complete verse (Deuteronomy 14:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 14:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do also not eat all insects that have wings, since they are unclean.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And insects that have wings are unclean for you, do not eat them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) do- not also -eat the flying insects.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘ll insects with wings and which walk on the ground are unacceptable to Yahweh; do not eat them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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. )

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 14:19 - 14:20

All winged insects … winged things: both verses deal with flying insects (see also Lev 11.21-23). The Hebrew word in verse 20 appears some seventy times in the Old Testament and is a collective term for “flying creatures,” which includes both insects and birds. In this context, however, it is highly unlikely that birds should suddenly appear in verse 20, and it is recommended that “winged [or, flying] insects” be used in both verses.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .