Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the doors: As can be seen from King James Version, the Hebrew is actually expressed as a question, “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought?” It is generally agreed that the question expresses a wish, as in Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and New International Version. The form Oh, that … sounds very old-fashioned, and other versions express the wish in a way more natural in modern English. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “If only you would lock My doors” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), and Good News Translation has “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors” (similarly Contemporary English Version, Beck, New Living Translation). Some versions keep the question form but change the focus of the question. Thus Moffatt has “Will no one close the temple-doors…?” and New Jerusalem Bible has “Why does one of you not close the doors…?” Another approach is shown by New English Bible/Revised English Bible with “Better far that one of you should close the great door altogether…” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). You is plural and refers to the priests. The overall effect of the wish is that the Temple should be closed down completely.

The point of the criticism is that not one among the priests has the spiritual insight to realize that it would be better to stop the ritual of worship altogether than to perform it in the present careless and disrespectful manner.

The Hebrew word translated doors is dual in form, perhaps suggesting that a double door is in view. Because of this we should reject the rendering “the great door” in New English Bible and Revised English Bible. In fact, the very word doors is somewhat misleading in English, because it suggests the entrance to a building. Since sacrifices were not burned inside the Temple building, it is likely that the Hebrew word refers to the gates into one of the courtyards in the Temple compound (see 2 Chr 4.9). If a contrast between “doors” and “gates” exists in their language, translators should choose the term that means “gates.”

That you might not kindle fire upon my altar in vain: To kindle fire was the special task of the priests in burning the sacrifices, but their attitudes were so wrong that this action was in vain. In vain is expressed in Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh as “to no purpose.” There may be a play on words between the Hebrew word chinnam (in vain) and the root ch-n-n translated “be gracious” in verse 9. Good News Translation expresses this whole clause more naturally as “so as to prevent you from lighting useless fires on my altar,” and New International Version has “so that you would not light useless fires on my altar.” However, it is actually the sacrificing of the animals that is useless, so translators may say, for example, “so that you would not light fires to burn useless sacrifices.”

I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts: The first clause here is expressed more naturally in Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version as “I am not pleased with you.” Since this verse begins a new part of the argument, it may be appropriate in some languages to translate the quotation formula says the LORD of hosts at the beginning of the verse (as in Good News Translation). For the translation of this formula, see the comments on verse 8.

I will not accept an offering from your hand: The Hebrew word translated offering can refer in some contexts such as Lev 2.1-3 to a grain offering in particular, but here it clearly has a very general meaning and includes animal sacrifices. From your hand means “from you.” So for the whole clause Good News Translation has “I will not accept the offerings you bring me,” and Contemporary English Version has “I refuse to accept any more of your offerings” (similarly New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

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 .