Malachi 1:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, when God proclaimed His love for them, it wasn’t uncommon for them to recall the calamities of their exile and ask, ‘Why have You shown us love?’ The Almighty wisely bypasses the events in the midst of Israel's history and avoids recounting them; instead, He presents evidence of His love originating from the beginning of their lineage, specifically Jacob, whom He declared His love for, while Esau was rejected, even though nature bound them as brothers. As the Apostle Paul also notes: ‘for the children being not yet conceived, nor having done any good or evil’ (Romans 9:11), Jacob was chosen, from whom the Jewish lineage descends, while Esau was set aside—not due to partiality, for God cannot be unjust, and His judgments are neither flawed nor biased—but because God, in His foreknowledge of their future actions and inclinations, honored the meritorious and sacred. Thus, it is certain that even the blessed Jeremiah was known and sanctified by Him before He formed him in the womb (Jer. 1:5); God recognized the future prophet who would serve by predicting what was to come. Similarly, as the Apostle Paul states, we who are justified by faith are set apart; those whom God the Father foreknew, He also destined to be conformed to the image of His Son—these He called and sanctified (Rom. 8:29-30). Therefore, in terms of foreknowledge, Jacob is favored with love, while Esau is justly abhorred. Thus, He declares, O Israel, ‘I have loved you.’ It is no falsehood when I express this; rather, you shall affirm the truth of this statement by reflecting on the origin of that love. For both were born of Isaac, yet Jacob was virtuous and devoted to God, while Esau was hard-hearted, obstinate, and inclined to defilement. Hence, I favored Jacob—leading to the ruin of Esau's inheritance, while Jacob's legacy, that is, you and the land you possess, I surrounded with My grace. It should be noted that Esau is interpreted as ‘an oak tree,’ symbolizing his hardness and inflexibility, akin to oak trees. For the sake of a single meal, he sold his birthright and was hence named ‘Edom,’ meaning ‘earthy.’ Consequently, the land of Esau's descendants was designated Edom, which the Jews overcame and rendered utterly barren and uninhabitable (Genesis 36:43). What message does this prophecy convey to the Israelites? I believe it implies that Jacob was loved solely because he was a man ‘without deceit, dwelling in tents’ (Gen. 25:27)—whereas Esau was detested for being worldly and ‘profane’ as the blessed Paul states (Heb. 12:16). Hence, it was necessary for the Jews to recognize that they would not have faced ruin and displacement to foreign lands had they emulated Jacob. Yet, since they took on the roles of rivals to Esau and adopted his cruelty, they ultimately fell into the hands of their enemies. Should anyone desire to undertake spiritual contemplation of this teaching, let him note that Jacob translates to ‘a stutterer,’ possibly serving as a representation of every person plagued by sin. In contrast, Esau, as mentioned, signifies ‘oak’ and Edom signifies ‘earthly’—he serves as a representation of those who fixate solely on worldly matters. God loves Jacob the stammerer but despises Esau, who is adamant and cruel, or Edom—those inclined towards earthly pursuits, who foolishly prefer transient and corruptible treasures over the spiritual. Thus, God, who is loving, will dismantle the inheritance of those devoted to earthly life, for such possessions are fragile and lack steadfastness; ultimately, they will crumble, mirroring the comprehensive desolation of the Edomite legacy. Conversely, one who dedicates their life to God will possess unwavering hope and will proclaim to the benevolent Giver of blessings, ‘Into Your hand I commit my spirit’ (Psalms 30:16).

I have cherished you, says the Lord, yet you question, "How have You loved us?" Was not Esau the brother of Jacob? The Lord declares, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau, turning his territories into a wasteland and his heritage into abodes for desert animals." When Edom asserts, "We are devastated; let's return and restore what has been lost," the Almighty Lord replies: They shall construct, and I will lay waste; their land will be regarded as a land of sin, and their people as adversaries whom the Lord has destined for eternal condemnation. Your own eyes will see this, and you will declare, "The Lord reigns above the borders of Israel."

Israel, representing Judah, to whom God's word and vision were often directed, is tasked with enduring the most significant trials and chastisements from the Lord, aimed at leading them away from greater transgressions and educating them through suffering about what they cannot learn from mere kindness. To clarify that His discipline toward His chosen is just, He reassures them: I have loved you. For the Lord instructs those He loves and disciplines every son He welcomes (Hebrews 12:6). By stating I have loved, in the past tense, He does not negate His genuine affection. Yet, in their arrogance, they question—forgetting the many blessings—"What proof is there of Your love?" The Lord replies: Setting aside other matters and your return from Babylon, I will reference your beginnings: before you were born—specifically before Rebekah bore Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:23)—I loved you in Jacob and rejected the Edomites in Esau.

In elucidating this profound teaching, the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, merges the testimonies from Genesis and Malachi: Rebekah bore twins from one union with our father Isaac, and before they had done anything good or evil—so that God's purpose in election may remain steadfast, not based on actions—one was told that the elder would serve the younger. As it is written, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau" (Romans 9:10-14). The phrase "as it is written" pertains to both Genesis and Malachi. He asserts: Not only did I love Jacob before he was born and reject Esau before he was delivered; I also placed My love and My disdain upon their descendants: hatred upon Esau, whose lands of Seir I have turned into a desert and whose cities I have made desolate, homes for serpents and beasts.

If Edom, or Esau, should insist, "Our ruin is due to God's wrath, yet we will rebuild our cities," recognize the prophetic word of the Lord: "When they build, I will destroy, and their everlasting desolation will stand as a testament to My wrath." Thus, through their actions, I have shown disdain for Esau; conversely, My love for you, Jacob, will be demonstrated as follows. After their downfall and during their transformation in the wilderness, your eyes will see, and you will declare, "Let the Lord be exalted above the borders of Israel," and as you compare the adversities your brother faced, you will understand the blessings of God toward you.

The Jewish people deceive themselves with the futile hope that, in the end times, Edom will refer to Rome, while Israel will be theirs; that with the collapse of the Edomite power—i.e., Roman—the dominion of the world will shift to the Jews. This assumption is intended merely to offer clarity regarding past events. Now, let us shift to the spiritual interpretation. Israel, representing the individual or mind that seeks God—or, as I prefer to articulate, the righteousness of God—holds the Lord's favor and yearns to grasp the basis of His love. The Lord responds by acknowledging that both Jacob and Esau, though born of the same lineage, exhibit vices and virtues stemming from the same origin, as free will allows us to choose one path over the other. Initially, moral failings arise in childhood and youth, but maturity serves to correct and eradicate them. The elder brother, portrayed as wild and savage (Genesis 25:27), finds joy in hunting and ties to nature; in contrast, the younger brother is mild, straightforward, and lives a humble life.

God establishes boundaries for Idumea—the realm of the earthly and violent—and this is eternal. Therefore, if brazen evil attempts to revive what has been shattered by divine decree, the Lord declares Himself an opponent of that which is resurrected through moral corruption. Ultimately, when all things are brought down among the adversaries, we will witness the eyes of Israel and all the saints, exclaiming, "May the Lord be praised among those who contemplate God." Thus, the love and hatred of God arise either from His foreknowledge of what is to come or from the actions of individuals; for it is known that God cherishes all creation and does not detest anything He has made (Romans 11:25), especially manifesting His love toward those opposed to vice. Conversely, He rejects those who aspire to reconstruct what He has dismantled. Nevertheless, God's aversion is expressed in human terms (anthropopatheia), as are His mourning, sorrow, and anger; this serves so that, recognizing His disdain for the wicked, we may avoid what He abhors.