complete verse (Exodus 23:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 23:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Listen to what the angel is telling you. Don’t ever deviate to the sides. If you do that, he will not forgive you because he uses my authority/power.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Pay attention to him and listen to what he says and do not protest him, he will not forgive your sin since my name is in him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] listen to him and obey what he says. [You (plur.)] do- not -rebel against him. For all the things that he does, he does in my name and he will- not -consider-nothing your (plur.) sins.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Listen well to his talk and follow it. But don’t make him angry (lit. embitter his interior). For I am present with him, and so he won’t forgive (lit. wipe away) your deeds of stubbornness.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Warn yourself, you (sing., imp.) hear its word. That which it will say to you, you (sing., imp.) not (imp.) it abandon, because it not sin your will forgive, because it does with my name.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Note this: I am going to send an angel ahead of you, to guard you as you travel and to bring you safely to the place that I have prepared for you. Pay attention to what he says and obey him. Do not rebel against him, because he will have my authority and he will punish/not forgive you if you rebel against him.” (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 23:21

Give heed to him, literally “You [singular] be guarded from before him,” uses the passive imperative form of the same word for “guard” in verse 20. It means “pay attention to him” (Good News Translation), or “show respect to him” (Translator’s Old Testament). New Jerusalem Bible has “Revere him.” For and hearken to his voice, New International Version has “listen to what he says,” but it carries the stronger meaning that Good News Translation translates as “obey him” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible, and Translator’s Old Testament). Contemporary English Version has “Carefully obey everything the angel says.” Do not rebel against him is literally “do not cause bitterness in him.” Others have “do not defy him” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “you are not to resent him” (Durham), and “provoke him not” (American Standard Version).

For he will not pardon your transgression uses the plural your with the singular transgression. Revised English Bible has “rebelliousness,” and Translator’s Old Testament has “he will not forgive you if you rebel.” Good News Translation avoids the your, with “he will not pardon such rebellion.” Contemporary English Version says “and he won’t tolerate rebellion.” Another way to express this is “If you rebel against him he will be very angry.” For my name is in him is literally “for my name [is] in his inward part.” This of course refers to the name Yahweh, but it also has the deeper meaning of Yahweh’s power and “Presence” (Durham). This may also be expressed with the word “authority” (New American Bible, Revised English Bible). Translator’s Old Testament has “He has my full authority,” and Contemporary English Version has “I am giving him complete authority.” Good News Translation is a bit weak: “for I have sent him.” Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version place the clause he will not pardon your transgression at the end of the verse. Many translators will find this restructuring helpful.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Carefully obey everything that my messenger says, because I am giving him complete authority. If you rebel against him, he will be very angry.

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 .