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

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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 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, tatteo-rare-ru (立っておられる) or “standing” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Acts 7:55

The subject of the Greek verb is not explicit; the Greek simply has “he,” the Good News Translation Stephen. The statement that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit may imply that the Holy Spirit is, in some contexts, to be regarded as a gift for special occasions, this time enabling Stephen to look into heaven itself.

It is important in translating saw God’s glory not to imply that Stephen sees God himself; rather, what he sees is the “glory” or “majesty” of God. This is rendered in some languages as “the bright shining of God.” This expression is, of course, a reference to the Shekinah of God, often referred to in the Old Testament in relationship to the presence of God in the temple.

For the phrase at the right side of God see 2.33.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .