Dictionary Definition
Malachi
Noun
1 a Hebrew minor prophet of the 5th century BC
[syn: Malachias]
2 an Old Testament book containing the prophecies
of Malachi [syn: Malachias, Book of
Malachi]
Extensive Definition
He was the last of the minor
prophets, and the writer of the Book of
Malachi, the last book of the
Christian edition Old
Testament canon (Book of
Malachi ), and is the last book of the Neviim (prophets)
section in the Jewish Tanakh. No allusion
is made to him by Ezra, however, and he
does not directly mention the restoration of
the temple. The editors of the 1906 Jewish
Encyclopedia inferred that he prophesied after Haggai and Zechariah
(Bible verse |Malachi|1:10|HE; , ) and speculated that he delivered
his prophecies about 420 BCE, after
the second return of Nehemiah from
Persia (Book of
Nehemiah), or possibly before his return, comparing Bible verse
|Malachi|2:8|HE with Bible verse |Nehemiah|13:15|HE; Bible verse
|Malachi|2:10-16|HE with Bible verse |Nehemiah|13:23|HE).
In Rabbinic Judaism
Malachi is identified with Mordecai by Rav Nachman and with Ezra by Joshua b. Karcha (Meg. 15a). The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel to the words "By the hand of Malachi" (i. 1) gives the gloss "Whose name is called Ezra the scribe." According to Soṭah 48b, when Malachi died the Holy Spirit departed from Israel. According to the tractate] Rosh Hashanah 19b, he was one of the three prophets concerning whom there are certain traditions with regard to the fixing of the Jewish calendar.In Christianity
Early Christian writings
Jerome, in his preface to his commentary on Malachi, mentions that in his day the belief was current that Malachi was identical with Ezra ("Malachi Hebræi Esdram Existimant").He also rejects and attributes to Origen the view that
Malachi was an angel
according to his name,
the name is not a "nomen proprium" and is assumed to be an
abbreviation of ("messenger of Yhwh"), which conforms to the
Μαλαχίας of the Septuagint and the "Malachias" of the Vulgate. The
Septuagint superscription is ὲν χειρὶ ἀγγήλου αὐτοῦ, (by the hand
of his messenger).
References
External links
- Prophet Malachi Orthodox icon and synaxarion
malachi in Spanish: Malaquías
malachi in French: Malachie
malachi in Indonesian: Maleakhi
malachi in Italian: Malachia (profeta)
malachi in Hebrew: מלאכי
malachi in Serbian: Пророк Малахија
malachi in Yiddish: מלאכי