NOTES for Mal 2:13-17

Continuing to speak of the perfidy that permeated the entire life of the chosen people, the prophet Malachi touches upon family relations and, inspired by God, once again goes against the notions of his time. Of course, the legislation dating back to Moses permitted divorce, but there is a difference between what is permitted and what is generally accepted, between what is considered permissible and what is considered normal. As in modern society, in Israel during the time of the prophet Malachi, people saw nothing wrong with divorce, and even the opposite; the only difference is that women in those times were not considered human beings and possessed no civil rights. Therefore, most of them were completely dependent on their husbands. But the bonds of marriage at that time began to be considered something optional; many did not even consider it necessary to get a divorce and committed adultery, as they say, “while their wife was still alive.” Roughly during this era, Ezra, who came from Babylon, demanded that the Israelites leave their foreign wives, and this was met with only some chagrin. They felt sorry for them — essentially, not bad women. To dispute divorce itself, as well as Ezra's right to interfere in family life, did not even cross anyone's mind.

But Malachi with all conviction asserts the genuine biblical attitude toward marriage and says that the sacrifices of the Israelites are unpleasing to God, since the altar is abundantly watered with the tears of suffering women — those very women whose love and trust no one even considers a sin to betray! And the prophet says that God is a witness between a husband and wife, and marriage, therefore, is an important component of a person's spiritual and religious life, and not just of their carnal and social life. And the betrayal of marriage, the breaking of fidelity, is a betrayal before God.

The Israelites, in response to this, referred to the example of the patriarchs, in particular to Abraham, who fathered Ishmael by Hagar while Sarah was still alive. The prophet rejects this attempt to justify sin with such an example: Abraham, he says, sought “a godly seed,” and not to cheat on his wife. Furthermore, and this is very important, the prophet does not at all approve of Abraham's action itself. On the contrary, immediately following this, he urges one to “take heed to your spirit” and not do such things. Malachi does not speak out against divorce, but allows one to dismiss a wife, so to speak, in the most extreme case: if you hate her. But from his point of view, this is nevertheless a sin — an offense inflicted upon the woman, and the guilt for this sin remains upon the one divorcing. Thus, the prophet preaches monogamy as the normal, correct arrangement of family life before God; its violations are for Malachi a sin in any case.

In the last verse of the chapter, the prophet returns again to what he spoke about at the very beginning of the book. His contemporaries are not at all tormented by the problem of sin and prosperity, righteousness and suffering. Just as in the time of Jeremiah, who also encountered this phenomenon, they say that God looks favorably upon evildoers, and thereby they simultaneously justify both their own sins and their disdain for God. They defiantly do not believe in God's justice and are surprised when the prophet speaks of the Creator's wrath.

Malachi sees and exposes the enormous difference between the bitter bewilderment of the righteous Job and the sayings of the sinful Jews. To make claims against God because He bears long with the misdeeds of the wicked and allows the suffering of the righteous, one must oneself be righteous, like Job. A sinful person is unable to comprehend God's mercy and longsuffering, and has no right to dispute it. Sinful Israel, like any sinful person, should hope in God's mercy, and not make claims. After all, were it not for God's longsuffering, what exactly would happen to the one who, being a sinner, dares to judge instead of God?

This is an exceptionally important position, because it has remained relevant for two and a half thousand years now.