second person pronoun with low register

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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples.

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

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 1:19

The lament of David is in the form of Hebrew poetry. This means that certain devices are used that are not a part of ordinary speech or writing. Among these are the use of parallelism (verse 20) and direct address to inanimate objects (verse 21).

Thy glory: there is some ambiguity about the meaning of this Hebrew noun, since two different nouns have the same spelling. One noun means “glory” or “beauty,” and the other is the Hebrew for the animal called “gazelle.” Since animal names were frequently used in Hebrew to refer to war heroes or other noble persons, it is possible that Saul is being called a “gazelle.” Anchor Bible says “prince [of Israel].” It is more likely, however, that this is the word meaning “glory.”

O Israel: in many versions this is taken as a vocative of direct address (New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible). However, it is not so understood by Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. Rather it is translated by a construction using the preposition “of.” Either understanding is possible, and translators must simply choose one.

Is slain: if necessary this passive may be rendered actively as in Good News Translation, “are dead” or, using the indefinite third person plural pronoun, “they have killed….”

Upon thy high places: the term translated high places is frequently used in the Old Testament as a technical name for places of worship outside of Jerusalem, which were often places of pagan worship (see the comments on 1 Sam 9.12). But there is apparently no such reference here. Most interpreters take this simply as a reference to the terrain on which Saul and Jonathan were killed, that is, on Mount Gilboa in the hills of Israel. Anchor Bible, however, sees this as an idiomatic expression meaning to “stand upright or erect.” Anchor Bible says “Alas, prince of Israel, slain standing erect!” Following this interpretation, Saul is here praised by David for standing up bravely to his enemies and for having died in the heat of battle, rather than kneeling or cringing before his adversaries. Jonathan is likewise praised in Anchor Bible for being “slain standing erect” (verse 25).

How are the mighty fallen: this is the theme of David’s lament. It is repeated in verses 25 and 27. It is probably not to be taken as a question (as in New Jerusalem Bible), but rather as a kind of complaint or sorrowful sigh (see the comments on verse 14 above). Some languages may even say “How sad it is that the mighty warriors have died in battle!” If the question format is retained, it should probably be taken as a question as to why God allowed such a thing to happen. Bible en français courant, for example, inquires “Why have the mighty fallen?” (so also in verses 25 and 27).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .