For from the rising of the sun to its setting: The conjunction For links this verse closely to verse 10 and has some bearing on the meaning of the verse as a whole; see the discussion at the end of this note below. The expression from the rising of the sun to its setting is found also in Psa 50.1 and 113.3, and is a poetic way of saying “from east to west.” Good News Translation expresses this effectively but not poetically by saying, “from one end of the world to the other” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The same idea is conveyed in somewhat higher level language as “from farthest east to farthest west” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible). The reference is to space, not to time, so that renderings like “from sunrise to sunset” (Moffatt), “from morning till night” (New Living Translation), and “From dawn until dusk” (Contemporary English Version) are not recommended.

My name is great among the nations: The name of the LORD probably stands for his person, as in verse 6, though it is possible that in the present context it may stand for the LORD’s reputation. A similar sentiment was found in verse 5. In some languages it will be more natural to make the sentence active, as Good News Translation has, and say “People … honor me,” or better “people from all the nations honor me” (Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

In every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering: There are some problems of detail in the Hebrew text underlying this clause, but translators can rely on the Revised Standard Version rendering for the sense of the Hebrew. Incense here is the sweet-smelling smoke that comes from special substances when people burn them. To my name means “to me” and may be translated like that. A pure offering is an offering that meets all the requirements of the Law (unlike the offerings mentioned in verses 8 and 13), so it may be translated “acceptable” (Good News Translation) or “proper” (Contemporary English Version). The word translated offering is a very general one including both grain and animal sacrifices. In many languages it may be better style to translate by an active construction and say, “everywhere people [or, ‘they’ if ‘people’ has been used in the previous clause] burn incense to me, and offer me acceptable sacrifices” (compare Good News Translation; similarly Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1. Edition, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

For my name is great among the nations: These words repeat the words that occurred earlier in the verse, and may be translated in the same way. The repetition emphasizes the assertion of God’s greatness, and though Contemporary English Version makes the statement only once, translators should avoid this simplification if possible. If the style of the translator’s language does not encourage exact repetition, then a similar, but not identical expression may be used, as in Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente.

Says the LORD of hosts: See the comments on verse 8. Here the formula probably marks some kind of emphasis, and in many languages this may be best conveyed by some device other than a literal rendering.

The main problem in this verse is not in grasping the meaning of the words themselves, but in knowing what the prophet is referring to. Commentators have put forward several views, but they all have problems, and no view has succeeded in convincing a majority of scholars. The main views are as follows:
(1) The prophet is referring to pagan worship, especially when carried out sincerely by people like the Persian followers of Zoroaster, who recognized a “God of heaven” with some of the characteristics of the God worshiped by the Jews. Those who support this view often quote Acts 10.34-35. The problem with this interpretation is that there is no suggestion anywhere else in the Old Testament that pagan worship is acceptable to the LORD.
(2) The prophet is referring to the Jews in exile. The problem with this view is that they were not yet as widely scattered as the verse suggests, nor is there any evidence that their worship in exile was carried out more reverently than it was in Jerusalem.
(3) The prophet is referring to proselytes, that is, gentiles who had accepted the Jewish faith. The problem with this view is that as far as is known, there were very few of them at this time, and it would be an absurd exaggeration to speak of them as being all over the world.
(4) The prophet is referring to the future, and looking forward to the conversion of gentiles in large numbers. Some see here a prophecy of the conversion of the gentiles to Christianity, and may even think the pure offering is a reference to the Christian Eucharist, the sacrament celebrating the sacrificial death of Jesus (New American Bible footnote). While Christians may see the spread of the gospel foreshadowed in this verse, they can hardly claim that this is what was in the prophet’s mind when he wrote. In fact, despite the rendering “my name shall be great” in King James Version and revisions of it like New American Standard Bible and New King James Version , there is no verb in the Hebrew that should be rendered as a future tense in English, and nothing to suggest that the statement refers to the future. Such a view makes it irrelevant to the context of its original hearers or readers.
(5) There is another possibility, hinted at but not developed by Vuilleumier and mentioned by R. L. Smith. It is that in the context of verses 10 and 12, where the prophet is attacking the priests for their slackness, he is here in verse 11 using gross exaggeration as a sarcastic way of shaming them. Even heathen worship, Malachi claims, is more acceptable than that of the priests of his own day, because it was performed in a reverent, dignified, and conscientious manner! Such mockery would gain in force because Zoroastrian worshipers did indeed avoid the sensual excesses of the people who worshiped Canaanite fertility gods. This interpretation has the advantage of allowing the words used to mean what they appear to mean, without the theological embarrassment of applying them literally.

While it may not be essential for translators to make a decision about what the verse is referring to, the way they express the meaning could well be affected if they accept the idea that the prophet is using the rhetorical device of irony or sarcasm. The fifth view above is the one that creates the least difficulty, and is tentatively recommended in this Handbook. This recommendation is offered only as a possibility because the authors do not feel the evidence is sufficient to make a firm decision about the best interpretation. Translation models on this basis are:

• From one end of the world to the other, people of other nations honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me, and make acceptable offerings. Yes, people of other nations indeed honor me, says the LORD Almighty.

• In fact, people of other nations honor me more than you do! From one end of the world to the other, they burn incense to me and make pure offerings. All over the world my name receives honor, says the LORD Almighty.

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 .