complete verse (Deuteronomy 32:40)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 32:40:

  • Kupsabiny: “I throw my hands up (giving up)
    and I swear that,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Lifting up my hand to heaven I will say–
    I am alive forever.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, I will-raise-up my hands and swear,
    ‘As I live forever/without end,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I raise my hand toward heaven and solemnly declare
    that just as sure as I live forever,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 32:40

God speaks as a human being, lifting up his hand to heaven and taking a solemn vow to exterminate his enemies (verses 40-42).

I lift up my hand to heaven: this is the normal way of taking a vow (see Psa 106.26; Rev 10.5-6); in Dan 12.7 both hands are lifted. In Gen 14.22; Exo 6.8; Num 14.30; Neh 9.15; Ezek 20.5 the Hebrew text says simply “I raise my hand,” meaning “I take a vow.” If the idea of God raising his hand to heaven seems ridiculous, it is all right to say only “I raise my hand” (Good News Translation).

Swear: this means to take a solemn vow (see 1.8).

As I live for ever: this may be translated in different ways. Good News Translation says “As surely as I am the living God,” Bible en français courant “As surely as I live forever,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “I swear by my eternal life.” It must be clear to readers that verses 41 and 42 are the content of God’s promise. Good News Translation will serve as a good alternative model.

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 .