complete verse (Exodus 12:49)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 12:49:

  • Kupsabiny: “This law touches/applies to you Israelites and any foreigner who has come to live with you.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The same rule will be applied to the native-born and to the alien living among you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This regulation is for all — to the native Israelinhon and to the non Israelinhon who live among/together-with you (plur.)’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “This same law fully applies (lit. reaches) to you (pl.) Israel people and people from another area who are living in the midst of you.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “even though he be one who they birth among you, even though he be foreigner who lives home your.»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “These rules apply to people who were born as Israelis and to foreigners who come and live among you.’” (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. )

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Exod 12:49

There shall be one law, literally “one torah will be,” refers to the various “regulations” (Good News Translation) for the Passover just listed. This means that “the same regulations apply” (Good News Translation) to both. (See the comment on torah at 13.9.) The native, or “citizen” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), refers to the “Israelite by birth” (Translator’s Old Testament), and the stranger who sojourns among you refers to the “resident alien” or “foreigner” mentioned in verse 48. Among you, literally “in your midst,” is plural. Note that this verse concludes Yahweh’s words to Moses and Aaron that began in verse 43.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .