This verse begins a new paragraph within the dispute, as both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation recognize. It is unique in the book of Malachi, in that it is set in a narrative-like framework. The phrase “narrative-like” is deliberate, for this is not ordinary narrative such as occurs in some prophetic books (compare Isa 7.1-2; Jer 28; 36-39; Amos 7.10-14; Zech 7.1-4). Though it begins with a description of the actions of a particular group of people of the prophet’s own time, it quickly moves on to a glimpse of the heavenly court, bringing to mind ideas associated with the last times.
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another: Then normally has a meaning that relates to time, indicating the next event in a sequence, and that is the meaning represented in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions. However, the Septuagint has “These things” instead of “Then,” apparently translating a different Hebrew word. The effect of following the Septuagint (as do Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and surprisingly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) is to make those who feared the LORD refer back to “You” in verse 14, so that the skeptical remarks in verses 14-15 are taken to be what those who feared the LORD said when they spoke with one another. The sense seems to hold together much better if we follow the Hebrew and translate Then …. This establishes the actions of those who feared the LORD as a sharp contrast with the opinions expressed in verses 14-15 by those who had turned away from him. Indeed, such people had been described in verse 5 as those who “do not fear me” (Revised Standard Version), and there is nothing that suggests they had repented, as scholars like Baldwin, Merrill, and Vuilleumier have to suppose. It is altogether simpler and clearer to understand those who feared the LORD to be “the inner circle of the truly godly” (Cashdan). In this context feared may be rendered as “revered” (New Revised Standard Version) or “truly respected” (Contemporary English Version; similarly Beck), so a translation model for the whole clause is “Then those people who truly respected the LORD….”
The Hebrew verb translated spoke is in the same reciprocal form as in verse 13, but here the idea of discussion is expressed in Hebrew in the phrase translated with one another. (Compare similar phrases in Zech 11.9 and 14.13.) For spoke with one another, Contemporary English Version has “started discussing these things.”
The LORD heeded and heard them: The Hebrew verbs translated heeded and heard are often used together, for instance in Job 33.31; Isa 28.23; 42.23; Jer 8.6 and 23.18 (Revised Standard Version using “give heed,” “listen,” “hearken,” “hear,” or “attend”). In some languages it may be more natural to translate with a single verbal phrase, such as “listened attentively” (New American Bible; similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “paid attention,” or “took notice.”
And a book of remembrance was written before him: There is some hint in the word and that it was as a result of the LORD’s attention that the book was written. In some languages this idea is conveyed simply by putting the two statements one after the other. In other languages it may be necessary to make the consequence clear. Among English versions New King James Version does this by saying “So” instead of and; translators might say, for example, “So he had their names written….”
The Hebrew phrase for a book of remembrance occurs only here. In all likelihood, the prophet had in mind the Persian court practice of making records of notable events, such as “the book of memorable deeds” mentioned in Est 6.1. It would be more natural to say “a record book” (New American Bible) or just “a book.” In terms of what we know about the history of books, it would be more accurate to say “a scroll” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Living Translation), but in many languages there will be no suitable term, and “a book” will be the closest available equivalent. The idea of a book containing the names of the faithful is found elsewhere in such places as Exo 32.32-33; Psa 69.28; Dan 12.1; Php 4.3; Rev 17.8; 20.12-15; 21.27.
The verb was written is passive in Hebrew, but in languages that have no passive, it will be necessary to restructure so as to express a subject. Translators should avoid saying that the LORD wrote the book. Since it was written before him, that is, “in his presence” (Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation), it is clear that someone else wrote it. The idea is that the writing took place in the heavenly court, but the writer is not stated. Translators may say “the LORD caused that they write the names of those … in a book” or “the LORD told someone to write…” without giving more detail.
Of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name: The phrase of those probably assumes that the book consisted of a list of “names” (New Living Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The other possibility is that the book recorded the actions of those listed.
Those who feared the LORD is the same phrase as occurred at the beginning of the verse. Here it is paralleled by a second phrase, and thought on his name. The two phrases go together and describe the same group of people. If translators say “revered” or “respected” in the first phrase, they may say in the second “esteem His name” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Standard Bible), “meditate on His name” (New King James Version ), or “loved to think about him” (New Living Translation). As often, the LORD’s name stands for his person, and in many languages it will be rendered as “him.”
It is possible to restructure the verse as follows:
• Then those people who truly respected the LORD and honored his name, started discussing these things. When the LORD heard them, he had their names written [or, caused someone to write their names] as a reminder in his book.
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 .