The book of Malachi is the last of the twelve Minor Prophets, and little is known of the author himself aside from what may be inferred from the contents of his book. Unlike Haggai and Zechariah, Malachi prophesied some time after the completion of the temple in 515 B.C. In fact, it appears that Malachi prophesied over fifty years after Haggai and Zechariah. Like Haggai and Zechariah, Malachi ministered during a difficult period of time, but the problems he faced were slightly different. It had been decades since the temple had been completed, yet the glories of the messianic kingdom had not arrived as expected. But neither had the people lived up to the stipulations of God's law (cf. Nehemiah). Politically, Israel was a minor province in the massive Persian empire. The nation was suffering from economic and agricultural problems. The most serious problem, however, from the prophet's perspective was spiritual. Idolatry was apparently no longer a serious problem, but the people lacked zeal for the Lord. Spiritual discouragement and apathy were rampant. Malachi was called into this situation to explain the delay in the fulfillment of God's restoration promises. There are a number
of
helpful commentaries on the Book of Malachi, and the following are
five of the best.
1. Thomas E. McComiskey -- The Minor Prophets
(2009 [1992]).
The
commentary on Malachi in this volume was written
by Douglas Stuart, whose WBC volume on Hosea - Jonah is outstanding. This commentary continues that excellence. One only wishes he would write commentaries on the rest of the Minor Prophets. As mentioned in previous posts, the McComiskey volume is somewhat technical.
2. Pieter Verhoef -- The Books of Haggai and Malachi
(New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 1987).
Verhoef's commentary on Malachi in the NICOT series is somewhat more
technical than most of the NICOT commentaries, but it is less technical
than Stuart's, mentioned above. It remains accessible to the
non-specialist. For those who lack a knowledge of Hebrew, and are
seeking a thorough commentary on Malachi, this volume is highly
recommended.
3. Joyce Baldwin -- Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
(Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1981).
For
those seeking an introductory level commentary on Malachi, the best
available is the one by Baldwin in the Tyndale series. Like all of her
commentaries, it is clear and concise without being shallow.
4. John Mackay -- Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi
(Focus on the Bible, 2003).
Another
very helpful introductory level commentary on Malachi is the one by John
Mackay in the Focus on the Bible series. Mackay's commentary will be
particularly helpful for pastors seeking a way to communicate the
meaning of this book to a contemporary audience.
5. Ralph Smith -- Micah-Malachi
(Word Biblical Commentary, 1984).
Ralph
Smith's commentary on the last seven books of the Minor Prophets is not
nearly as helpful as Douglas Stuart's commentary on the first five
Minor Prophets in the same commentary series, but it is still worth
consulting.
Runners Up: There
are a number of other helpful commentaries on the Book of Malachi including those by T.V. Moore   , James Boice , Richard Taylor , David Baker , John Benton , and Walter Kaiser .
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Previous "Top 5 Commentaries" blog posts:
OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra & Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah
NEW TESTAMENT: The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Luke, The Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians & Philemon, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, The Pastoral Epistles, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter & Jude, The Epistles of John
*****
For more recommendations, see our Recommended Reading List.
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