MALACHY

I. 11. The superscription.

II. 1^-'. Jahweli's love to Israel. This love proved by the history of His dealings with Israel from the days of their great ancestor Jacob, as contrasted with the history of Jacob's brother Esau and of his descendants.

III. 1^-23. Israel's forgetfulness of Jahweh, — neglect and contempt of His offerings, through illegal proceedings on the part of the priests.

IV. 2"'-i6. Denunciation of divorce and of foreign marriages.

V. 2"-3«. Day of Jahweh (i.e. His coming to judgment) against unbelievers, scoffera, etc., especially with the view of purifying the priests in order that acceptable offerings may be presented unto Him.

VI. 3'-i2. Drought and locusts sent on those who neglected to bring the tithes for the service of the Temple and the support of the priests.

VII. 3"-M [EV 3"-45]. The punishment of the wicked, and the triumph of the righteous, on the day of Jahweh, with a concluding exhortation to obey the Law of Moses, and a promise of the coming of Elijah to lead the people to repentance.

4. Doctrine. — Malaohl, in its doctrinal contents, is in entire harmony with the Prophetic books that preceded it, and adds its testimony to the fact that, while Divine revelation is progressive, and the circumstances of the time add a special character and colour to the different Prophetic books, the fundamental doctrines are the same in all. The keynote of Malachi's message is found in the opening words of 1*. Israel's position as the Chosen People is founded in the electing love of Jahweh. The divorcing of Jewish and the marrying of heathen wives is a crime against the love of Jahweh. Further, Jahweh — as in all the prophets from Amos downwards — is a God of righteousness. He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. The day of Jahweh, on which the wicked are punished and the righteous re-warded, is the same as in Amos and his successors; and the closing words of the prophecy, dealing with this day of Jahweh, connect the OT with the NT, in which the day of the Lord occupies a position of equal im-portance with that assigned to it in the Cr. The special circumstances of the time, which serve so far to determine the date, appear in the importance assigned to ritual, and the severity with which neglect or irregularity in this part of religious observance is treated.

6. Style, — As might be expected, the style and diction of a book belonging to the last half of the 5th cent, are inferior to those of the pre-exilic prophets. The language is mostly plain, homely prose. There are, however, poetic passages, some of considerable merit (cf. 1" 3'^- I™- «»■ "ff- [EV 4iff-]). The most striking feature of the style is the discussion of an important subject by means of question and answer, — a dialectic method which became common afterwards, and which about the same time was well known in Athens through the labours of Socrates. G. G. Cameron.

UALACHT.— 2 Es 1" (AV and RV) for Malachi.

UALCAKE.— 1. One of the heads of the fathers of Ben-jamin, and the son of Shaharaim and Hodesh (1 Ch 8°). 2. In Zeph 1' Malcam. is apparently the name of an idol, and might be rendered literally 'their king,' as in the margin of AV and RV. Quite possibly, how-ever, there is an error in the pointing of the Hebrew word, and it should be rendered Milcom (wh. see), the 'abomination' of the children of Ammon, and identical with Molech (cf. Is 8", Jer 49'-', and 1 K 11«). See also art. Molech. T. A. Moxon.

MALCHUH.— 1. A priest, the father of Pashhur (Jer 211 3S1), same as Malchijah of 1 Ch 9'^, Neh ll". 2. A member of the royal family, to whom belonged the pit-prison into which Jeremiah was let down (Jer 38=).

UALCHIEL. — The eponym of an Asherite family (Gn 46", Nu 26«, 1 Ch 7«). The gentilic name Ualctaielites occurs in Nu 26".

MALLUCH

UALCHIJAH.— 1. A descendant of Gershom (1 Ch 6" [Heb. 25]). 2. A priest, the father of Pashhur (1 Ch 9«, Neh ll'z), same as Malchiah of Jer 21' 38'. 3. Head of the 5th course of priests (1 Ch 24"), perhaps the same as the preceding. 4. 5. 'Two of the sons of Parosh, who had married foreign wives (Ezr 10™ i^*); called in 1 Es 9™ Melchias and Asibias respectively. 6. One of the sons of Harim who had married a foreign wife (Ezr 10"). In Neh 3" he is mentioned as taking part in the repairing of the wall. He is called in 1 Es 9'2 Melchias. 7. Malchijah the son of Rechab repaired the dung-gate (Neh 3"). 8. One of the guild of the goldsmiths who helped to repair the wall (Neh 3"). 9. One of those who stood at Ezra's left hand at the reading of the Law (Neh 8*). 10. One of those who sealed the covenant (Neh 10'), probably the same as No. 2. 11. A priest who took part in the ceremony of dedicating the wall (Neh 12«).

3HAL0HIRAM.— Son of Jeconiah (1 Ch 3").

UALOHI-SHUA.— The third son of Saul (1 S 14»); slain by the Philistines at Mt. Gilboa (1 S 31^ 1 Ch 102).

MALCHUS. — The name of the high priest's servant whose ear Peter cut off in the Garden of Gethsemane at the arrest of our Lord. St. John is the only EvangeUst who mentions his name (Jn 18'»), thereby substantiating the fact that he was intimately acquainted with the high priest and his household (Jn 18"). The Incident is related in the other three Gospels (Mt 26", Mk li", Lk 225"). On a comparison of the four accounts, it seems that Malchus pressed forward eagerly to seize Jesus, whereupon Peter struck at him with his sword. The blow, missing its main object, almost severed the ear, but not quite, as Jesus touched it and healed it.

Luke, the physician, is the only Evangelist who mentions the healing of the ear.

MoHLEY Stevenson.

UALICE.—

1. (i) OT.— AH in Pr.-Bk. version: Ps 94a ngiso and 10" (adj.) 59s (adj.) and 55' (adv.).

(ii.) Apocr.— AU in AV: Wis 12'0- 2» 16'« (and RVm), * Sir 27'° and 28', * 1 Mac 9" and 13«, 2 Mao 4".

(iii) NT.— In RV: 1 Co 5' 142", Eph 4", Col 3', Tit 3», Ja 1" mg.. 1 P 2' (AV and RVm); 'maliciousness' Ro 1», 1 P2'« (AV and RVm 'malice'); 'malicious' * 3 Jn '" AV.

2. Discussion is needless as to (i.), for the Heb. is clear. (See RV.) All the other instances, however, except those marked * represent a Gr. word (.kakia) which has a much wider meaning than 'malice' as now used. It may be 'wickedness,' as Ac 822, Ja 12'; or 'evil' = ' trouble,' Mt 6".

3. Thepoint isimportant, because' malice' hasacquired its exclusive meaning 'spitefulness' only since the 17th century. It indicated evil of any sort (cf. Pr.-Bk. as cited above, and tor some striking examples see art. in Hastings' DB). This change accounts for RV renderings of Apocr., and would perhaps have justified further emendation of AV.

<4. The modern usage is a return to the classical malitia. Its relation to kakia was discussed by Cicero, who coined vitiositas as the nearest rendering; for where-as 'malice' indicated a particular fault, 'vitiosity' stood for all [Tusc. Disp. iv. 34).

H. F. B. COMPSTON.

MALLOTHI.— A son of Heman (1 Ch 25<- 2').

MALLOWS (mallUach, connected with mdach'salt'), Job 30*, RV salt-wort. — Almost certainly the sea orache {Atriplex halimus), a perennial shrub with leaves somewhat like the olive, common in saltish marshes, especially near the Dead Sea, where it is associated with the retem (see Juniper). The sour- tasting leaves can be eaten, but only in dire necessity. E. W. G. Mastekman.

MALLTTOH. — 1. A Merarite, ancestor of Ethan

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