addressing God

Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.

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Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.

Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”

In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.

Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).

In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

name (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-na (御名) or “name (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 8:41 - 8:42

New Jerusalem Bible begins a new section here, including verses 41-51, and calls it “Supplementary section.” A number of interpreters think that these verses were added to the text after the return from Babylonian exile.

Verses 41-43 present a fifth situation in which someone may turn to God in prayer. In Hebrew it begins with the common conjunction followed by the adverb that denotes the addition of something. Elsewhere this adverb is sometimes translated “also.” Together these two words are rendered Likewise in Revised Standard Version.

A foreigner who is not of thy people Israel: The Hebrew word rendered foreigner is not the word that refers to foreigners living within Israel. The Hebrew noun here refers to someone (a non-Israelite) who lives in another country.

For thy name’s sake: New Revised Standard Version says simply “because of your name,” but this literal translation may be understood in different ways. It may indicate purpose and mean “to honor you” (New American Bible). Or it may indicate the basis for their coming: they come because they have heard of what a great God Yahweh is, that is, “because of your fame” (Revised English Bible).

The first part of verse 42 is a parenthetical comment, and for this reason it is placed within parentheses in some translations (Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Moffatt) and is set off by dashes in other translations (New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Anchor Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The reference to the great name of God is merely a way of talking about his reputation, prestige, or glory among people. Good News Translation speaks of God’s “fame,” while New Century Version refers to his “greatness.”

Mighty hand and outstretched arm are metaphorical phrases referring to God’s power (see Deut 4.34; Psa 136.12). Good News Translation eliminates the metaphors and says simply “the great things you have done for your people.” Moffatt says “thy strength and mighty force.” Compare also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente: “the great things that you have done.”

Because of the parenthetical statement at the beginning of verse 42, radical restructuring of these two verses may be required (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). The following is a possible model:

• People who are not Israelites who live in faraway lands will hear about you and your power and the great things you have done for your people. When such a person comes to worship you and to pray at this Temple….

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .