formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 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. )

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("rich")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is 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, tondeo-rare-ru (富んでおられる) or “rich” is used.

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

Translation commentary on 2 Corinthians 8:9

Verse 9 is somewhat parenthetical in nature, interrupting the flow of Paul’s argument to ground his appeal in the example of Christ. Though some interpreters understand this verse as referring to the conditions of Jesus’ earthly life, more likely Paul is alluding to the incarnation. The grace to which Paul refers, charis, is explained as the fact that Christ, who was rich, became poor for the sake of the Corinthians. Revised English Bible translates grace here as “the generosity.” Charis is also found in verse 4, where it is translated favor, and in verse 6, where Revised Standard Version renders it “gracious work.”

He was rich and he became poor are not to be understood in terms of financial wealth. Rich refers to Christ’s divine existence prior to the incarnation. Became poor refers to the incarnation, that is, to his birth as a human being. In some languages this may be better translated “he abandoned his wealth.”

Your sake: a few manuscripts read “our sake” instead of your sake. The editors of the UBS Greek New Testament give a “B” evaluation to the reading of the text, indicating that the pronoun “your” is almost certain to be the correct reading, but that there is some degree of doubt. The pronoun “our” is not at all contrary to Paul’s theology, and it is easy to understand why a scribe would change pronouns to include Paul as well as the readers. The context and the best manuscripts, however, strongly favor the reading in the UBS Greek New Testament.

By his poverty: literally “by the poverty of that one.” This expression indicates that the means of the Corinthians becoming spiritually rich was the voluntary impoverishment of Christ.

Become rich: while this is clearly not intended to refer to material wealth, readers in many languages will easily understand the figurative sense in this context. If, however, there is any danger of this expression being taken literally, it may be necessary to clarify the meaning by saying something like “rich in the eyes of God.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Corinthians 8:9

8:9a For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For you (plur.) know our Lord Jesus Christ’s grace/favor,
-or-
Because you ⌊already⌋ know that our Lord Jesus Christ favored/blessed ⌊people⌋.

8:9b that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor,

in that he became poor on your behalf even though he was rich,
-or-
He did this: he left behind his riches ⌊of power and glory⌋ ⌊in heaven⌋ and became poor in order to benefit you.

8:9c so that you through His poverty might become rich.

in order that you might become rich by means of his poverty.
-or-
and so you became rich ⌊in blessings⌋ by means of him becoming poor.

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