Malachi 4:6

Translations

Modern

And 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.”

Traditional

And 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.

Literal

And he will turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of sons to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse.”

Latin

Et convertet cor patrum ad filios, et cor filiorum ad patres eorum: ne forte veniam, et percutiam terram anathemate.

Original

Hebrew

English

And 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.”

Notes

Malachi 4:6

he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children: Two key themes in Malachi and the Old Testament prophets are turning hearts and reconciliation. In the Old Testament, turn means repentance and a complete change of loyalties. Turning toward God results in reconciliation between generations (see 2 Corinthians 5:18–20).
strike the land with a curse: The word curse means total destruction (see Deuteronomy 7:26; 1 Samuel 15:18; Zechariah 14:11). The people of Israel who ignored God's prophet would face complete destruction, like the Canaanites who came before them (for example, Joshua 6:17).

Malachi 4:5–6

The second closing message warns that God’s judgment of the wicked is coming. It also promises rescue and restoration for those who live in a right way.
Elijah is a prime example of a prophet who preached repentance, supported by signs and wonders (see Luke 1:17; James 5:17–18). Elijah was a forerunner of the day of the Lord (see Malachi 3:1). The New Testament identifies John the Baptist as the prophet who prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah (see Matthew 11:11–15; Luke 1:17).

Malachi 4:4–6

The book ends with a closing section that points to Moses and Elijah. These two figures are models of faithfulness to the Lord. Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets (see Matthew 17:1–4). They are held up as examples for Malachi’s audience to follow.

In ancient Hebrew practice, these two appeals may have functioned as added closing messages for the scroll that contained the 12 Minor Prophets (the shorter prophetic books). If this is the case, the first closing message (Malachi 4:4) links the scroll to the Law of Moses. The second closing message (Malachi 4:5–6) connects the Minor Prophets to the Major Prophets (the longer books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel).

Theme notes and profiles

Elijah Complete Dedication

Events

Prophecies of Malachic. 442 BC

Related verses

Luke 1:16–17
Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
Isaiah 11:4
…but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.
Hebrews 10:26–31
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
Daniel 9:11
All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You.
Matthew 23:35–38
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
Isaiah 65:15
You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
Deuteronomy 29:19–29
…because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
Luke 1:76
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,
Revelation 22:20–21
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Isaiah 61:2
…to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Zechariah 5:3
Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.

Malachi 4:6

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