SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 2007 – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:5

3:5

Notice that Good News Translation begins this verse with the phrase:

The Lord Almighty says. (Good News Translation)

In the Hebrew text, these words are at the end of 3:5 (as in the Berean Standard Bible). Good News Translation moved these words to the beginning of 3:5 to make it clear that it was the LORD who was speaking here, not Malachi. Consider whether it may be necessary to do the same in your language.

3:5a

Then: The Hebrew conjunction w- is translated by the Berean Standard Bible as Then. Here it introduces a new paragraph. The events which the LORD described in this paragraph would happen before the events of the preceding paragraph or at the same time. You will need to translate the connection in an appropriate way to avoid confusion in your language. English versions translate it with expressions like “then,” “at that time” or “so.” Some versions omit it. Use what would be natural in your language in this context.

I will draw near to you for judgment: That is, I will come to you, in order to judge you. This judgment would be an answer to the accusation of the people in 2:17, “Where is the God of justice?”

3:5b

And I will be a swift witness: Other ways to express this are:

I will quickly condemn. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I will act as a relentless accuser. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

Do not use a term which would imply that the LORD was simply a witness, whose testimony would be compared with that of others.

3:5e

perjurers: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as perjurers means to swear that a false statement is really true.

3:5f–g

defraud: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as defraud in 3:5g applies to the widow and orphan in 3:5f also. The word means “to wrong, cheat, oppress.”

3:5i

In 3:5c–h the LORD gave a list of the categories of people whom he will judge. 3:5i is not simply a continuation of this list; it applies to each of the groups of people listed in 3:5c–h.

do not fear Me: The Hebrew word moraʾ which the Berean Standard Bible translates as fear can also mean “reverence” or “awe.” It is translated in many English versions as “respect.”

3:5j

says the LORD of Hosts: This speech clause occurs many times throughout the text. The repetition emphasizes the fact that this is a direct message from the LORD. See the note on 3:1f. See also note 1 in “Literary structure and recurring features in Malachi” in the Introduction.

Notice that in the Berean Standard Bible this clause occurs after the speech. This is good English style. You should place it wherever is natural in your language.

the LORD of Hosts: This special title for the LORD occurs twenty-four times in Malachi. See the note on 3:1f. See also the discussion of this term in the Key biblical terms in the book of Malachi section of the Introduction.

General Comment on 3:5b–j

As stated above, 3:5i applies to each of the groups of people listed in 3:5c–h. It is not simply another category of people whom the LORD will judge. In some languages it will be clearer if the verse is re-ordered. The Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures re-orders this verse to show this clearly:

5b and I will act as a relentless accuser 5i against those who have no fear of Me: 5c Who practice sorcery, 5d who commit adultery, 5e who swear falsely, 5g who cheat laborers of their hire, 5f and who subvert [the cause of] the widow, orphan, 5h and stranger, 5j said the Lord of Hosts. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

© 2007 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:6

Section 3:6–18

If the people again start to give the LORD what they owe him, he will again bless them

Notice that this section also starts with the “Statement, Question, Response” pattern. However this time the sequence is expanded. The “Statement-Question” part occurs twice before a longer “Response” is given. (Another difference is that the second statement begins with a short question.) The “Statement-Question-Response” pattern marks the beginning of a new section.

3:6 is a transitional verse, as 2:17 was. Again, it is recommended that you take it as the first verse of this new section.

Paragraph 3:6–12

3:6

As this is a new section, it may be helpful in some languages to begin this verse with a speech clause like, “The LORD says.” This will make it clear that the LORD was still speaking, the same as he was doing at the end of the previous section.

3:6a

Because: The Hebrew word ki which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Because introduces the reason for the following statement in 3:6b. Some ways to express the connection in English are:

Since, I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. (NET Bible)
-or-
I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I am the Lord, and I do not change. And so you, the descendants of Jacob, are not yet completely lost. (Good News Translation)

I, the LORD, do not change: The people of Israel had not kept the LORD’s covenant. And in 2:17–3:5, the LORD warned them that he would judge them. So a reader might expect that the LORD would abandon the people of Israel and destroy them completely. But what the LORD said here was contrary to that expectation. He was reminding the people that he never changes, and therefore, in spite of all their unfaithfulness, he would still keep his covenant with them. So this section, 3:6–18, called the people of Israel to repent and begin to follow him again.

3:6b

you descendants of Jacob: This refers to the people of Israel. It may be helpful to your readers to use a footnote to explain that the expression descendants of Jacob here refers to the people of Israel.

Jacob: The name Jacob, rather than “Israel,” is often used in passages which focus on the weakness of the people of Israel. The name Jacob reminds people of a human being with weaknesses and frailty. “Israel” was the name God gave Jacob when he gave him a special position as the ancestor of the people of Israel.

have not been destroyed: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as have not been destroyed has the basic meaning of “bring to an end.” Scholars understand it in different ways in this verse:

(1) It means “have not been destroyed” or “have not ceased to exist.” In this context it implies that God had not destroyed the people of Israel because he never changes. This implies that he will remain faithful to the covenant he made with them. For example:

So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (New International Version)

(2) It means “have not ceased to be sons (descendants) of Jacob.” This interpretation follows the LXX. It probably involves an implied reference to the meaning of the name “Jacob,” that is, “deceiver.” In this context it implies that they have not ceased to be deceivers like their ancestor Jacob. This meaning relates closely to the idea of the following verse. For example:

and you have not ceased to be children of Jacob. (Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:7

3:7a

Yet from the days of your fathers: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the days of your fathers means “ever since the time of your ancestors and continuing to the present time.” It indicates here that their ancestors also in each generation had been disobeying the LORD’s commands.

your fathers: That is, “your ancestors.”

3:7b

you have turned away from My statutes: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as turned away is the same one which was used in 2:8a. It is used as an idiom here. It means “to reject” the statutes of the LORD.

you: In this context, the LORD referred to the people of Israel in each generation who did not obey him. In some languages it may not be natural to address past generations in the same group with the living. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to use a comparison to express the idea. For example:

You, like your ancestors before you, have turned away from my laws. (Good News Translation)

statutes: Hebrew has a number of different words which are used to refer to laws and commandments. Sometimes it is important to distinguish between them, but in this verse, the LORD referred to all the laws which he gave to Moses. You can use your usual term for “law” or “commandments.”

3:7c

and have not kept them: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as have not kept indicates that they did not obey those laws.

3:7d

Return to Me, and I will return to you: The same Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Return is used in both parts of 3:7d. Like the verb in 3:7b, it is used as an idiom. It implies that the relationship between the people and the LORD has been damaged and needs to be repaired. To Return would mean they must do what was necessary to again have a loving relationship with the LORD (that is, to be reconciled).

For the people and the LORD to be reconciled, the word Return has a slightly different meaning in the two contexts. Firstly, the people must repent of their sins and once more obey the LORD’s law. Then the LORD would forgive them and again bless them.

In some languages it may not be possible to use the same verb for the actions of both the people and the LORD. If that is true in your language, you should use the appropriate specific verbs. For example:

Repent and be faithful to me again, and I will be faithful also to ⌊bless⌋ you.

3:7e

says the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f. See also note 1 in “Literary structure and recurring features in Malachi” section of the Introduction.

Notice that in the Berean Standard Bible this clause occurs after the speech. This is good English style. You should place it wherever is natural in your language.

the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f. See also the discussion of this term in the Key biblical terms in the book of Malachi section of the Introduction.

3:7g

How can we return?: This question probably implies that the people did not recognize the ways in which they had stopped obeying the LORD. They were asking him in what way they should return to him; in other words, what things they should repent of and stop doing. For example:

But you ask, “What must we do to turn back to you?” (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:8

3:8

The people have just asked “How can we return?” In 3:8 and the following verses, the LORD begins to answer that question.

3:8a

Will a man rob God?: This is a rhetorical question. The question implies horror that such a thing could happen and yet it was happening. If you do not use rhetorical questions in this way in your language, you could use a statement. Here is one example:

It is wrong for a human being to rob God.

a man: This refers to human beings, not males only.

3:8e

tithes: This refers to the tenth part of all the crops which the people of Israel produced on their farms. According to the laws which the LORD gave to Moses, each person had to give one tenth back to the LORD. This was to supply food for the priests who did not have farms of their own because they were working in the temple. See Leviticus 27:30 and Numbers 18:21–29.

offerings: In this context the Hebrew word tǝruma which the Berean Standard Bible translates as offerings refers to the cereal and/or animal offerings, which also provided food for the priests.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:9

3:9a

You are cursed with a curse: In Hebrew this is a strong statement which would be better translated: “you are greatly cursed” or “you are truly under a curse” in English.

If people are cursed, they suffer under the LORD’s punishment, instead of enjoying his favor. It is the opposite of being blessed. See the note on 1:14a.

In some languages the word for “curse” might convey a wrong meaning if you used it here. If that is true in your language, it may be more accurate if you use the idea that the LORD would judge or punish them. For example:

You are bound for judgement… (NET Bible)

In some languages it may be more natural to express this idea with an intransitive verb or with an active expression. For example:

You are suffering under a curse… (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
You are suffering because I have cursed you…

The LORD was not specific in this verse about the way that he would curse or punish the people. However 3:10–12 implies that their crops were destroyed.

3:9b

you—the whole nation: Scholars differ about whom this expression identifies. There are two options:

(1) It identifies those who are robbing God. For example:

9a A curse is on all of you 9b because the whole nation is cheating me. (Good News Translation)

(2) It identifies those who are under a curse. For example:

You are under a curse—the whole nation of you —because you are robbing me. (New International Version)

Both of these options are true. The whole nation has been robbing God, and the whole nation is under a curse because of that. You should express this idea in the most natural way in your language.

If you must make one of these options explicit, it is recommended that you follow option (1).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:10

3:10a

Bring the full tithe: That is, “bring everything you owe God—the tenth part (tithe) of all that you produce or earn.” See the note on “tithes” in 3:8e.

into the storehouse: That is, into the storerooms in the temple. There was a special place in the temple where the tithes were brought and stored. See Nehemiah 13:12.

3:10b

so that there may be food in My house: This phrase gives the reason for 3:10a. The food probably refers to the tithes which the people gave from their crops. They were stored in rooms in the temple and used as food by the priests.

3:10c

Test Me in this: That is, learn whether I have spoken the truth. The complete sense of this will be understood better from 3:10e.

3:10d

says the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f. In Hebrew this speech clause occurs in the middle of a sentence and thought. In Hebrew this emphasizes that the LORD was the one who was speaking. In some languages it may not be natural to use the speech clause in this position in the sentence. If that is true in your language, it may be best to place the clause at the beginning or end of the sentence.

the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f.

3:10e

open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure: This is the fulfilment of 3:10c. If the people of Israel give the LORD what they owe him (their tithes), he will bless them.

The phrase open the windows of heaven is a figure of speech. It implies falling rain. People can imagine that someone opened a window high above and poured water onto the ground below. Rain is closely associated with blessing in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 11:13–14). Here the figure of speech is that the LORD would send blessings from heaven abundantly like rain would pour from the sky. In other words, it is a promise that the LORD would bless the people abundantly.

In some languages this figure of speech may not be clearly understood. If that is true in your language, there are other options for translation:

• Translate the meaning directly, and use the figure of speech as a simile. For example:

I will bless you abundantly. It will be as though I had opened windows in heaven and poured down blessings.
-or-
I will bless you with blessings as abundant as heavy rain falling from heaven.

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech, but use another way to emphasize the abundance of the LORD’s blessing. For example:

I will bless you so greatly that the blessing cannot be measured.

Use an option which is natural and clear in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 2:14

2:14

you…you…your…you…: The first you in this verse translates a plural form in Hebrew. As in 2:13, this form refers to the people of Israel. However the other forms which the Berean Standard Bible translates as you in 2:14 are singular. They refer to each individual man who had been unfaithful. The Display indicates this by the phrase “each of you” in 2:14b.

2:14a

Why?: That is, why does the LORD not accept our sacrifices?

2:14b

witness: The text does not specify exactly how the LORD was a witness between a person and the wife of his youth. The most likely meaning is that the LORD was a witness to their covenant of marriage. Therefore the LORD was responsible to punish the men who broke their marriage covenants. He punished them by not accepting their offerings.

the wife of your youth: That is, the wife you married when you were young.

2:14c

you have broken faith: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as broken faith is the same one used in 2:10–11. It is the key term in this section. See the note on 2:10c. Husbands were being unfaithful to their wives. In this way, they were not keeping the promises they had made to their wives at their marriage.

2:14d

your companion: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as companion means here “a female companion in marriage.” It is a synonym of “wife.”

2:14e

covenant: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as covenant is the same word used in 2:4b and 2:10d. This word is normally used in the Old Testament to refer to the relationship the LORD established at Sinai between himself and the people of Israel.

Here it refers to marriage and the promises which a man and woman make to be faithful to each other. In many languages it may be appropriate to use a word like “promise” or “vow” here. This may be better than the word used for the covenant between the LORD and the people of Israel.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Malachi 3:12

3:12a

Then: The Hebrew conjunction w- which the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Then probably expresses the result of 3:11. Some ways to say this in English are: “Because of this” or “Therefore.”

all the nations will call you blessed: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as call…blessed comes from a different verb than the word which was translated as “blessing” in 3:10. Here the verb means “to call/consider (someone) happy or blessed.”

In this verse the main point is that other nations would recognize that the people of Israel were fortunate because the LORD had blessed them. For example:

Then all nations will count you happy. (New Revised Standard Version)

Since the LORD was the one who would have made the people happy and fortunate, it may be helpful in some languages to make this explicit. For example:

Everyone of every nation will talk about how I have blessed you… (Contemporary English Version)

3:12b

a land of delight: That is, a place where there are many good things that make people happy.

3:12c

says the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f.