Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, nakuna-rare-ru (亡くなられる) or “pass away,” ikite-rare-ru (生きておられる) or “living,” s-are-ru (される) or “do/make,” and nak-are-ru (泣かれる) or “cry” are used.

Other uses of honorifics in this verse include:

• The usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by either using -san or –sama with the latter being the more formal title.
• The Hebrew that is translated as “child” or “children” in English as o-ko-sama (お子様), a combination of ko or “child” and the honorific suffix title -sama.
• The choice of a lexical honorific form, i.e., a completely different word with nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do.”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )