4:6a
And: The word And in the Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew conjunction w-. Here it introduces what the person who will be like Elijah will do when he comes. Many English versions omit the word. Use what is natural in your language here.
he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children: This means that the one who will be like Elijah will help fathers reconcile with their children. Fathers will have feelings of love for their children again.
4:6b
and the hearts of the children to their fathers: This clause repeats the main idea of 4:6a from the children’s point of view. Some of the information is implied. The full idea is: “and ⌊he will turn⌋ the hearts of children to their fathers ⌊also ⌋. ” In some languages it may be necessary to repeat the implied information here. For example:
He will help fathers reconcile with their children, and ⌊he will also help⌋ children reconcile with their fathers.
4:6c
Otherwise: The Hebrew conjunction which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Otherwise introduces a warning. Here are some other ways to express this in English:
lest I come and smite the land with a curse. (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment. (NET Bible)
-or-
If not, I will come and reclaim my land by destroying you. (God’s Word)
Use a natural way to express the warning in your language.
strike the land with a curse: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as curse refers to the most severe type of curse among the Hebrews. This is a different Hebrew word than the one that was used in 2:2 and 3:9. This word means that the person or thing which is cursed must be totally destroyed. In this verse, the LORD indicated that if people did not change as described in 4:6a–b, he would totally destroy the land of Israel.
In some languages this meaning must be made explicit. For example:
otherwise I would have to come and destroy your country. (Good News Translation)
strike: The Hebrew word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as strike can be translated as “smite,” “destroy,” or “punish.”
the land: This refers to the land of Israel.