complete verse (Exodus 2:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 2:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “That old man (the father) asked them that, ‘Where is now that person? Why did you leave him? Go and come with him to eat.’ The girls went and came with Moses.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then he said his daughter, ‘Where is he? Why did you leave him? Go and bring him to have a meal with us.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Their father asked, ‘Well, where (is) he now? Why did- you (plur.) -leave him? [You (plur.)] call him and invite (him) to-eat.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And then their father asked the, ‘Where is that man? Why is it that you left him so that he stayed there? Go bring him so that he comes and eats with us.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Therefore he asked them «That man and where? What is it that you leave for it him? Call here him, that he might come to bread eat!»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “He said to his daughters, ‘Where is he? Why did you leave him out there?/You should not leave him out there! Invite him in, so he can have something to eat !’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 2:20

The father’s response reflects the typical hospitality of the ancient Near East. He reproaches his daughters for not observing their accepted custom. Some translations interpret the And as “then,” as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “Where is he then?” In many languages it will be better style to omit the conjunction, as Good News Translation has done. The word said may also be expressed as “asked” (see Good News Translation). In some languages the question Why have you left the man? will be more clearly expressed as “Why did you leave the man by [or, at] the well?”

Call him implies two actions, “Go and invite him.” That he may eat bread means simply “to eat with us”; it does not specify the menu. Although bread was commonly eaten, it is often used figuratively for food in general. Translators should use a general term for “food,” unless bread is the staple food in their own culture as it was in the Midianite culture.

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 .

respectful form of "give" (sashiageru)

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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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, sashiageru (差し上げる), a respectful form of ageru (あげる) or “give” is used.

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

See also respectful form of “give” (kudasaru) and give (Japanese honorifics).