3:2
This verse contains two more rhetorical questions (in 3:2a and 3:2b). They are parallel to each other:
2a But who can endure the day of His coming,
2b And who can stand when He appears ?
The LORD used these rhetorical questions to remind the people about something they all knew was true:
(a) No one would be able to face the one whom he would send to judge them.
(b) They would not be able to defend themselves before this judge.
Use the appropriate grammatical form in your language to show this in each of these verse parts.
3:2a
But: The word But in the Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew conjunction w-. Here it indicates a contrast between 3:1 and 3:2. The actual coming of the LORD would not be like the people expected or desired. Express the contrast in a natural way in your language.
His coming: The words His in 3:2a and “He” in 3:2b refer to the Lord (Jesus Christ—the Messiah) spoken of in 3:1b. See also the note in 3:1d.
3:2b
And who can stand: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as can stand means almost the same as the verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as “endure” in 3:2a. The idea is that no one will succeed in defending himself before the LORD when he comes to judge. In some languages it may be helpful to make that idea explicit. For example:
Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Who will be able to survive when he appears? (Good News Translation)
3:2c
a refiner’s fire: The word refiner refers to a person who purified metal by heating it until it was red hot. The very hot fire burned away all the impurities which were in the metal until only the pure metal remained.
3:2d
like a launderer’s soap: The word launderer’s refers to a person who washed/laundered clothes. He used a very strong soap to remove dirt and stains from cloth.
General Comments on 3:2c–d
The point of similarity in both metaphors is the same. In the first metaphor, the Lord will purify the people, just as a refiner’s fire refines/purifies metal and destroys the impurities in it. In the second metaphor, he will cleanse his people, just as the launderer’s strong soap cleans the dirt from dirty clothes.
Good News Translation changes the order of 3:2c and 3:2d, possibly because 3:3 continues the illustration of refining metal.
2d He will be like strong soap, 2c like a fire that refines metal.
You should use the order that is most natural in your language.
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