Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 36:22

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD …: After speaking in verses 16-21 about acting to protect his own honor, God now tells Ezekiel to pass on a message to the Israelites. The theme of this message in verses 22-32 is that God is about to save and bless the Israelites, not because they deserve it, but to protect his own reputation. For the house of Israel, that is, “the Israelites” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), see verse 10. The traditional prophetic formula Thus says the Lord GOD reinforces the importance of the message here (see Ezek 36.2).

It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name: New International Reader’s Version says “People of Israel, I will not take action for your benefit. Instead, I will act for the honor of my holy name.” For my holy name, see verse 20.

Which you have profaned among the nations to which you came: See verse 20.

A model for this verse is:

• “Therefore say this to the people of Israel. Tell them that the Lord Yahweh declares, ‘People of Israel, I am about to take action, but it is not because you deserve it [or, for your benefit]. I am acting because I care about my reputation as one whom people should worship. Because of what you have done, people in the nations where you had to go are not honoring me.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .