Malachi 1:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, it is evident that the possessions of those consumed by fleshly and worldly desires will inevitably be brought to ruin; for Edom translates to “earthly.” God dismantles such a foundation. Whatever is achieved in this life lacks stability and permanence; fleeting prosperity vanishes and shifts like a shadow, as one either faces death or is overtaken by sudden disaster. If any of the spiritually inclined Edomites seek to amass wealth through unjust means or bask in high status, they will encounter opposition from the Almighty. This is echoed in the words of the Apostle: “If anyone wants to be a friend of the world, he makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Indeed, God will not let those who cling to worldly desires go unpunished, nor will His resistance against them wane, for He consistently opposes the transgressor and rejects the sinful.

Was not Esau a brother to Jacob, declares the Lord; but I loved Jacob and rejected Esau, turning his territories into a wasteland and his inheritance into the habitats of wild beasts. When Edom claims, 'We are ruined; let us return and rebuild what has been destroyed,' the Lord Almighty shall answer: They will rebuild, and I will bring them to ruin, and their borders will be considered the borders of iniquity, and the people against whom the Lord has set His wrath for eternity. Your eyes will see, and you will proclaim, The Lord is exalted beyond the borders of Israel.

Israel, specifically Judah, to whom the word of God and His revelations were frequently given, is tasked with enduring significant trials and tribulations from the Lord, so as to forsake more grievous transgressions and to gain understanding through adversity that would not be realized through blessings. To clarify that His discipline upon His chosen people is just, He proclaims: 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, in the past tense, it implies a cessation of genuine love. In their sinful arrogance, they respond—forgetting His blessings—by asking how He has loved them. In response, the Lord reminds them, setting aside other matters and recalling their return from Babylon: Before you were born, that is before Rebekah gave birth to Esau and Jacob (Gen. 25:23), I loved you in Jacob and harbored animosity towards the Edomites in Esau. The Apostle Paul later expounds on this profound truth in his letter to the Romans, amalgamating testimonies from Genesis and Malachi, stating: But also Rebekah, who bore children through one act with our father Isaac, for when they had not yet been born and had not yet committed any deeds, whether good or bad—so that God’s choice might stand, not based on works, but because of His calling—was told by Him, The older will serve the younger, as it is written, I loved Jacob but hated Esau (Rom. 9:10-14). The phrase, as it is written, pertains to both Genesis and the prophet Malachi.

He indicates: When I loved Jacob before his birth and disliked Esau before he exited his mother’s womb, this affection and disdain extended to their descendants: hatred upon Esau, whose highlands and dwellings I transformed into desolation and places for serpents and wild beasts. If Edom, associated with Esau, were to admit, 'Indeed, we are desolate due to God’s wrath, yet we shall rebuild our cities,' recognize the prophetic utterance of the Lord, When they rebuild, I will bring them to ruin, and their eternal desolation will demonstrate My wrath. Through actions, I have shown disdain towards Esau; however, I will manifest my love for you, Jacob, in this manner. After their devastation and renewal in the wilderness, your eyes will perceive, and you will proclaim, Let the Lord be exalted above the borders of Israel; comparing the trials faced by your brother, you will understand the blessings bestowed upon you.

The Jews wrongly believe that, as prophesied, Edom will represent the Romans, while Israel will stand against them: that following the downfall of the Idumean or Roman power, the world’s authority shall be granted to the Jews. This commentary is an effort to elucidate past events as far as we can comprehend them. Now let us shift to the spiritual interpretation. Israel, representing the individual or mindset that contemplates God, is adored by the Lord and seeks to understand the basis of His love towards them. The Lord clarifies that both Jacob and Esau emerge from the same lineage, indicating that vices and virtues arise from the same source as a result of free will, as one may choose to lean towards either side. However, vices typically arise in youth; maturity is meant to amend and eliminate them. The elder sibling is depicted as wild and savage (hispidus—covered with hair) and fond of hunting in forests, while the younger brother is gentle, unassuming, and leads a modest life. God has placed eternal limits on Edom, associated with the earthly and savage. Therefore, if brazen depravity attempts to restore what God has decreed to be ruined, the Lord proclaims Himself the adversary of that which seeks to be rebuilt through vice.

After the destruction of their enemies, we shall witness the eyes of Israel and all the saints rejoicing, proclaiming, May the Lord be glorified in those who contemplate God. Both love and hatred from God arise from His foresight of what is to come or from the actions taken; for we know that God loves all creations and despises none of His own making (Prem. 11:25), particularly revealing His love for those who oppose vice. Conversely, God detests those who endeavor to reconstruct what He has destroyed. Yet, the expression of God’s hatred is presented in human terms (ἀνθρωποπαθῶς), similar to His expressions of sorrow and wrath, enabling us to avoid the very things God detests, as we understand.