Malachi (International Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament | IECOT)

This commentary proceeds by first offering a synchronic view of the canonical final text of Malachi, especially the argumentation in the disputation speeches. Then the history of the text’s origins is reconstructed, revealing an originally independent collection of disputation speeches. The additions provide some precision, introduce motifs from other writings, or accommodate the text to changing historical frameworks. In a third move the reader’s view is directed beyond the Malachi document itself: as the last writing in the Book of the Twelve Prophets, Malachi refers back to other prophetic writings. The New Testament in turn adopts sayings from Malachi and develops them further. Finally, Schart investigates the theological relevance of the book.

The International Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament (IECOT) is designed to offer an international, ecumenical and contemporary interpretation of the Old Testament (including deutero-canonical books) to a broad audience of scholars, laypeople, and pastors.

IECOT is international: it has editorial board members and authors from North America, Europe and Israel and all volumes will appear in both English and German.

IECOT is ecumenical in bringing scholars of diverse Christian and Jewish perspectives into collaboration. Moreover, the series covers all of the books of the Hebrew and Greek Old Testament canons, including the Deutero-Canonical books of many Christian confessions.

A main way that IECOT is contemporary is in the way it brings together two, often opposed perspectives, perspectives often described as “synchronic” and “diachronic.” By “synchronic” is understood a focus on a text at one particular stage of its formation (especially its final stage). By “diachronic” is meant the study of a text=s growth over time through incorporation of earlier traditions, sources, etc. In addition, IECOT volumes include other contemporary perspectives such as gender-criticism, social history, and reception history.