Malachi 4:4 - Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Bible Comments

Remember ye the law of Moses, My servant - Galatians 3:24. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” They then who were most faithful to the law, would be most prepared for Christ. But for those of his own day, too, who were negligent both of the ceremonial and moral law, he says “Since the judgment of God will be so fearful, remember now unceasingly and observe the law of God given by Moses.”

Which I commanded - o

Unto him for - (literally upon, incumbent upon) all Israel Not Moses commanded them, but God by His servant Moses; therefore He “would in the day of judgment take strict account of each, whether they had or had not kept them. He would glorify those who obeyed, He would condemn those who disobeyed them.” They had asked, “Where is the God of judgment? What profit, that we have kept the ordinance?” He tells them of the judgment to come, and bids them take heed, that they did indeed keep them, for there was a day of account to be held for all.

The statutes and judgments - Better, “statutes and judgments,” i. e., consisting in them; it seems added as an explanation of the word, law, individualizing them. Duty is fulfilled, not in a general acknowledgment of law, or an arbitrary selection of some favorite commandments, which cost the human will less; as, in our Lord’s time, they minutely observed the law of tithes, but Matthew 23:23 : “omitted weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” It is in obedience to the commandments, one by one, one and all. Moses exhorted to the keeping of the law, under these same words: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Deuteronomy 4:5, Deuteronomy 4:8, Deuteronomy 4:14, “Now, therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and judgments which I teach you, to do them, that ye may live. Ye shall not add unto the word that I command you, neither shall ye diminish it. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me. What nation so great, that hath statutes and judgments, righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? The Lord commanded me at that time, to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land, whither ye go to possess it.”

Malachi 4:4

4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.