Behold
The Hebrew word for "behold" is "הִנֵּה" (hinneh), which serves as an imperative to pay attention or to look. It is often used in Scripture to draw the reader's or listener's attention to something significant or surprising. In this context, it emphasizes the importance and certainty of the prophecy that follows. It is a divine announcement that demands the audience's focus, indicating that what is about to be revealed is of utmost importance.

I will send
The phrase "I will send" comes from the Hebrew "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send or dispatch. This indicates a deliberate action by God, showing His sovereign control over the unfolding of future events. It underscores the intentionality of God's plan and His active role in the redemption narrative. The sending of a prophet is a divine initiative, highlighting God's desire to communicate with His people and prepare them for what is to come.

you
The word "you" refers to the people of Israel, God's chosen nation. It is a personal address, indicating that the message is directed specifically to them. This personal pronoun emphasizes the relational aspect of God's covenant with Israel and His ongoing commitment to guide and instruct them. It also implies a collective responsibility among the people to heed the message and prepare for the coming events.

Elijah the prophet
"Elijah" is a significant figure in the Hebrew Scriptures, known for his zealous defense of the worship of Yahweh against the prophets of Baal. The mention of "Elijah the prophet" here is symbolic, representing a prophetic figure who will come in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is understood in the New Testament as being fulfilled in John the Baptist (Matthew 11:14, Luke 1:17). Elijah's role as a prophet was to call the people back to faithfulness, and his return signifies a similar call to repentance and preparation for the coming of the Lord.

before the coming
The phrase "before the coming" indicates a preparatory period. It suggests that the sending of Elijah is a precursor to a significant event, providing a time for the people to ready themselves. This highlights God's mercy and patience, giving His people an opportunity to repent and align themselves with His will before the arrival of the "great and dreadful day."

of the great and dreadful day
The "great and dreadful day" refers to a time of divine intervention and judgment. The Hebrew words "גָּדוֹל" (gadol) and "נוֹרָא" (nora) convey a sense of awe and fear. This day is both "great" in its significance and "dreadful" in its implications for those who are unprepared. It is a day of reckoning, where God's justice will be fully realized. For the righteous, it is a day of vindication, but for the wicked, it is a day of terror.

of the LORD
The term "LORD" is the English representation of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. It signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal relationship with Israel. The "day of the LORD" is a recurring theme in the prophets, denoting a time when God will decisively act in history to fulfill His purposes. It is a reminder of God's ultimate authority and the fulfillment of His promises.

(5) Elijah.--There is no more reason to suppose that this refers actually to "Elijah" the prophet, and that he is to appear upon earth, than to imagine from Hosea 3:5; Ezekiel 24:23; Ezekiel 37:24; Jeremiah 30:9; that David himself is to come again in the flesh. When John the Baptist answered the question of the deputies of the Sanhedrim, "Art thou Elias?" by "I am not," he simply gave a negative reply to their question, which was formulated on their misapprehension. On the other hand, that John the Baptist is the "messenger" of Malachi 3:1 and the "Elijah" of this verse is shown conclusively (as far as Christians are concerned) by Luke 1:16-17 before his birth, by Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:2-8, Luke 3:2-18, at the commencement of his ministry. Moreover, our Lord Himself assured the people that John was this "messenger" and "Elijah" (Matthew 11:10, seq.; Luke 7:27, seq.), and His disciples that he had appeared, and not been recognised (Matthew 17:11, seq.; Mark 9:1, seq.). Finally, it is a significant fact that these two greatest of Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elias, who are mentioned together in this last prophetic exhortation, are the two who appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, when all that which is contained in the Law and the prophets was about to be fulfilled. . . . Verse 5. - Elijah the prophet. This is not the same personage as the "messenger" in Malachi 3:1; for the latter comes before the first advent of the Lord, the former appears before the day of judgment; one comes to prepare the way of the Lord, and is followed immediately by Messiah's coming to his temple; the other is sent to convert the chosen people, lest the land be smitten with a curse. There seems to be no valid reason for not holding the literal sense of the words, and seeing in them a promise that Elijah the prophet, who was taken alive from the earth, shall at the last day coma again to carry out God's wise purposes. That this was the view adopted by the Jews in all ages we see by the version of the LXX., who have here, "Elijah the Tishbite;" by the allusion in Ecclus. 48:10; and by the question of our Lard's disciples in Matthew 17:10, "Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come." Christ himself confirms this opinion by answering, "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things." lie cannot be referring here to John the Baptist, because he uses the future tense; and when he goes on to say that "Elias is come already," he is referring to what was past, and he himself explains that he means John, who was announced to come in the spirit and power of Elias (Luke 1:17), but of whom it could not be said that he "restored all things." The same opinion is found in the Revelation (Revelation 11:3, 6), where one of the witnesses is very commonly supposed to be Elijah. It is argued by Keil, Reinke, and others, that, as the promise of King David in such passages as Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:24; Hosea 3:5, etc., cannot imply the resurrection of David and his return to earth, so we cannot think of an actual reappearance of Elijah himself, but only of the coming of some prophet with his spirit and power. But, as Knabenbauer points out, for the attribution of the name David to Messiah, long and careful preparation had been made; e.g. by his being called "the rod of Jesse," the occupant of David's throne, etc.; and all who heard the expression would at once understand the symbolical application, especially as David was known to have died and been buried. But when they found Malachi speaking of the reappearance of "Elijah the prophet," who, as they were well aware, had never died, of whose connection with the coming Messenger they had never heard, they could not avoid the conclusion to which they came, viz. that before the great day of judgment Elias should again visit the earth in person. This prophecy concerns the very last days, and intimates that before the final consummation, when iniquity shall abound, God will send this great and faithful preacher of repentance, whose mission shall have such effects that the purpose of God for the salvation of Israel shall be accomplished. We may therefore assume that in the gospel the appellation "Elias" stands both for John and for Elijah himself; for the messenger who prepared the way for Christ's first advent, and for the prophet who was to convert the Israelites before the judgment day; for him who came in spirit and power, and him who shall come in bodily presence. The great and dreadful day. The day of final judgment. No other crisis could be named in such terms (see Joel 2:31, whence the words are taken).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Behold,
הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I
אָֽנֹכִי֙ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

will send
שֹׁלֵ֣חַ (šō·lê·aḥ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

you
לָכֶ֔ם (lā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

Elijah
אֵלִיָּ֣ה (’ê·lî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 452: Elijah -- 'Yah is God', a well-known prophet of Israel, also three other Israelites

the prophet
הַנָּבִ֑יא (han·nā·ḇî)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

before
לִפְנֵ֗י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

the coming
בּ֚וֹא (bō·w)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

of the great
הַגָּד֖וֹל (hag·gā·ḏō·wl)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

and dreadful
וְהַנּוֹרָֽא׃ (wə·han·nō·w·rā)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

Day
י֣וֹם (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of the LORD.
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Malachi 4:5 Behold I will send you Elijah (Malachi Mal Ml)