Bible Characters
Who Was Malachi in the Bible? The Last Prophet of the Old Testament
Malachi was a prophet to the people of Judah after they returned from exile in Babylon. He wrote the Book of Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament in the Protestant order (Malachi 1:1). He confronted careless priests, broken marriages and withheld tithes, and he announced a coming messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord (Malachi 3:1). The New Testament identifies that messenger with John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10).
The Bible tells us almost nothing about Malachi's personal life. What we know comes from the four chapters of his book and from the setting it describes.
Malachi Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name meaning | "My messenger" |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Key books | Malachi; quoted in Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 1:17 and Romans 9:13 |
| Time period | About 430 BC, around the time of Nehemiah (traditional dating) |
| Audience | The people and priests of Judah after the return from exile |
| Category | One of the twelve Minor Prophets |
| Known for | Teaching on tithes, the promise of a messenger, and the promise of Elijah |
What We Know About Malachi
The book opens by calling itself a prophecy, the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi (Malachi 1:1). The book gives no father's name, hometown or date. Because the Hebrew name means "my messenger," some interpreters have suggested it is a title rather than a personal name. Jewish and Christian tradition has treated Malachi as the prophet's name, and the book presents him as the one through whom the Lord spoke.
Malachi is the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. For where his book falls in the canon, see books of the Bible in order.
When Did Malachi Prophesy?
The book does not name a king, but its details fit the period after the exile. It mentions a governor (Malachi 1:8), which matches Persian rule. The temple has been rebuilt and sacrifices are being offered (Malachi 1:7-10; 3:10). That places the book after the temple's completion in 516 BC (Ezra 6:15).
The sins Malachi addresses match the problems Nehemiah dealt with: corrupt priests, marriages to women who worshiped other gods, and neglected tithes (Nehemiah 13:10-13, 13:23-29). For this reason Malachi is traditionally dated to about 430 BC, near Nehemiah's second term as governor. See our profiles who was Nehemiah in the Bible and who was Ezra in the Bible for that period.
Malachi's Question-and-Answer Style
The book is arranged as a series of disputes. The Lord makes a statement, the people respond with a question, and the Lord answers. For example, the Lord says He has loved them, and the people ask how He has loved them (Malachi 1:2). This pattern repeats through the book (Malachi 1:6-7; 2:17; 3:7-8; 3:13).
Malachi's Main Messages
God's Love for Israel
The book begins with God's love. When the people ask how He has loved them, the Lord points to His choice of Jacob over Esau and His judgment on Edom (Malachi 1:2-4). Paul quotes this passage in Romans 9:13.
Corrupt Worship and Careless Priests
The Lord rebukes the priests for showing contempt for His name by offering blind, lame and diseased animals (Malachi 1:6-8). He asks whether the governor would accept such gifts (Malachi 1:8). He says it would be better for someone to shut the temple doors than to keep offering useless sacrifices (Malachi 1:10).
The Lord contrasts these priests with the covenant He made with Levi, whose priests taught true instruction and turned many from sin (Malachi 2:4-7). The priests of Malachi's day had turned from that way and caused many to stumble (Malachi 2:8).
Faithfulness in Marriage
Malachi accuses Judah of breaking faith by marrying women who worshiped a foreign god (Malachi 2:11). He also rebukes men who broke faith with the wives of their youth (Malachi 2:14). The Lord says that the man who hates and divorces his wife does violence to the one he should protect, and He tells them to be on guard and not be unfaithful (Malachi 2:16).
The Coming Messenger
The people had wearied the Lord by saying that those who do evil are good in His eyes, and by asking where the God of justice was (Malachi 2:17). The Lord answers that He will send His messenger to prepare the way before Him. Then the Lord they are seeking will suddenly come to His temple (Malachi 3:1).
That day will be like a refiner's fire. The Lord will purify the Levites and will judge sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers and those who oppress workers, widows and orphans (Malachi 3:2-5). Then comes a statement of God's faithfulness:
"I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." (Malachi 3:6, NIV)
Tithes and Offerings
The Lord calls the people to return to Him, and they ask how (Malachi 3:7). He says they are robbing Him in tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8-9). He tells them to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse and test Him in this, to see if He will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessing (Malachi 3:10).
The Scroll of Remembrance
Some people complained that serving God was useless because the arrogant prospered (Malachi 3:13-15). Those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and a scroll of remembrance was written before Him concerning them (Malachi 3:16). The Lord says they will be His treasured possession (Malachi 3:17).
The Day of the Lord and Elijah
The final chapter describes a coming day that will burn like a furnace against the arrogant and evildoers (Malachi 4:1). For those who revere God's name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays (Malachi 4:2).
The book closes by telling the people to remember the law of Moses (Malachi 4:4). The Lord promises to send the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents (Malachi 4:5-6). Our profile who was Elijah in the Bible covers the original prophet.
Malachi and the New Testament
The Gospels connect Malachi's prophecies to John the Baptist. Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 and said it was written about John (Matthew 11:10). Mark begins his Gospel by citing the same promise together with Isaiah (Mark 1:2-3).
Before John was born, the angel told his father Zechariah that John would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children (Luke 1:17). Jesus later said that John was the Elijah who was to come, for those willing to accept it (Matthew 11:14; 17:11-13).
The Period After Malachi
In the Protestant Old Testament, Malachi is the last book. Traditional Christian and Jewish reckoning holds that no further canonical prophet spoke until John the Baptist, a span of about four hundred years. The Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments include additional books, such as 1 and 2 Maccabees, that describe events from this period. Protestants do not include them in the canon. In the Hebrew Bible, Malachi comes at the end of the Prophets section, and the Writings follow, ending with Chronicles.
Lessons From Malachi
- God's love comes first. The book opens with the Lord's declaration of love before any rebuke (Malachi 1:2).
- Worship should honor God. Offering the worst animals showed contempt for the Lord's name (Malachi 1:6-8).
- Covenant faithfulness matters in marriage. The Lord was a witness between husbands and the wives of their youth (Malachi 2:14).
- God keeps His promises. The Lord does not change, and His promised messenger came in John the Baptist (Malachi 3:6; Matthew 11:10).
Where Malachi Appears in the Bible
- Malachi 1: God's love and the priests' polluted offerings
- Malachi 2: The covenant with Levi and faithfulness in marriage
- Malachi 3: The coming messenger, tithes, and the scroll of remembrance
- Malachi 4: The day of the Lord and the promise of Elijah
- Quoted in: Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 1:17 and 7:27, Romans 9:13
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Malachi in the Bible?
Malachi was a prophet to Judah after the return from exile and the author of the Book of Malachi (Malachi 1:1). He rebuked corrupt worship and unfaithfulness and announced a coming messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord (Malachi 3:1).
What does the name Malachi mean?
The name Malachi means "my messenger" in Hebrew. The same word appears in Malachi 3:1, where the Lord promises to send His messenger.
Is Malachi the last book of the Old Testament?
Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles and in many modern Catholic Bibles (some Catholic editions place 1 and 2 Maccabees last). In the Hebrew Bible, Malachi ends the Prophets section, and the Writings, ending with Chronicles, come after it.
Who is the messenger in Malachi 3:1?
Jesus said Malachi 3:1 was written about John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Him (Matthew 11:10). Mark 1:2 also applies this verse to John.
When did Malachi live?
Malachi is traditionally dated to about 430 BC. The problems he addressed match those Nehemiah faced as governor of Judah (Nehemiah 13).