This verse continues with the Response element of the dispute. But whereas verses 2c-3 are a direct quotation of the LORD’s words, embedded into the utterance of the prophet, verse 4 begins with the words of the prophet himself: If Edom says …. The Hebrew here uses Edom instead of Esau, and thus makes it clear that the reference is not to the historical figure, but to the nation descended from him. So Good News Translation has “If Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, say…” and Contemporary English Version has “Esau’s descendants may say….” We may assume that they are addressing the LORD, since it is the LORD who replies in the second half of the verse.
We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins: We here is exclusive and stands for the cities of Edom. This is brought out in Good News Translation “Our towns have been destroyed…” (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). In some languages it will be necessary to use the active and say, “Our enemies have destroyed our towns….” We will rebuild or “… build … again” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) is the rendering in all available modern versions. The Hebrew is literally “we will return and build” (King James Version, Revised Version). The verb “return” is often used in Hebrew in combination with another verb to mean “to do something again,” and that is how most translators have understood it here. However, it is possible that in this case it retains its basic meaning of “return” (as in 3.7), so that the Edomites who had been expelled from their traditional land are claiming that they will return to it and build. It is taken this way in the ancient Greek and Latin versions, and modern translators may accept this possibility if they prefer it.
The LORD of hosts says: The expression the LORD of hosts (New International Version “the LORD Almighty”) is the most common way in which God is referred to in the book of Malachi. Here the Hebrew actually has the expression that is often translated “Thus says the LORD of hosts” (for example, Hag 1.2; Zech 1.3). This expression normally marks the beginning of a new unit or subunit of the discourse (as for instance in Hag 1.2, 7; 2.11; Zech 7.9; 8.2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 19, 20, 23). Revised Standard Version is not justified in dropping the word “thus.” If possible, an expression such as “this is what” should be incorporated here, as it is in New International Version. New International Version offers the best model at this point, with a new paragraph beginning “But this is what the LORD Almighty says.” Good News Translation has shortened the LORD of hosts to “the LORD,” but that is not appropriate at the first occurrence of the expression in the book, and translators should not follow this example.
They may build, but I will tear down: The pronouns They and I are emphatic in Hebrew to show the sharp contrast between what the people of Edom may intend and what the LORD will permit. The expression tear down is common in American English, but is replaced by “break … down” in the Australian edition of Good News Translation. British translations prefer to say “pull down” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible/Revised English Bible). This variation is merely a dialect difference, and no distinction of meaning is intended. A possible model using indirect speech is: “But I, the LORD All-Powerful, promise to tear down whatever they build” (Contemporary English Version).
Till they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the LORD is angry for ever: These two labels for Edom are parallel with each other, and declare that people will recognize that God’s anger has been shown both against the land and against the people of Edom. In many languages they are called will be better expressed as “People will call them,” as in Good News Translation. The phrase the wicked country may sound odd in some languages because land is not capable of moral action. In such situations it may be helpful to restructure it as “the land where evil reigns” (compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), “the land full of sinful people,” or even “the land God has forsaken” (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
Angry presents problems in some languages when used to describe God. The term chosen should indicate justifiable indignation against something that is wrong, rather than irritation arising from circumstances. For ever has the sense of “for all time” rather than “for eternity.”
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 .