Author

Malachi

Written

~435–420 BC

Testament

Old Testament

Chapters

4

Key Theme

God's enduring love and the call to wholehearted faithfulness.

Written For

The post-exilic community of Israel

Introduction of Malachi

Malachi, meaning “my messenger,” closes the Old Testament. Likely written in the mid-5th century BC, a generation or more after the return from exile, the book addresses a community struggling with spiritual apathy and cynicism. Through a series of sharp disputes between God and His people, Malachi confronts half-hearted worship, broken relationships, and lost hope. Yet the book ends with a promise of a coming messenger and the return of the Lord Himself. This final prophetic voice leaves readers poised on the edge of silence, wondering when the promised day would finally arrive.