inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Chr 29:9)

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, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.

complete verse (2 Chronicles 29:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 29:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Our forefathers were killed in war, our sons, our daughters and our wives were caught and taken away because of these matters.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Because of that our ancestors were killed by the sword, our sons, daughters and wives have been caught and taken away.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Our ancestors had-died in battle, and our wives and children were-taken-as-captives.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “That is why our fathers have been killed in battles, and our sons and daughters and our wives have been captured and taken to other countries.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 29:9

For lo is literally “And behold.” Lo renders the Hebrew focusing particle. Good News Translation and many other modern versions ignore it, but if the receptor language has an equivalent device to draw attention to what follows, it will be appropriate to use it here.

Our fathers have fallen by the sword: Here the Hebrew word for fathers is taken literally by Good News Translation, but it is more accurately translated “ancestors” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Have fallen by the sword is a way of saying “died in combat” (see the comments on 2 Chr 20.9 and 21.4). An alternative model for this whole clause is “our ancestors died in battle.”

And our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this: In some languages it may be more natural to render our sons and our daughters and our wives as “our wives and children” (Good News Translation). For are in captivity, see the comments on 2 Chr 6.37. This phrase and the previous one may be rendered “our enemies have taken away our wives and children into exile.” The demonstrative pronoun this refers to God’s anger. It was because of God’s anger that the people of Judah died in battle and became exiles in other countries (see 2 Chr 28.5-8 for an example). New International Version and Parole de Vie express for this by beginning this verse with “This is why…,” and New Living Translation is similar with “Because of this….”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Chronicles 29:9

29:9a For behold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword,

This is why people killed our ancestors in war,
-or-
So our grandfathers died in battle,

29:9b and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity.

and why they have taken our sons, our daughters, and our wives as prisoners.
-or-
and our wives and our children, both boys and girls, became prisoners ⌊of war⌋.

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