Malachi — Chapter 4

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1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

2“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

3Then you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the LORD of Hosts.

4“Remember the law of My servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him for all Israel at Horeb.

5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.

6And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

1For, 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.

2But 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.

3And 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.

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

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

6And 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.

1For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.

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

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

5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.

6And 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.

1(3:19) “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “It will not leave them even a root or branch.

2But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall.

3You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

4“Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.

5Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.

6He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.”

1“For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble; and the day that comes will burn them up,” says Yahweh of Armies, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall.

3You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make,” says Yahweh of Armies.

4“Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.

5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.

6He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Malachi closes his prophecy with a warning that the coming day will burn like a furnace, consuming the arrogant and evildoers completely, leaving them neither root nor branch (v. 1). For those who fear God's name, however, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing, and they will go out rejoicing like calves released from the stall, trampling down the wicked (vv. 2-3). The people are told to remember the law given to Moses at Horeb (v. 4), and the book ends with God's promise to send the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord, so that he may turn the hearts of fathers and children toward each other and prevent the land from being struck with judgment (vv. 5-6).

Authorship & Background

Author: Malachi ("my messenger"). The last OT prophet, approximately 450-430 BC. Key theme: post-exilic spiritual lethargy — the people go through religious motions without heart. Structured as disputations (God accuses, people challenge, God responds). Famous: "I have loved you" (1:2), "Will a man rob God?" (3:8-10), "the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (4:2), and Elijah's return (4:5-6). The OT ends with a promise and a warning.
Classification: Prophetic Oracle — The Day of the LORD: Sun of Righteousness, Elijah's Return, and the Last Word of the OT
Key Themes: The coming day burning like an oven, judgment on the arrogant, the Sun of righteousness with healing, the faithful leaping like calves, remembering the law of Moses, Elijah's return, the turning of hearts, the OT's final word
Historical Context: Malachi 4 is the final chapter of the Old Testament. After these six verses, the prophetic voice falls silent for approximately 400 years — until John the Baptist breaks the silence in the wilderness. This chapter carries the weight of finality: God's last word before the long silence.
The Day Burning Like an Oven (v.1): The final chapter is six verses and opens on a furnace. The proud and the wicked are stubble, and what is left is neither root nor branch — an agricultural way of saying nothing remains to grow back. The same day that closes the chapter with healing begins it with burning, and the difference between the two outcomes is not the day but who is standing in it.
The Sun of Righteousness, with Healing (vv.2-3): For those who fear His name the same dawn brings the Sun of righteousness rising with healing in his wings, and the image that follows is oddly domestic: they go out and grow up like calves let out of a stall. It is a picture of release rather than triumph. Verse 3 does describe the wicked trodden as ashes underfoot, so the chapter holds both without softening either.
Remember the Law of Moses (v.4): The instruction looks backwards: remember the law of Moses my servant, commanded in Horeb. Nothing new is added. At the close of the Old Testament the community is pointed to what it already has, which fits a book whose complaint throughout has been neglect rather than ignorance.
Elijah Is Coming, and the Last Word (vv.5-6): Then the book looks forward: Elijah will be sent before the great and dreadful day, to turn the hearts of fathers to children and children to fathers. So the Old Testament ends suspended between memory and expectation, law and promise. Its final word is “curse”, and it functions as a warning of what remains without that turning of hearts rather than as a threat — the closing note is of something unfinished. Jesus identifies John the Baptist with this Elijah, some four centuries later.

Map & Geography

Places on this map

  • Mount SinaiJebel Musa, Sinai Peninsula, EgyptTraditionally Jebel Musa in the granite mountains of the southern Sinai peninsula, about 7,500 feet high. The identification dates from Christian monastic tradition rather than from the text, and other candidates have been proposed, but this has been the pilgrimage site since the fourth century. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - Malachi 4:2-3
David Guzik

Malachi 2:17-4:6 | The Sun of Justice | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Malachi -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • The Day That Burns (v.1) — For the arrogant and wicked, the coming day is pictured as an inescapable fire leaving no root or branch. Are you living now in a way that prepares you for that day, or ignoring it?
  • Healing in His Wings (v.2) — For those who fear God's name, that same day brings healing and joyful freedom, like calves let loose from the stall. Do you experience your faith as joyful freedom, or as grim duty?
  • Remembering the Law of Moses (v.4) — Before pointing forward to what's next, God tells His people to remember what He has already revealed. What foundational truths of Scripture do you need to return to rather than chase something new?
  • The Last Word: Turning Hearts (vv.5-6) — The Old Testament closes with the promise of Elijah, whose mission is to turn the hearts of parents and children toward each other before judgment falls. Where do you need to pursue reconciliation with family before it's too late?