3:7a

Yet from the days of your fathers: The Hebrew expression which the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the days of your fathers means “ever since the time of your ancestors and continuing to the present time.” It indicates here that their ancestors also in each generation had been disobeying the LORD’s commands.

your fathers: That is, “your ancestors.”

3:7b

you have turned away from My statutes: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as turned away is the same one which was used in 2:8a. It is used as an idiom here. It means “to reject” the statutes of the LORD.

you: In this context, the LORD referred to the people of Israel in each generation who did not obey him. In some languages it may not be natural to address past generations in the same group with the living. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to use a comparison to express the idea. For example:

You, like your ancestors before you, have turned away from my laws. (Good News Translation)

statutes: Hebrew has a number of different words which are used to refer to laws and commandments. Sometimes it is important to distinguish between them, but in this verse, the LORD referred to all the laws which he gave to Moses. You can use your usual term for “law” or “commandments.”

3:7c

and have not kept them: The Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as have not kept indicates that they did not obey those laws.

3:7d

Return to Me, and I will return to you: The same Hebrew verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Return is used in both parts of 3:7d. Like the verb in 3:7b, it is used as an idiom. It implies that the relationship between the people and the LORD has been damaged and needs to be repaired. To Return would mean they must do what was necessary to again have a loving relationship with the LORD (that is, to be reconciled).

For the people and the LORD to be reconciled, the word Return has a slightly different meaning in the two contexts. Firstly, the people must repent of their sins and once more obey the LORD’s law. Then the LORD would forgive them and again bless them.

In some languages it may not be possible to use the same verb for the actions of both the people and the LORD. If that is true in your language, you should use the appropriate specific verbs. For example:

Repent and be faithful to me again, and I will be faithful also to ⌊bless⌋ you.

3:7e

says the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f. See also note 1 in “Literary structure and recurring features in Malachi” section of the Introduction.

Notice that in the Berean Standard Bible this clause occurs after the speech. This is good English style. You should place it wherever is natural in your language.

the LORD of Hosts: See the note on 3:1f. See also the discussion of this term in the Key biblical terms in the book of Malachi section of the Introduction.

3:7g

How can we return?: This question probably implies that the people did not recognize the ways in which they had stopped obeying the LORD. They were asking him in what way they should return to him; in other words, what things they should repent of and stop doing. For example:

But you ask, “What must we do to turn back to you?” (Good News Translation)

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