inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 34:16)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding Shechem and Hamor.

complete verse (Genesis 34:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 34:16:

  • Newari: “Only then will you be able to take our daughters, [and] will we be able to take your daughters. Then we will be able to live with you, becoming like one people.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If you (pl.) will-be-circumcised, we (pl.) can/give-consent-to have- our (excl.) young-ladies -marry you (pl.) and we (excl.) can/agree-to marry your (pl.) young-ladies. And we (excl.) will-dwell with you (pl.) so-that we (incl.) will-become just one people.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then we will give our daughters to your young men to be your wives, and we will take your daughters to be the wives of our young men. We will live among you, and we will become one people-group.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 34:16

Then we will give our daughters to you: Then suggests that these events will follow eventually after the circumcision of the males of Shechem. In some languages this may be expressed as “After that….” The brothers are responding to the proposals made by Hamor in Gen 34.9. This may have to be stated as “After that our daughters will be allowed to marry your people [or, your men].”

And we will take your daughters to ourselves: that is, “and we will marry your girls” or “and our people will marry your daughters.”

We will dwell with you [plural]: see Hamor’s words in verse 10.

Become one people is probably to be taken as meaning “forming a single tribe.” So extensive would the intermarriages become that Jacob’s people and Hamor’s would dissolve their cultural, political, and religious differences. Note that Hamor never made such a radical suggestion in verses 8-10. Dinah’s brothers can afford to make such a proposal, because they are about to kill all the males in Shechem and forcefully incorporate all the females into their own clan.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .