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.
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)
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