Malachi

Hill’s Malachi is the definitive encyclopedic commentary on the book. It provides exceptionally full treatment of the Hebrew text and ancient versions, grammar and syntax, disputation form, rhetorical questions, literary structure, Persian-period history, intertextuality, theology, canonical placement and the history of Jewish and Christian interpretation. Hill is particularly insightful in showing how Malachi’s interrogative rhetoric expresses the restoration community’s doubt, cynicism and resistance while structuring the prophet’s covenantal argument. His treatment of Malachi within the wider Haggai–Zechariah–Malachi corpus is also valuable, preserving Malachi’s literary independence while exploring the strong historical, linguistic and theological relationships among the books. The commentary’s immense detail can make it difficult to use quickly, and Hill openly acknowledges that he frequently consolidates established scholarship rather than offering a novel interpretation at every point. Nevertheless, its combination of comprehensiveness, conservative critical judgment, original rhetorical analysis and lasting reference value makes it the technical benchmark on Malachi.

Longman says, “Hill provides an extensive and excellent analysis of the introductory issues connected with this book. His exposition of the book itself is also of high quality.” A unique strength of this work is how it “takes seriously connections with the New Testament,” an uncommon feature in the Anchor series. [Full Review]

Simply unmatched.