inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Chr 32:7)

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 32:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 32:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Be strong and courageous! Do not fear Sennacherib the king of Assyria or even his soldiers, because we have one on our side who is bigger than the one they have.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Take courage and be strong. Seeing the king of Assyria and the throngs of people that will come with him, do not be afraid. Do not let your hearts be discouraged. The power with us is greater than the power with them. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Asiria or his many soldiers. For there is a greater power with/[lit. accompanying] us than with him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged on account of the king of Assyria and the huge army that is with him, because Yahweh is with us, and his power is greater than their power.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Japanese benefactives (tomo ni ite)

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, tomo ni ite (ともにいて) or “be with” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

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

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 32:7

There is a great deal of redundancy in the first part of Hezekiah’s speech to the assembled army officers. But where adequate synonyms exist, it is best to retain the terms that are similar in meaning since they have a cumulative effect.

Be strong and of good courage: This exhortation recalls passages in Deuteronomy (31.6, 7, 23) and Joshua (1.6, 9, 18; 10.25) as well as 1 Chr 22.13 and 28.20 (see the comments there).

Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him: The words Do not be afraid or dismayed are also found in Josh 10.25 and are similar to those in Deut 31.6. The Hebrew verbal expressions for Do not be afraid and Do not be … dismayed are similar in meaning; but the first one has to do with fear, while the second one involves discouragement and the tendency to give up hope (see the comments on 1 Chr 22.13). Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for horde is rendered “multitude” (Gen 17.4; 2 Chr 13.8; 20.2) or “troops” (Jdg 4.7). Here it clearly refers to the large army led by the Assyrian king.

For there is one greater with us than with him: The Hebrew conjunction rendered for introduces the reason why the leaders of Judah’s army should not be afraid or discouraged. There is one greater with us is a clear reference to God, as the next verse makes explicit. God’s Word says “Someone greater is on our side,” and New Living Translation has “there is a power far greater on our side.”

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 .