Malachi 1:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There are those about whom a prophet declared, “Behold, they are a foolish and heartless people: they have eyes and do not see, they have ears and do not hear” (Jeremiah 5:21). Thus, it is essential to emphasize the prophet's call to “Put it on your hearts,” which means to embed the sacred words deep within one’s mind and spirit. As we grasp the significance of the heavenly revelations, we affirm that “I love you, saith the Lord,” recognizing the countless mercies and blessings given to those He cherishes. In doing so, He rightly reproaches them for responding with ungratefulness in return for His goodness; despite being favored with love, they ought to reciprocate with their enthusiasm and commitment to what delights Him. If it is unreasonable to ignore debts owed to fellow beings, how much more should we consider our obligation to God, who generously provides all we need for our well-being? Surely, the wise among us should ponder, “What shall I repay the Lord for all that he has given to me?” (Psalm 115:3).

9:13). Aware that this might perplex those unable to grasp the depth of grace, he posed the question: What shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? (Rom. 9:14). The notion of unrighteousness implies that God, without regard to any merit from good or evil actions, loves one individual while rejecting another. If Paul intended to highlight future actions—the goodness or badness God foresaw in either—he would not have stated “not of works,” but rather “of future actions,” thereby clarifying the matter without leaving room for further inquiry. When he responded: By no means!—meaning let there be no inequity with God—he provided evidence against the idea of divine unrighteousness. For He said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion (Rom. 9:15). Who but a fool could consider God unjust if He punishes the guilty in justice or shows compassion to the undeserving in mercy? He concludes by stating that mercy is not dependent on human desire or effort, but solely on God who shows mercy (Rom. 9:16).

Who would dare to question God when He informed Rebekah, who carried twins conceived by our father Isaac, that the older would serve the younger? For when the children had not yet been born and had performed neither good nor bad actions (to bring about God's purpose in election) (Romans 9:11), He declared that the choice was made by grace, not by any merit; an election where He does not discover individuals worthy of selection but instead makes them so, a choice not based on deeds, but on Him who calls (Rom. 9:12). To support this idea, the blessed Apostle cites the words from a prophet who came long afterward: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau (Malachi 1:2-3). This serves to illustrate that even before their birth, everything was predestined by God's grace. What did God despise in Esau prior to his birth, if not original sin? For He did not love Jacob for his righteousness since he had not yet achieved anything righteous, nor did He reject Esau's nature, which He created as good.

I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau, transforming his land into a wasteland and his inheritance into the homes of wild beasts. When Edom proclaims, ‘We are ruined; let us return to rebuild what has fallen,’ the Lord Almighty responds: They will construct, but I will demolish, and their territories will be known as the borders of wickedness, a people prepared for destruction eternally. Your eyes will see, and you will say, ‘The Lord is exalted over the borders of Israel.’

Israel, referring to Judah, historically addressed with the Word of God and visions from the Lord, is subjected to severe trials and disciplines by God to abandon more egregious sins and to learn through suffering what could not be understood through favor. To show that such punishment is just, the Lord adds: ‘I have loved you.’ Indeed, the Lord instructs those He loves and disciplines every child He receives (Hebrews 12:6). When He states, ‘I have loved,’ implying a past tense, it suggests a denial of true affection. In sinful audacity, they respond—forgetting past mercies—‘In what way have You loved us?’ The Lord replies: ‘Setting aside other matters, including your recent return from Babylon, I will reflect on your origins: even before you were born—specifically, before Rebekah bore Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:23)—I loved you through Jacob, and I bore animosity towards the Edomites through Esau.’

The Apostle Paul, in explaining this scripture and its profound significance to the Romans, intertwines the two accounts from Genesis and the prophecy of Malachi: ‘For Rebekah, having conceived by one act with our father Isaac, while they were yet unborn and had not performed any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to His election might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, was told, “The elder shall serve the younger,” as it stands written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:10–14). The phrase ‘as it is written’ signifies both the book of Genesis and the prophecy of Malachi. The Lord states: ‘Not only did I love Jacob prior to his birth and detest Esau before he exited his mother’s womb, but I also passed this love and hatred onto their descendants: hatred towards Esau, whose lands, including Seir, I converted into a desolate wasteland and turned cities into abodes for serpents and wild creatures. Should Edom contend, ‘Indeed, due to the wrath of God we have faced ruin, but we will restore our cities,’ recognize the prophetic declaration of the Lord: ‘When they construct, I will dismantle, and their everlasting ruin will stand as evidence of My wrath. Thus, through actions I have demonstrated My hatred for Esau, while for you, Jacob, I shall manifest My love accordingly. After their devastation and transformation in the wilderness, your eyes will observe, and you will proclaim, ‘Let the Lord be exalted above the borders of Israel,’ and in comparing the tribulations your brother faced, you will comprehend the blessings God has bestowed upon you.

The Jews misplace their hopes, imagining that in the end times Edom, as foretold, represents the Romans, and Israel represents themselves; thinking that upon the downfall of the Idumean power, i.e., the Roman Empire, dominion will shift to the Jews. This explanation aims to clarify, as much as possible, historical events. Now, let us consider a spiritual interpretation. Israel, referring to the individual or mind that contemplates God, or, more fittingly, the righteousness of God, is cherished by the Lord and seeks to understand the basis of His love. The Lord answers by indicating that Jacob and Esau originate from the same lineage, signifying that both vices and virtues emerge from the same source, influenced by free will as we choose our path. However, vices emerge primarily during childhood, adolescence, and youth; maturing often brings correction and eradication of such faults. The elder brother, described as beast-like and bloodthirsty (Genesis 25:27), finds delight in hunting and the wilderness, while the younger brother is gentle, unpretentious, and leads a humble life at home. God places enduring limits upon Edom, representing the earthly and savage. Therefore, if brazen wickedness attempts to revive what God has desolated, the Lord declares Himself the adversary of that which is restored through vice. Ultimately, as all those hostile to God are brought low, the faithful shall witness and shall cry out, ‘May the Lord be honored among those who contemplate Him.’ God's love and hatred stem from either His foreknowledge of outcomes or from human actions. For we understand that God loves all things and harbors no hatred towards anything He has created (Prem. 11:25), and He especially manifests His love towards those who contend with vice. Conversely, He abhors those who endeavor to reconstruct what He has destroyed. God's hatred is described in human terms, like His sorrow and anger, so that by understanding His disdain for the wicked, we may strive to avoid what He despises.”

"Is not Esau brother to Jacob?" declares the Lord: "I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau." You, who consistently receive nourishment from the teachings of Moses, should understand, the Prophet asserts, that Esau and your ancestor Jacob shared a father, were born from the same womb, and yet, despite this shared origin, did not inspire the same affection in Me. Rather, when the father, adhering to natural order, attempted to grant primacy to Esau, I ordained that Jacob should inherit the birthright instead; for I despised Esau due to his malevolent nature, whereas I revered Jacob as one who cherished righteousness. Furthermore, Esau's descendants, in their envy of their ancestor's disposition, have been overlooked by Me, and as a result, they have found themselves dwelling in desolation. This is what the Prophet conveys in his concluding thoughts: