Henceforth we deem the arrogant blessed: The same people are speaking as in verse 14. The word translated Henceforth shows the link between the two verses: on the basis of their disappointment after following the LORD outwardly, the people are now moving toward open rejection of him, and saying he is not concerned about ethical conduct. Good News Translation has lost the logical link between the verses, and “As we see it” is not an adequate rendering. The simplest links are provided in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh with “And so,” and New Living Translation with “From now on.” Other options are “Now we have reached the point when” (Jerusalem Bible) and “Now we assert that” (Bible en français courant). The pronoun we is emphatic in Hebrew, and is inclusive since the speakers are talking to one another.

We deem the arrogant blessed sounds old-fashioned and rather unnatural, and New Revised Standard Version puts it in modern words as “we count the arrogant happy.” However, the focus should be on the arrogant, and Good News Translation catches this well with “… proud people are the ones who are happy.” Moffatt keeps the right focus too with “It is the worldly … who are well off.” People who are arrogant or “proud” are those who put their own interests above those of the LORD or of others. For a similar view of the success of such people, compare Psa 73.3-12. Blessed represents the same Hebrew root as in verse 12, and there may be an intended contrast with what is said there. In this context blessed probably carries a sense that is more secular than religious, so that words like “happy” (Good News Translation and many other English versions) or “fortunate” are in order.

The speakers make two further statements to support this opinion. In Hebrew they are linked because each begins with the same particle. In languages like English which have no exact equivalent, the parallel could be indicated by saying “both … and…” or “not only … but also…” (compare Good News Translation).

Evildoers not only prosper: The word evildoers translates an expression in Hebrew in which the verb form indicates regular, habitual action. The people referred to as evildoers are the same as the arrogant in the previous clause. Prosper translates a verb that literally means “are built up” (compare Jer 12.16; 31.4). In some languages it may be possible to keep this metaphor. In others it may be more natural to say “become rich” (compare New Living Translation); for example, “Evil people [or, Everyone who does wrong] not only become rich, but also….”

But when they put God to the test they escape: This refers to testing God in a wrong way, and forms a contrast with the testing mentioned in verse 10. See the notes there. Other ways of expressing this are “but they test God’s patience with their evil deeds” (Good News Translation; similarly Jerusalem Bible), “even those who challenge God” (New International Version; similarly Beck, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 2. Edition), and “they provoke God” (Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). They escape represents a verb used of soldiers fleeing in war (for instance in 1 Sam 30.17), but here referring to escaping punishment (compare Amos 9.1). Other ways of saying this are “they … get away with it” (Contemporary English Version; similarly Beck), “they … come to no harm” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), “they don’t have to pay for it” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 2. Edition), and “they stay unpunished” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Malachi. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .