Preparing the Way

Ecce ego mitto angelum meum et praeparabit viam ante faciam meam: et statim veniet ad templum suum dominator quem vos quaeritis, et angelus testamenti quem vos vultis. LXX: Ecce ego mittam angelum meum, et praeparabit viam ante faciem meam: et subito veniet ad templum suum Dominus quem vos quaeritis, et angelus justitiae quem vos vultis.   Hoc interpretatus est Dominus in Evangelio de Joanne Baptisa, dicens: Iste est de quo scriptum: Ecce ego mittam angelum meum ante faciem tuam, et praeparabit viam tuam coram me; nec eisdem usus est verbis, quae LXX interpretes transtulerunt. Marcus quoque evangelista duo testimonia Malachiae et Isaiae sub unius prophetae sermone contexens ita exorsus est: Initium Evangelii Jesu Christi, sicut scriptum est in Isaia propheta: Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuum, qui praeparabit viam tuam. Hoc licet verbis aliis in Malachia legimus. Quod autem sequitur: Vox clamantis in deserto, parate viam Domini, rectas facite semitas ejus, ab Isaia propheta dicitur: statimque utrumque testimonium de quo dicatur, exponens: Fuit, inquit, Joannes in deserto, baptizans, et praedicans baptismum poenitentiae, in remissionem peccatorum. Sed et evangelistae vaticinium prophetarum super Joanne interpretati sunt cumque in sensu consentiant, in verbis discrepant. Pro eo enim quod LXX transtulerunt: Rectas facite semitas Dei nostri, Marcus Lucasque dixerunt: Rectas facite semitas ejus. Joannes autem: Dirigite, ait, viam Domini. Ex quo perspicuum est, apostolos, et evangelistas, et ipsum Dominum Salvatorem non LXX interpretum auctoritatem sequi, qua Hebraeae linguae habentes scientiam, non indigent; sed ex Hebraeo transferre quod legerint: non curantes de syllabis punctisque verborum; dummodo sententiarum veritas transferratur. Quod quidem et in pluribus locis eos fecisse docuimus, et maxime in eo libro qui a nobis inscriptus est, de optimo genere interpretandi, multis simul testimoniis approbatum est. Hoc ergo quod dicitur: Ecce ego mitto angelum meum et praeparabit viam ante faciem meam, ex persona Christi dicitur, quod Joannem miserit in deserto Judaeae praedicare bapistmum poenitentiae, in remissionem peccatorum. Quod autem sequitur: Et statim veniet ad templum suum dominator quem vos quaeritis, et angelus testamenti quem vos vultis, ita de se quasi de altero loquitur, juxta consuetudinem Scripturarum. Nullisque dubium est quin Dominator iste salvator sit, qui Creator est ominum, et angelus testamenti, et magni consilii Angelus appellatur. Alii vero hoc quod dicitur: Ecce ego mitto angelum meum et praeparabit viam ante faciem meam , ex persona Patris dictum putant: et quod sequitur: Statim veniet ad templum suum dominator quem vos quaeritis, et angelus testamenti quem vos vultis, de Domnio Salvatore ab eo dictum intelligunt. Praeparat autem viam Joannes, et rectas facit semitas Dei nostri in cordibus credentium, in quibus propter pravitatem, et incredulitatem, prius Deus ambulare non poterat. Templum autem vel Ecclesiam interpretantur, vel unumquemque credentium in Ecclesia: Aedificamini domos spirituales, sacerdotium sanctum: offerentes spirituales victimas, et acceptabiles Deo per Christum Jesum. Eos vero qui crediderint: Nescitis quod templum Dei estis, et spiritus Dei habitat in vobis? Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarium In Malachiam Prophetam

Behold I send my angel and he shall prepare the way before my face. And suddenly he shall come to his temple, the ruler whom you seek and the angel of the testament for whom you long. The Septuagint has: Behold, I shall sent my angel and he shall prepare my way before my face, and suddenly the Lord shall come to his temple, he whom you seek, and the angel of righteousness for whom you long. 1 This has been understood as the Lord in the Gospel saying of John the Baptist, 'This is he of whom it is written, Behold I shall send my angel before your face, and he shall prepare your way before me.' 2 But the same words are not used by the Septuagint translators. Also Mark the Evangelist combines two testimonies of Malachi and Isaiah within one prophetic speech, beginning: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in the Prophet Isaiah, Behold I sent my angel before your face, who shall prepare your way. 3 And this we read in somewhat different words in Malachi. And then follows: 'A voice crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make right his paths.' 4 which is spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, and once both testimonies have been given, he expounds them: 'John was in the desert, baptizing and preaching the baptism of penance for forgiveness of sins.' 5 But even the Evangelists understand the prophecy of the Prophets about John in a harmonious sense, though in different words. For what the Septuagint translates as: 'Make straight the paths of our God,' Mark and Luke have as: 'Make right His paths.' And John says, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.' From which it is easy to see that the Apostles and the Evangelists and the Lord Saviour Himself did not follow the authority of the Septuagint since they did not lack the knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, but from the Hebrew they translated what they read, not caring about the syllables and punctuation of words, but translating the meaning of truth. For certainly in many places we have taught this, and greatly in that book which by us was written concerning the best method of translation, confirmed with many testimonies. Thus when it is said, 'Behold I send my angel and he shall prepare a way before my face,' it is the person of Christ speaking, that He sent John into the Judean desert to preach baptism for penance for forgiveness of sins. Then follows, 'And suddenly he shall come to his temple, the ruler whom you seek and the angel of testament for whom you long.' Thus as concerning another He speaks, as is a custom in the Scriptures. And there is no doubt that the ruler is the Saviour who is the creator of everything, and he is named the angel of testament and the angel of great counsel . Others, however, concerning this which is said, 'Behold I send my angel and he shall prepare a way before my face,' think that it is spoken in the person of the Father, and also what follows, 'Suddenly he shall come to his temple, the ruler whom you seek and the angel of testament for whom you long,' they understand as being spoken by Him about the Lord Saviour. John prepares the way and makes straight the paths of our God in the hearts of believers, which on account of depravity and incredulity was not able to walk before God. The temple they would understand as the Church, or any one of the faithful in the Church: 'Build yourselves spiritual houses , a holy place of priests, offering spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ .' 6 And to those who truly believe: 'Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?' 7 Saint Jerome, Commentary on The Prophet Malachi 1 Mal 3.1 2 Mt 11.10 3 Mk 1.2 4 Is 40.3 5 Mk 1.4 6 1 Pet 2.5 7 1 Cor 3.16