Your words have been stout against me, says the LORD: These words form the Assertion element of the dispute. Once again the Revised Standard Version punctuation is confusing, with double quotation marks covering the whole of 3.13-15 including quotation formulas. New Revised Standard Version has dropped these outer double quotation marks, and puts only the quoted words of the objectors into direct speech with quotation marks. New Revised Standard Version is a better example for translators to follow.

Your words have been stout against me sounds quite odd and old-fashioned. The Hebrew expression carries a sense of vehement insistence (compare 2 Sam 24.4 and 1 Chr 21.4, where Revised Standard Version has “[the king’s] word prevailed against”). Beck catches this well with “You stubbornly oppose Me in what you say,” and New American Standard Bible is also striking with “Your words have been arrogant against Me.” Other terms used for stout are “hard” (Moffatt, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “harsh” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New King James Version ), and “terrible” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation). Bible en français courant has “You speak insolent words against me.” For translators who find it easier to use a verbal expression, New American Bible “You have defied me in word” may offer a model.

Translators should note that here says the LORD is the shorter quotation formula, without the usual “of hosts.” As in previous disputes, it may be helpful in some languages to move these words to the beginning of the verse to identify the speaker immediately.

Yet you say, ‘How have we spoken against thee?’: These words constitute the Objection element of the dispute. As before, it may be helpful to translate say as “ask” since what follows is a question. The Hebrew form of the verb translated have we spoken indicates reciprocal speech, that is, discussion among a group. This is hard to capture in English, but New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has tried to do so with “What have we been saying among ourselves against You?” (similarly Bible en français courant). In some languages it may be possible to express this more neatly by the use of an appropriate tense, particle, or verb form. For instance, Bible de Jérusalem has used a reflexive form of the verb in French. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has tried to express the same sense by the verb it has chosen: “What words have we exchanged against you?” The same Hebrew verb in the same reciprocal form occurs again in verse 16 (compare Psa 119.23; Ezek 33.30).

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 .