not in the flesh, as David did, but by the preaching of the word. The angel is such a one, who with a living voice delivers his office. "The covenant" (testamentum), these are the promises of God, which all aim at Christ, even the temporal ones. A testament requires death, so He is indicated here not only as God, but also as man who suffered, died, and reigns. That which is given out by the will is eternal life. "Behold, he cometh." The repetition indicates the certainty.
V. 2. But who will suffer the day of his future?
In the Hebrew it is written [instead of quis poterit cogitare in the Vulgate]: Who will distribute or govern the day etc., or who will make provision, as if to say: Therefore remain in fear, humble yourselves, let this angel prepare you, for he will not come with great splendor, like the kings of the world; and before any man could make provision for when and how he would come, he will fulfill everything, mid no one will know that he is Christ. Hereby the prophet indicates the exceedingly great lowliness of the Word and the Son of God. And this is how his future is still today, namely unexpected.
And who will stand when he will appear?
This is what the prophet says about the astonishment of Christ. For he will appear as such and in such a small form that, unless you hear the voice of that first angel and follow the pointing of his finger, no one among you will receive him, nor believe that he is, but will say: Ei! is this the King who has not, as he lays down his head, crucified and dies? Therefore Christ Himself says [Matth. 11, 6.]: "Blessed
is he who does not take offense at me," that is, who does not measure me according to reason. That is why the angel is sent beforehand, so that the light of reason may be extinguished, and it may be known that the carpenter's son is the Messiah. Many who saw him did not see him, for who will stand in faith?
Because it is like the fire of a goldsmith.
"The fire of a goldsmith" (ignis conflans) or a purifying fire, that is, he will condemn all your works and pretensions, and all yours will have to be killed, as silver melts in the fire and is purified, and is separated from all dross. means a sharpness or a soap with which great stains are washed out of the clothes. Thus Christ will reject all that is of man 1) and demand only that which is spiritual. This is very painful to Satan with his scales, and the Jews are puffed up with their righteousness, from which it is very difficult for them to be torn away from following Christ. The kingdom of Christ is a spiritual furnace that sweeps out the dross of the old Adam. But the prophet seems to speak here of white and linen garments, which are mainly used by the peoples of the East. These are cleansed with soap. Christ is not merely the purifier, but also the purification itself, not merely the goldsmith, but also the fire, not merely the washer, but also the soap. And he does not sit idly at the right hand of the Father, but works in us livingly and powerfully and without ceasing, flowing through his spiritual body as fire does through metal. And that is why he is called elsewhere the salutare (bringing salvation), not merely the Savior, that is, salvation itself and the workshop of salvation. This is felt by Christians, who are not moved by riches, fear death very little, and despise all temporal things. This power is the fire and the soap.
V. 3. He will sit and melt.
Sitting means the teaching office and the judgment. Therefore, it is a wonderful realm,
1) The word tnirnnrm is missing in the Weimar.
which is not in outward weapons, but in the purification of men, in the renewal of souls, which are then brought to blessedness and eternal life. It is indeed a glorious thing, but in the spirit, but by heart all flesh is vexed.
And purify the silver (Et mundator argenti).
Thus it is said in the 12th Psalm, v. 7: "The speech of the Lord is pure, like silver that has been purified" etc. The word of God is indeed in itself completely pure, but in us it is purified from day to day, because we are purified by the same. The Scriptures are the greatest light, but to the wicked they are darkness; God is very clear, but if you do not recognize Him, you are guilty. A light are these words: Christ is the purifier, 1) the righteousness, the redemption, the life etc. The light, I say, can never be sufficiently seen, and it becomes clearer day by day. The matter is not in the sound of words, but in the innermost depths of the heart. And the sun is darkness for the blind, but not by its sder Sonnet fault, but the fault lies in the blind or in the closed eyes.
He will purify the children of Levi.
Now he explains what this purification of the silver is, namely the purification of the holy scripture for our sake, because all the women of the world fight and want to darken it. But while their dung stinks, the word of God becomes clearer and clearer, because finally their foolishness will be revealed to all. 2) The prophet shows that this is the purification of the holy scripture. But the prophet shows that the kingdom of Christ will be completely priestly, and there will be no distinction or respect of persons. Everyone in this kingdom will be a brother of Christ, and through Christ he will be able to go to God and pray and teach, and there will be other and true Levites, namely purified ones, after the old ones are rejected, who were only purified outwardly, but inwardly were godless and impure.
1) Instead of: [wknäator will (according to the keyword) probably be read srnunäator. Vulgate: sraunäans.
2) Instead of ornnium, according to 2 Tim. 3, 9. orrinlNus will be read.
And purify, like gold and silver.
He will purify them, refine them, free them from impurities, separate the dross of false doctrine, so that the light of divine truth may be revealed through the Word by which they will be guided. The kingdom of Christ is an exercise of the Word and of faith, because of the constant attacks of the ungodly. Therefore, whoever wants to be a Christian must be prepared for purification.
Then they will bring grain offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
The sacrifice in righteousness is the sacrifice of the New Testament. For what need would there have been to promise sacrifices that had already been made? But the ones that happened at that time were all unclean, because the priests who offered them were unclean. But the sacrifices of the Christians are pure and righteous because they themselves are pure and righteous. Ps. 132, 9: "Let your priests be clothed with righteousness" etc. Thus the prophet describes first the righteousness of the person, then the righteous work. Our sacrifice is the killing of the flesh, which is signified by the slaughter and the old sacrifice. But through the fire of the Spirit and of love, an exceedingly sweet odor is kindled to the Lord.
V. 4. and the grain offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord.
If the people are pleasing and pleasant, the sacrifices are also pleasing and pleasant.
Like before and long years ago.
Namely, at the time before the law was given. For all these things are spoken for the reproach of the law. For with the law the hypocrites began; but the sacrifices before the law were acceptable to God because of faith. But the same faith, the same spirit, the same grace will be in the kingdom of Christ as it was before the law. Faith sacrifices voluntarily, the law compels unwilling people.
V. 5. And I will come to you and punish you.
After the prophet describes how it will be with the saints in the kingdom of Christ,
He now shows what will happen to the wicked who will be separated from the godly, 1) and the pure doctrine will remain with the godly. Those will not be tolerated in this new kingdom who are tainted with obvious shameful deeds. I will come," he says, "by the word, to judgment; I will put under ban, I will condemn, I will punish.
And be a quick witness.
A punisher, a judge (censor). I will not cover up. The witches and sorcerers abuse the word of God, therefore they will be expelled.
Against those who do violence and injustice to widows.
That is, against those who rob them.
V. 6 For I am the Lord who does not lie.
I do not lie, I do not revoke what I have promised through so many prophets, and therefore do not doubt; your unworthiness will not prevent my truthfulness. In vain I have promised, in vain I will fulfill, and for this reason I have brought you back from captivity, so that I may fulfill my promises. Therefore, everything must be attributed to the divine goodness and not to any 2) merits of any man, for you have always sinned against me. And this, that he says [v. 7.], "From your fathers' time," corresponds to what he said above [Cap.2, 17.], "He who does evil pleases the Lord," etc., and he throws the blame back on them. It is therefore mercy that it is not over with them.
V. 7. 3) Turn ye therefore unto me, and I will turn unto you also.
These words seem to speak for the free will of man. But they are words of the law, to which it does not immediately follow that one can also do it. For he has just said that they never kept the law.
1) In the Weimar edition, probably reprinted from the Erlanger, superudnutur instead of sspuruduntur in the Wittenberger.
2) Weimarsche: nUu8 instead of: uNis.
3) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.
although they have started to keep it. God is indeed a good hottie, but we are slow doers. The law indicates what we should do. "Turn to me," he says, to obey me, "and I will turn to you" and bless you," I will be a kind, merciful father to you.
Thus say ye, Wherein shall we be converted?
The prophet has trouble with the holy hypocrites who do not want to be punished, nor are they aware of any sin or turning away from God.
V. 8. Is it right for a man to deceive God as you deceive me?
Affiget Deum or: that a man may do violence to God, or rob him, for you have robbed me. It is a Hebrew way of speaking. A similar passage is in Jeremiah Cap. 2, 10: "Go to the isles of Chittim, and see" etc. And here God refers to the customs of the whole human race; everywhere the gods are worshipped with the highest care, and nowhere is anything robbed from an idol, but only from the right god among the Jews. By the way, he does not punish the life as much as the doctrine, because it "defended their sins", which is a sin against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven, because the lie is worshipped as something godly. Reason, which guides the Gentiles, teaches that robbing God (sacrilegium) is ungodly, but the Jews also defended this as right. Thus, in Pabstism, the idols are worshipped with greater diligence than the true God. Now that we should give to the servants of the word and to the poor, we are more eager to receive and to rob; before we were very willing to give. But before, we gave not a little to the deceivers and the open jacks.
Thus say ye, Wherewith do we deceive thee? In tithes and heave offerings.
There were two customs in the sacrifices. One was by simple lifting up, and these sacrifices were called theruma; the other was by the
4) In the Weimarschen, the word tarn is missing here.
The other was done by moving to the four regions of the world, which was called Thenupha. With these, he says, which you are to give for the maintenance of the priests, you do me violence and injustice. Furthermore, God has to do with it, not as if he cared about the tithes, but so that the ministry of the word might be preserved.
V. 9 Therefore you are also cursed, so that everything slips out from under your hands.
"And in poverty" [Vulg.] you are under the curse; in that all things melt away from you, you are cursed. And because you are robbing God against me, I make all yours to melt away, and you cannot rejoice in what you possess, 1) because God's blessing is not there, or more correctly: because you suffer poverty, and throw the blame on me, therefore you rob me of what is mine.
V. 10. But bring the tithes.
This is an exhortation after the punishment. He says: "That there may be food in my house", see to it that my priests may remain. First seek the kingdom of God etc.; first satisfy me, and see if I do not satisfy you also. God is such a physician, who punishes to mend, wraths to pity, cuts to heal. In contrast, the devil only wounds, but does not heal again. It is a Hebrew expression: "to open the heavens" means to rain; to close the heavens means not to rain.
V. 11. And I will rebuke the eater for you.
The singular ["the eater"] stands for the plural: the caterpillars, the worms, which gnaw and spoil the seeds and fruits etc. For what would it be if there were abundance in the fields, and the worms devoured everything? Ah! where is the faith here? God gives and sustains everything, and again He spoils when He wills.
V. 12.2 ) You shall be a valuable land.
All the heathen will desire to have such a land as you have, that is, the fertile land.
1) We consider that instead of proksssions should be read: po88688ion6, and have translated accordingly.
2) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.
and protected against vermin. This is the punishment and admonition of those who regard the servants of God as nothing. But no one sufficiently comprehends the harm that results when the preachers of the Word of God are neglected.
V. 13. You speak harshly against me.
This is another sermon, and another rebuke of sin (which is also mentioned above at the end of the second chapter [v. 17]) 3) namely the grumbling of the Jews about the welfare of the Gentiles and about their own misfortune, since they were the people of God and kept the law, while the Gentiles did nothing of all this. And here more is said about the murmuring against those who dwelt among the Jews, namely against their brethren. Because the Holy Spirit had not yet been given and the mystery of Christ had not yet been revealed, they were reluctant when the prophets preached the promises of God, because they always saw the opposite before their eyes. The murmuring of the flesh against God is an affliction that is very difficult to overcome. Therefore he says: invaluerunt, that is, your words are harsh, sharp, violent against me, I can no longer stand your murmuring, your blasphemies. They were therefore with works robbers of God, with words blasphemers, and moreover they defended their sins. They say, "What have we spoken against you?" We have gone along in black, dark, lowly garments of mourning, 4) afflicted in soul, afflicted in body and life, and He has answered us nothing. God does not bless us abundantly, but we see that the proud, the stiff-necked, the presumptuous, the licentious, the insolent, the sacrilegious, the impudent lead a pleasant life and are blissful, and we must praise them blessedly.
3) Set by us instead of: äs UNO stiam snpra OOP. 3. Ä principio. The Hallic manuscript offers: In 6ns 3. oap. mnrrauradant ste. This latter error would be improved by putting "2nd" instead of "3rd". The error in our text is explained by the fact that the last verse of the second chapter was mistaken for the first verse of the third chapter.
4) Instead of polluti in the Wittenberg and other editions, the Hall manuscript reads pultati, from pullns, black.
V. 15. Therefore we praise the scornful, for the wicked increase, and all things go well out of them.
"They increase" in their household, in livestock and possessions. "They are not chastised, they are not punished as we who worship the true God.
V. 16. But the godly comfort one another thus: The Lord notices it etc.
It is, he says, not forgotten in the sight of God, but he writes it in his book for remembrance, what they speak among themselves, how those comfort one another who fear God, and do not murmur nor grumble because of the welfare of the wicked.
And remember his name.
That is, those who persevere in worship and godliness even though they suffer persecution.
V. 17.1 ) They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I will make them.
"In that day" I will put an end to murmuring and blasphemy, they shall be my special possession or property, that is, it will be made evident that they belong to me and are already mine. And it is seen that this is said of the kingdom of the New Testament, for the people of the law have always murmured and blasphemed.
And I will spare them, as a man spareth his son that serveth him.
Here he promises that he will be a merciful father to those who fear him and serve him, that is, to the faithful. But since he says, "I will spare," he indicates that this kingdom will not be without sin, and therefore it will be a kingdom of grace and forgiveness of sins, a kingdom of sparing. And then, he says, you will see clearly what a great difference there is between the godly and the ungodly etc.
1) This verse number is missing in Weimar's.