inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Cor. 9:11)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form, only referring to Paul and Barnabas.

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 9:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 9:11:

  • Uma: “We(excl.) are the ones who distributed soul food to you, relatives. So if for example you give us (excl.) body food, is that too much salary for us (excl.)?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (excl.) here have preached to you the message of God. Like those people who plant, we (excl.) have like planted the message of God in your thinking. Therefore it is right for you to give-us-our-(excl.)-expenses.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in the same way also, the thing we planted there to you, it has value forever. And is it not possible that we should expect something from you to live on which only has value here on the earth?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore we (excl.) also who planted spiritual seed in your location, is it perhaps excessive if we (excl.) harvest from you our (excl.) living?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, as for us (excl.), it’s like we planted among you far-from-ordinary seed, that being what led you to trust and believe/obey Cristo. Therefore is it not possible/acceptable that we be given a share in the like harvest of that hard-labor of ours in that you just take care of us with respect to our daily needs?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the word of God we spoke there where you live, it is like we planted a field with that word. And now, do you want to hold back from helping us in what we need?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Spirit (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

See also Holy Spirit

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 9:11

At this point in Paul’s argument, we probably means not only Paul and Barnabas, as in verse 6, but the apostles or evangelists generally. In any case, Paul is excluding his readers.

This rhetorical question may be restructured as follows: “We have sown spiritual seed among you, therefore it is not too much to expect that we should harvest material benefits from you.” The spiritual good, literally “spiritual things,” is essentially the Christian message. The phrase sown spiritual good among you may also be rendered as “sown good things in your hearts,” “sown spiritual things in your hearts,” or even “sown things from God’s Spirit in your hearts.”

The phrase is it too much may be translated as “is it unfair to” or “is it an unfair thing to.”

The material benefits, literally “the fleshly things,” are material support for evangelists and their families, as verses 4-7 make clear. Verse 11 slightly changes the agricultural image of verse 10. In some languages and cultures it may be preferable to use nonfigurative expressions, where reap, “harvest,” or similar metaphors would not be naturally used in this way. One may say “If we have placed spiritual things in your hearts, is it too much to expect you to give us material benefits in return?” or “If we have placed things from God’s Spirit in your hearts, is it unfair for us to expect that you give us material benefits in return?”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .