inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Kings. 7:4)

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, Omanson / Ellington recommend the exclusive form “since the four men are speaking among themselves.” Both the Jarai translation and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation, however, use the inclusive pronoun.

complete verse (2 Kings 7:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 7:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “If we consider going inside, famine is there, and we shall still die. But/And if we consider staying here, we shall still die today. So, let us go to where the people of Syria are gathered. If they do not kill us, we shall live, but if they kill us, we are finished anyway!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If we enter the city, we will die from the famine there. If we stay here, we will also die. Rather, let us go to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we will live. If they kill us, we will die.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If we (incl.) enter into the city we (incl.) will-die there in hunger, and if we (incl.) just sit here, we (incl.) will- also -die. So we (incl.) will- just -go to the camp of the Arameanhon and surrender. If they will- not -harm us (incl.), good, but if they will-kill us (incl.), come-what-may.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If we go into the city, we will die there, because there is no food there. If we remain sitting here, we will die here. So let’s go to where the army of Syria has set up their tents. If they kill us, we will die. But if they allow us to remain alive, we will not die.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 7:4

The conversation among the four diseased men continues with a rather complicated structure, including a quotation within the larger quotation, which may be unnatural if translated literally in some languages. The word if is used four times in this verse as the desperate men consider all their options. They consider three possibilities: (1) to stay where they are and do nothing; (2) to go back into the city where people are dying of starvation; and (3) to go into the enemy camp to plead for mercy. The first two options would mean almost certain death by starvation. But to go out toward the Syrian army would also very likely result in their death. However, they conclude that since there is at least the possibility that the Syrians would not kill them, it would be worth the risk to go in their direction.

New Century Version simplifies the structure of the verse by using six separate sentences as follows:

• There is no food in the city. So if we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will die. So let’s go to the Aramean [Syrian] camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we die.

Another possible model might read:

• We have three paths that we can take: we can stay here, or we can go back into the city, or we can go over to the camp of the Syrians. If we stay here or if we go back into the city, we will certainly die for lack of food. But if we go out to the Syrians, they might allow us to live. It is better to do this, since we will certainly die otherwise.

Since the four men are speaking among themselves, all of the first person plural pronouns will be inclusive in languages that make this distinction.

So now come is literally “and now go [or, walk].” Good News Translation omits now come for reasons of style since they seem redundant in English.

Let us go over to the camp of the Syrians: The Hebrew verb that is used here often means “to fall.” As in 1 Sam 29.3, the context requires this verb to be rendered “desert to” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible), “defect to” (NET Bible), or “surrender to” (New Living Translation) the Syrians in their camp. Syrians is literally “Aram” here and in verses 5-6, 10, 12, and 14-16, but this use of the singular in a collective sense is common (see the comments on 1 Kgs 20.20). In some languages it will be more natural to translate the camp of the Syrians as “the place where the Syrians are spending the night” or “the tent village of the Syrians.”

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 7:4

7:4a If we say, ‘Let us go into the city,’

If we (incl.) choose to go into the city,

-or-

But it is useless to go into the city.

-or-

It was no use to enter Samaria.

7:4b we will die there from the famine in the city;

we (incl.) will die because of the famine there.

-or-

There is no food there to eat, so we would die/starve.

-or-

They would only die of hunger there.

7:4c but if we sit here, we will also die.

But we (incl.) will also die if we stay here.

-or-

But we cannot stay here either, ⌊because⌋ we will die ⌊from lack of food⌋ .

-or-

But if they stayed where there were, they would die anyway.

7:4d So come now, let us go over to the camp of the Arameans.

So let us (incl.) go to the camp of the Arameans and give ourselves up to them.

-or-

I suggest that we go across to where the Arameans have pitched their tents.

-or-

So one of them suggested that they go over to the Aramean/Syrian army.

7:4e If they let us live, we will live;

If they spare our lives, then we shall live.

-or-

If they ⌊are kind to us and⌋ do not kill us, we will not die.

-or-

He said that the Arameans/Syrians might perhaps let them live.

7:4f if they kill us, we will die.”

If they kill us, we will die.”

-or-

But if they kill us, well, we would have died anyway.”

-or-

But if not, then they would die anyway.

7:e-f (reordered)

If they kill us, we die. But perhaps they will not kill us, and we will live.”

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