complete verse (Exodus 23:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 23:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “Guard everything I have told you. Don’t kneel/worship any other things or even talk of their names.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not worship other gods and mention the name of any other gods.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] obey carefully/[lit. well] everything that I have-said to you (plur.). [You (plur.)] do- not -pray to other gods or even mention their names.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘Listen well and be following all the talk which I speak to you (pl.) with. You can’t/mustn’t pray to other gods. And don’t be calling the names of other gods either.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Warn yourself, you (sing., imp.) do that which I say all. not (imp.) name of gods other call. They must not (imp.) its name hear from you.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Make certain that you obey everything that I have commanded you to do. Do not pray to other gods. Do not even mention their names.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 Exod 23:13

This verse sounds like the conclusion to a long list of instructions, and Moffatt places it after verse 19 for that reason. But we must assume that the editors had some purpose in placing it here. As in verse 9, the second person singular changes to plural.

Take heed, literally “guard yourselves,” means “be careful,” or “be attentive” (New Revised Standard Version). Contemporary English Version has “Make certain you obey everything I have said.” To all that I have said to you refers to all that Yahweh has said, so Good News Translation makes this clear: “Listen to everything that I, the LORD, have said to you.” And make no mention of the names of other gods is literally “and the name [singular] of other gods you [plural] will not cause to be remembered.” This probably means “Do not invoke the names of other gods” (New International Version), and Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have “Don’t pray to other gods.”

Nor let such be heard out of your mouth is literally “it shall not be heard upon your [singular] mouth.” The “it” is singular because names is singular in the Hebrew, but this is not natural in English. So New Revised Standard Version has “do not let them be heard on your lips.” Note that the your in your mouth suddenly changes back to singular, but the plural should be used in translation if it is more natural. Good News Translation has “do not even mention their names” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

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 .