서론
Introduction
英文原文
INTRODUCTION
MALACHI forms the transition link between the two dispensations, the Old and the New, "the skirt and boundary of Christianity" [TERTULLIAN], to which perhaps is due the abrupt earnestness which characterizes his prophecies. His very name is somewhat uncertain. Malachi is the name of an office, rather than a person, "My messenger," and as such is found in
Mal 3:1.
The Septuagint favors this view in
Mal 1:1;
translate, not "by Malachi," but "by the hand of His messenger" (compare
Hag 1:13).
Malachi is the last inspired messenger of the Old Testament, announcing the advent of the Great Messenger of the New Testament. The Chaldee paraphrase identifies him with Ezra wrongly, as Ezra is never called a prophet but a scribe, and Malachi never a scribe but a prophet. Still it hence appears that Malachi was by some old authorities not regarded as a proper name. The analogy of the headings of other prophets, however, favors the common view that Malachi is a proper name. As Haggai and Zechariah, the contemporary prophets, supported Joshua and Zerubbabel in the building of the temple, so he at a subsequent period supported the priest Ezra and the governor Nehemiah. Like that ruler, he presupposes the temple to have been already built
(Mal 1:10; 3:1-10).
Both alike censure the abuses still unreformed
(Ne 13:5, 15-22, 23-30),
the profane and mercenary character of the priests, the people's marriages contracted with foreigners, the non-payment of the tithes, and want of sympathy towards the poor on the part of the rich
(Ne 6:7)
implies that Nehemiah was supported by prophets in his work of reformation. The date thus will be about 420 B.C., or later. Both the periods after the captivity (that of Haggai and Zechariah, and that of Malachi) were marked by royal, priestly, and prophetic men at the head of God's people. The former period was that of the building of the temple; the latter, that of the restoration of the people and rebuilding of the city. It is characteristic of the people of God that the first period after the restoration was exclusively devoted to the rebuilding of the temple; the political restoration came secondarily. Only a colony of fifty thousand settled with Joshua and Zerubbabel in Palestine
(Ezr 2:64).
Even these became intermingled with the heathen around during the sixty years passed over by Ezra in silence
(Ezr 9:6-15; Ne 1:3).
Hence a second restoration was needed which should mould the national life into a Jewish form, re-establishing the holy law and the holy city--a work effected by Ezra and Nehemiah, with the aid of Malachi, in a period of about half a century, ending with the deaths of Malachi and Nehemiah in the last ten years of the fifth century B.C.; that is, the "seven weeks"
(Da 9:25)
put in the beginning of the "seventy" by themselves, to mark the fundamental difference between them, the last period of Old Testament revelation, and the period which followed without any revelation (the sixty-two weeks), preceding the final week standing out in unrivalled dignity by itself as the time of Messiah's appearing. The seventy weeks thus begin with the seventh year of Artaxerxes who allowed Ezra to go to Jerusalem, 457 B.C., in accordance with the commandment which then went forth from God. Ezra the priest performed the inner work of purifying the nation from heathenish elements and reintroducing the law; while Nehemiah did the outer work of rebuilding the city and restoring the national polity [AUBERLEN]. VITRINGA makes the date of Malachi's prophecies to be about the second return of Nehemiah from Persia, not later than 424 B.C., the date of Artaxerxes' death
(Ne 13:6).
About this time Socrates was teaching the only approach to a pure morality which corrupt Athens ever knew. MOORE distinguishes six portions: (1) Charge against Israel for insensibility to God's love, which so distinguished Israel above Edom
(Mal 1:1-5).
(2) The priests are reproved for neglect and profanation
(Mal 1:6-2:9).
(3) Mixed marriages, and the wrongs done to Jewish wives, are reproved
(Mal 2:10-16).
(4) Coming of Messiah and His forerunners
(Mal 2:17-3:6).
(5) Reproof for tithes withheld
(Mal 3:7-12).
(6) Contrast between the godly and the ungodly at the present time, and in the future judgment; exhortation, therefore, to return to the law
(Mal 3:13-4:6).
The style is animated, but less grand, and the rhythm less marked, than in some of the older prophets.
The canonicity of the book is established by the references to it in the New Testament
(Mt 11:10; 17:12; Mr 1:2; 9:11, 12; Lu 1:17; Ro 9:13).
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Mal 1:1-14.
玛 1:1-14。
神的爱、以色列的忘恩、祭司的唯利是图之心、外邦属灵祭司职分将取代他们。
1. 默示——沉重的判语。
给以色列——此时由犹大和便雅悯两支派，以及从巴比伦与犹太人一同归回的十支派中的个人所代表。拉 7:10 中“以色列”也是如此用法。参代下 21:2，“以色列王约沙法”，那里将犹大——而非十支派——视为以色列最真实的代表（参代下 12:6；28:19）。
玛拉基——见引言。在他之后，神未再差遣先知，直到基督的先锋施洗约翰，为要以更热切的渴望点燃百姓对那位伟大预表之应验者——基督——的渴慕。
英文原文
Mal 1:1-14.
GOD'S LOVE: ISRAEL'S INGRATITUDE: THE PRIESTS' MERCENARY SPIRIT: A GENTILE SPIRITUAL PRIESTHOOD SHALL SUPERSEDE THEM.
1. burden--heavy sentence.
to Israel--represented now by the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with individuals of the ten tribes who had returned with the Jews from Babylon. So "Israel" is used,
Ezr 7:10.
Compare
2Ch 21:2,
"Jehoshaphat king of Israel," where Judah, rather than the ten tribes, is regarded as the truest representative of Israel (compare
2Ch 12:6; 28:19).
Malachi--see
Introduction.
God sent no prophet after him till John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, in order to enflame His people with the more ardent desire for Him, the great antitype and fulfiller of prophecy.
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2. 我曾爱你们——胜过其他人；不，甚至胜过亚伯拉罕和以撒的其他后裔。我这样白白的恩典理当唤起你们的爱。然而你们回报我的却是罪恶与羞辱。这当补充的话却没有说出口，仿佛哀伤将句子打断 [梅诺基乌斯（Menochius）]（申 7:8；何 11:1）。
你怎样爱我们呢？——与神之爱那含泪的温柔形成痛苦对比的，是他们傲慢的质问。他们罪的根源在于对神的爱和对自己邪恶的麻木。因繁荣被夺去，他们就暗示没有神爱的记号；他们看的是神所拿去的，而不是神所留下的。神的爱往往在最彰显之处最少被承认。我们不可因神管教我们就推断他不爱我们。人若不把苦难归因于正当的根源——自己的罪——反而不敬虔地控告神漠视他们的福祉 [摩尔（Moore）]。因此，玛 1:1-4 构成整卷预言合适的引言。
以扫不是雅各的哥哥吗？——因此就尊严而言，以扫与雅各一样有资格得神的恩宠。可见我拣选雅各完全是出于白白的恩典（罗 9:13）。同样，神越过了我们的长兄——那些不守本位的天使，却为人类预备了救恩。堕落天使永远的被弃，正如以东永远的荒凉，印证了神对灭亡者的严厉，以及对白白蒙救者的恩慈。神赐恩给一人而不给另一人，其唯一根据乃是他主权的永恒旨意。将救恩归因于神的拣选虽有难解之处，但归因于人的拣选则难处更大 [摩尔（Moore）]。耶和华以与他们辩论此事，显出他的俯就与忍耐。
英文原文
2. I have loved you--above other men; nay, even above the other descendants of Abraham and Isaac. Such gratuitous love on My part called for love on yours. But the return ye make is sin and dishonor to Me. This which is to be supplied is left unexpressed, sorrow as it were breaking off the sentence [MENOCHIUS],
(De 7:8; Ho 11:1).
Wherein hast thou loved us?--In painful contrast to the tearful tenderness of God's love stands their insolent challenge. The root of their sin was insensibility to God's love, and to their own wickedness. Having had prosperity taken from them, they imply they have no tokens of God's love; they look at what God had taken, not at what God had left. God's love is often least acknowledged where it is most manifested. We must not infer God does not love us because He afflicts us. Men, instead of referring their sufferings to their proper cause, their own sin, impiously accuse God of indifference to their welfare [MOORE]. Thus
Mal 1:1-4
form a fit introduction to the whole prophecy.
Was not Esau Jacob's brother?--and so, as far as dignity went, as much entitled to God's favor as Jacob. My adoption of Jacob, therefore, was altogether by gratuitous favor
(Ro 9:13).
So God has passed by our elder brethren, the angels who kept not their first estate, and yet He has provided salvation for man. The perpetual rejection of the fallen angels, like the perpetual desolations of Edom, attests God's severity to the lost, and goodness to those gratuitously saved. The sovereign eternal purpose of God is the only ground on which He bestows on one favors withheld from another. There are difficulties in referring salvation to the election of God, there are greater in referring it to the election of man [MOORE]. Jehovah illustrates His condescension and patience in arguing the case with them.
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3. 恶——并非绝对意义上，而是相对意义上的恶；即不像我对雅各那样，拣选他作白白恩典的对象（参路 14:26 与太 10:37；创 29:30、31；申 21:15、16 比较）。
使他的山岭荒凉——即他那多山的疆土。以色列确实受了迦勒底人的惩罚，但以东却完全被毁；或说是被尼布甲尼撒所毁 [罗森缪勒（Rosenmüller）]，或被邻邦——埃及、亚扪、摩押所毁 [约瑟夫（Josephus），《犹太古史》10.9.7；马乌勒（Maurer）]（耶 49:18）。
野狗——胡狼 [摩尔（Moore）]（参赛 34:13）。马乌勒（Maurer）译作“*旷野的居所”，源自 阿拉伯语 词根“停留”、“居住”。英文译本更佳。
英文原文
3. hated--not positively, but relatively; that is, did not choose him out to be the object of gratuitous favor, as I did Jacob (compare
Lu 14:26, with Mt 10:37; Ge 29:30, 31; De 21:15, 16).
laid his mountains . . . waste--that is, his territory which was generally mountainous. Israel was, it is true, punished by the Chaldeans, but Edom has been utterly destroyed; namely, either by Nebuchadnezzar [ROSENMULLER], or by the neighboring peoples, Egypt, Ammon, and Moab [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 10.9,7; MAURER],
(Jer 49:18).
dragons--jackals [MOORE] (compare
Isa 34:13).
MAURER translates, "Abodes of the wilderness," from an Arabic root "to stop," or "to abide." English Version is better.
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4. 任凭——“尽管”以东说 [马乌勒（Maurer）]。以东尽可努力自求恢复，却必徒然，因为我命定她永远荒凉，我却要复兴以色列。耶和华如此陈述，为要说明他对以色列白白的恩典，胜过对以东。
罪恶之境——被交付于弃绝之咒诅的地区 [加尔文（Calvin）]。一时之间，犹大似乎与以土买同样荒凉；但后者曾是东方商贸的要道，如今彼特拉孤零零的岩屋却印证了预言的应验。它仍是“罪恶之境”，为沙漠中的劫掠部族出没之所。犹大的复兴虽被耽延，却必然实现。
耶和华……恼怒——“我所咒诅的民”（赛 34:5）。
英文原文
4. Whereas--"But if" Edom say [MAURER]. Edom may strive as she may to recover herself, but it shall be in vain, for I doom her to perpetual desolation, whereas I restore Israel. This Jehovah states, to illustrate His gratuitous love to Israel, rather than to Edom.
border of wickedness--a region given over to the curse of reprobation [CALVIN]. For a time Judea seemed as desolate as Idumea; but though the latter was once the highway of Eastern commerce, now the lonely rock-houses of Petra attest the fulfilment of the prophecy. It is still "the border of wickedness," being the resort of the marauding tribes of the desert. Judea's restoration, though delayed, is yet certain.
the Lord hath indignation--"the people of My curse"
(Isa 34:5).
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5. 从以色列的境界——你们既被恢复到以色列自己的“境界”，就必从那里发声“尊耶和华为大”，承认耶和华向你们显明了未向东显明的白白恩典，因此他理当格外“从以色列的境界被尊为大”。
英文原文
5. from the border of Israel--Ye, restored to your own "borders" in Israel, "from" them shall raise your voices to "magnify the Lord," acknowledging that Jehovah has shown to you a gratuitous favor not shown to Edom, and so ought to be especially "magnified from the borders of Israel."
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6. 耶和华从百姓转向祭司，发问：既然他爱百姓如此之深，他们对他的爱在哪里呢？祭司若如他们所宣称的那样，视他为父（赛 63:16）和主，就当以爱与敬畏来证明他们信仰的真实（出 20:12；路 6:46）。
他向祭司说话，因为他们本该在敬虔上作其余百姓的领袖，然而他们却最带头“藐视他的名”。
我们在何事上藐视……呢？——与他们发问（玛 1:2）“你在何事上爱我们呢？”一样，是出于自满与麻木的好辩之灵。他们对神的爱与自己的罪责同样盲目。
英文原文
6. Turning from the people to the priests, Jehovah asks, whereas His love to the people was so great, where was their love towards Him? If the priests, as they profess, regard Him as their Father
(Isa 63:16)
and Master, let them show the reality of their profession by love and reverential fear
(Ex 20:12; Lu 6:46).
He addresses the priests because they ought to be leaders in piety to the rest of the people, whereas they are foremost in "despising His name."
Wherein have we despised, &c.--The same captious spirit of self-satisfied insensibility as prompted their question
(Mal 1:2),
"Wherein hast Thou loved us?" They are blind alike to God's love and their own guilt.
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7. 你们将……献给*——神对他们挑战（玛 1:6）“我们在何事上藐视呢？”的回答。
污秽的食物——即有瑕疵的祭物（玛 1:8、13、14；申 15:21）。因此“神的饼”即指“献给神的祭物”（利 21:8）。
污秽了你——即向你献上“污秽的食物”。
耶和华的桌子——即祭坛（结 41:22）（不是陈设饼的桌子）。正如祭牲的肉被称为“食物”。
可藐视的——（玛 1:12、13）。你们认可百姓在祭坛上献上吝啬而有瑕疵的祭物，为要讨他们欢心。大流士，或许还有他的继任者，曾慷慨地供给他们献祭的祭牲，但他们只献上最差的。廉价、花费甚少的宗教被神拒绝，因此一文不值。它所费的比它的价值更多，因为它一文不值，所以实际上极其昂贵。神不轻看寡妇的小钱，却轻看守财奴的小钱 [摩尔（Moore）]。
英文原文
7. ye offer, &c.--God's answer to their challenge
(Mal 1:6),
"Wherein have we despised?"
polluted bread--namely, blemished sacrifices
(Mal 1:8, 13, 14; De 15:21).
So "the bread of thy God" is used for "sacrifices to God"
(Le 21:8).
polluted thee--that is, offered to thee "polluted bread."
table of the Lord--that is, the altar
(Eze 41:22)
(not the table of showbread). Just as the sacrificial flesh is called "bread."
contemptible--
(Mal 1:12, 13).
Ye sanction the niggardly and blemished offerings of the people on the altar, to gain favor with them. Darius, and probably his successors, had liberally supplied them with victims for sacrifice, yet they presented none but the worst. A cheap religion, costing little, is rejected by God, and so is worth nothing. It costs more than it is worth, for it is worth nothing, and so proves really dear. God despises not the widow's mite, but he does despise the miser's mite [MOORE].
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8. 你们的属地统治者若被你们献上那用来敷衍神的祭物，必觉受辱（见利 22:22、24）。
这不是恶吗？——马乌勒（Maurer）译作：“在你们看来，这样的祭物没有恶；对这样的用途，足够好了。”
英文原文
8. Your earthly ruler would feel insulted, if offered by you the offering with which ye put off God (see
Le 22:22, 24).
*is it not evil?*--MAURER translates, "There is no evil," in your opinion, in such an offering; it is quite good enough for such a purpose.
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9. 现在我劝你们恳求神施恩——反语。你们以为神会被这样污秽的礼物说服而向你们施恩吗？断乎不然。
这是因你们的手——字面作“手”。这些可藐视的祭物是你们作为神与人中间之祭司所作的事；你们以为神会垂顾你们吗（参玛 1:8、10）？“顾及你的情面”（“脸面”），玛 1:8，与本节“顾你们的情面”相应。
英文原文
9. now . . . beseech God that he will be gracious--Ironical. Think you that God will be persuaded by such polluted gifts to be gracious to you? Far from it.
this hath been by your means--literally, "hand." These contemptible offerings are your doing, as being the priests mediating between God and the people; and think you, will God pay any regard to you (compare
Mal 1:8, 10)?
"Accept thy person" ("face"),
Mal 1:8,
answers to "regard your persons," in this verse.
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10. 谁肯……徒然呢？——你们连最小的祭司职分（如关门或在祭坛上点火）都不肯无酬办理，所以应当忠心履行（林前 9:13）。
德鲁西乌斯（Drusius）和马乌勒（Maurer）译作：“惟愿你们中间有人干脆把殿门（即内有燔祭坛的内院之门）关上，不至徒然在我的祭坛上点火！”没有祭物胜过徒然的祭物（赛 1:11-15）。部分祭司的本分就是站在燔祭坛院的门口，将那有瑕疵的祭牲拒之门外 [加尔文（Calvin）]。
英文原文
10. Who . . . for naught--Not one even of the least priestly functions (as shutting the doors, or kindling a fire on the altar) would ye exercise without pay, therefore ye ought to fulfil them faithfully
(1Co 9:13).
DRUSIUS and MAURER translate, "Would that there were absolutely some one of you who would shut the doors of the temple (that is, of the inner court, in which was the altar of burnt offerings), and that ye would not kindle fire on My altar in vain!" Better no sacrifices than vain ones
(Isa 1:11-15).
It was the duty of some of the priests to stand at the doors of the court of the altar of burnt offerings, and to have excluded blemished victims [CALVIN].
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11. 因为——既因你们犹太祭司和百姓“藐视我的名”（玛 1:6），我必另寻尊崇他名的人（太 3:9）。
不要以为你们离去我便没有敬拜者；因为从日出之地到日落之处，我的名在列邦中必为大（赛 66:19、20），正是你们所轻视为可憎的那些民。
洁净的供物——并非你们所献的“瞎眼的、瘸腿的、有病的”（玛 1:8）。“在各处”暗示基督教会的普世性（约 4:21、23；提前 2:8）。“香”比喻祷告（诗 141:2；启 8:3）。“祭”是隐喻用法（诗 51:17；来 13:10、15、16；彼前 2:5、12）。在此意义上，许多教父所主张的对主餐的指涉也可被接受；它如祷告一样是属灵的祭物，借着那一次被杀、“无瑕疵之羔羊”字面意义的祭物而蒙悦纳。
英文原文
11. For--Since ye Jewish priests and people "despise My name"
(Mal 1:6),
I shall find others who will magnify it
(Mt 3:9).
Do not think I shall have no worshippers because I have not you; for from the east to the west My name shall be great among the Gentiles
(Isa 66:19, 20),
those very peoples whom ye look down upon as abominable.
pure offering--not "the blind, the lame, and the sick," such as ye offer
(Mal 1:8).
"In every place," implies the catholicity of the Christian Church
(Joh 4:21, 23; 1Ti 2:8).
The "incense" is figurative of prayers
(Ps 141:2; Re 8:3).
"Sacrifice" is used metaphorically
(Ps 51:17; Heb 13:10, 15, 16; 1Pe 2:5, 12).
In this sense the reference to the Lord's Supper, maintained by many of the fathers, may be admitted; it, like prayer, is a spiritual offering, accepted through the literal offering of the "Lamb without blemish," once for all slain.
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12. 重申玛 1:7 的指控。
果子……食物——指百姓所献的供物。“果子”是祭坛的出产，祭司以此为生。他们没有字面上说“耶和华的桌子是可藐视的”，但他们的行为实际上正是这样说。他们没有以行动引导百姓敬畏，并将最好的献在坛上归主。百姓贫穷，以最差的祭物敷衍神。祭司怕得罪百姓而失去一切所得，就任凭他们如此行。
英文原文
12. Renewal of the charge in
Mal 1:7.
fruit . . . meat--the offerings of the people. The "fruit" is the produce of the altar, on which the priests subsisted. They did not literally say, The Lord's table is contemptible; but their acts virtually said so. They did not act so as to lead the people to reverence, and to offer their best to the Lord on it. The people were poor, and put off God with the worst offerings. The priests let them do so, for fear of offending the people, and so losing all gains from them.
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13. 何等烦琐！——你们视事奉神为厌烦，所以试图以最不堪的祭物搪塞了事。参赛 6:3，那里神向百姓挑战，要他们指出事奉他的“烦琐”或劳苦在哪里。又参赛 43:22-24，他表明是他们“使他厌烦”，不是他使他们厌烦。
嗤之以鼻——藐视。
它——指耶和华的桌子及其上的食物（玛 1:12）。
撕裂的——即被野兽撕裂的，本不可吃，更不可献（出 22:31）。
这样……献——希伯来文 mincha；用细面等所献的无血素祭。这虽或用普通材料，但与之同献的有瑕疵牲畜之祭物使其不蒙悦纳。
英文原文
13. what a weariness is it!--Ye regard God's service as irksome, and therefore try to get it over by presenting the most worthless offerings. Compare
Mic 6:3,
where God challenges His people to show wherein is the "weariness" or hardship of His service. Also
Isa 43:22-24,
wherein He shows that it is they who have "wearied" Him, not He who has wearied them.
snuffed at--despised.
it--the table of the Lord, and the meat on it
(Mal 1:12).
torn--namely, by beasts, which it was not lawful to eat, much less to offer
(Ex 22:31).
thus . . . offering--Hebrew, mincha; the unbloody offering of flour, &c. Though this may have been of ordinary ingredients, yet the sacrifices of blemished animals accompanying it rendered it unacceptable.
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14. 诡诈的——假冒为善者。他们献卑微祭物的缘由不是贫穷，而是贪婪。
公的——律法所要求（利 1:3、10）。
大君王——（诗 48:2；太 5:35）。
我的名……在列邦中是可畏的——连列邦也因我的审判而敬畏我；这对你们——我不敬畏的百姓——是何等的责备（玛 1:6）！
也可译作“必被列邦所畏”，与外邦蒙召的预言（玛 1:11）相符。
英文原文
14. deceiver--hypocrite. Not poverty, but avarice was the cause of their mean offerings.
male--required by law
(Le 1:3, 10).
great King--
(Ps 48:2; Mt 5:35).
my name . . . dreadful among . . . heathen--Even the heathen dread Me because of My judgments; what a reproach this is to you, My people, who fear Me not
(Mal 1:6)!
Also it may be translated, "shall be feared among," &c. agreeing with the prophecy of the call of the Gentiles
(Mal 1:11).
引言
玛拉基构成了两个时代——旧约与新约——之间的过渡环节，是德尔图良（Tertullian）所谓的“基督教的衣边与边界”；他那预言中突然而恳切的语气或许正源于此。他的名字本身也有些不确定。“玛拉基”更像是职分名而非人名，意为“我的使者”，在玛 3:1 中正是此义。
七十士译本在玛 1:1 支持此说：当译作不是“借玛拉基”，而是“借他使者的手”（参赛该 1:13）。玛拉基是旧约最后一位受默示的使者，宣告新约那位伟大使者的降临。迦勒底意译本错误地将他等同于以斯拉，因为以斯拉从未被称为先知，而称为文士；玛拉基从未称为文士，而称为先知。不过由此可知，一些古代权威并不把玛拉基视为专有名词。然而，参照其他先知卷首标题的类比，一般观点认为玛拉基是专有名词更可取。正如同时代的先知哈该和撒迦利亚在建造圣殿时支持约书亚和所罗巴伯，他在较晚的时期支持祭司以斯拉和省长尼希米。与那位省长一样，他以圣殿已经建成为前提（玛 1:10；3:1-10）。两人同样谴责那些仍未改革的弊端（尼 13:5、15-22、23-30）——祭司的世俗与唯利是图、百姓与外邦人通婚、不纳十一奉献，以及富人对穷人缺乏同情。尼 6:7 暗示尼希米在改革工作中得到先知的支持。因此年代约为公元前 420 年或稍后。
被掳之后的两个时期（哈该和撒迦利亚的时期，以及玛拉基的时期），都各有王室、祭司与先知人物立于神百姓之首。前一时期是建殿时期；后一时期是百姓复兴与建城时期。神百姓的特点在于：复兴之后的第一时期完全献于重建圣殿，政治上的复兴是其次的。与约书亚和所罗巴伯一同定居巴勒斯坦的，仅是五万人的殖民地（拉 2:64）。就连这些人，也在以斯拉以沉默略过的六十年间，与周围的外邦人混杂了（拉 9:6-15；尼 1:3）。因此需要第二次复兴，将民族生活塑造成犹太形态，重建圣律与圣城——这工作由以斯拉和尼希米在玛拉基的协助下，约半世纪内完成，终于公元前五世纪最后十年玛拉基和尼希米相继离世之时。
这时期就是但 9:25 中的“七个七”。之所以被单独放在“七十个七”的开头，是为了标记它与随后没有启示的时期（六十二个七）之间的根本区别；最后的一七则以弥赛亚显现之时，以无与伦比的尊贵独立凸显。因此七十个七始于亚达薛西第七年，即公元前 457 年——那一年允准以斯拉前往耶路撒冷，照着当时从神发出的命令而行。祭司以斯拉履行内在的工作：洁净国民脱离外邦成分、重新引入律法；尼希米则做外在的工作：重建城市、恢复民族政体 [奥伯伦（Auberlen）]。维特林加（Vitringa）将玛拉基预言的年代定为尼希米从波斯第二次归回之时，不晚于公元前 424 年，即亚达薛西去世之年（尼 13:6）。
大约此时，苏格拉底正在败坏的雅典传授那里仅有的一次接近纯洁的道德教训。摩尔（Moore）将本书分为六部分：(1) 控告以色列对神之爱的麻木——这爱使以色列高于以东（玛 1:1-5）。(2) 责备祭司的疏忽与亵渎（玛 1:6-2:9）。(3) 责备杂婚及对犹太妻子的亏负（玛 2:10-16）。(4) 弥赛亚及其先锋的来临（玛 2:17-3:6）。(5) 责备不纳十一奉献（玛 3:7-12）。(6) 敬虔者与不敬虔者在现今与将来审判中的对比，因此劝勉归回律法（玛 3:13-4:6）。
文体生动，但不如一些较早的先知那样宏伟，节奏也不那么明显。
本书的正典地位由新约的引用确立（太 11:10；17:12；可 1:2；9:11、12；路 1:17；罗 9:13）。