Here Yahweh uses a question to rebuke the people. AT: "You know very well that it is evil for you to offer blind animals for sacrifice!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
Here Yahweh uses a question to rebuke the people. AT: "And you know very well that it is evil for you to offer lame and sick animals!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
The command in the first sentence functions as a hypothetical condition. AT: "If you present that to your governor, will he accept you or will he lift up your face?" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]
Here Yahweh asks this question in order to remind the people that their governor would never accept defective animals from them. AT: "If you do those things, you know that the governor will not accept you. He will not lift up your face." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
Lifting up someone's face refers to accepting him with favor. AT: "will he accept you with favor" or "will he agree to help you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# Now you keep asking the face of God, that he may be gracious to us
Malachi is no longer speaking for God. He is talking directly to the Israelites; he is criticizing them for daring to think that God will have mercy on them.
# keep asking the face of God
Here "face" stands for God and also for his presence. AT: "keep asking God in his presence" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche]])
# with such an offering in your hand, would he lift up any of your faces?
Here Yahweh is asking a question in order to make a statement of rebuke. AT: "if you offer unacceptable offerings, he will certainly not lift up your faces." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
Lifting up someone's face refers to accepting him with favor. AT: "would he accept any of you with favor" or "would he agree to help any of you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])