Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("accomplish/obtain")

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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 rare (られ) 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, nashitoge-rare-ru (成し遂げられる) or “accomplish/obtain” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Isaiah 25:1

O LORD, thou art my God: This formal address affirms the close relationship between the speaker and Yahweh, to the exclusion of all other gods (compare Psa 63.1; 118.28). My God does not indicate the speaker owns God. It recalls the covenant relationship in which God claims Israel as his people and presents himself to them as their God (see Exo 6.7). If readers misunderstand my God to mean owning God, this phrase may be rendered “you are the God I serve” or “you are the God I worship.”

I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name: These two clauses are parallel in meaning. The Hebrew verbs here have the imperfect form, so they refer to what the prophet will do soon or what he does regularly. Translators may choose either sense. The Hebrew verb rendered exalt is literally “lift up.” Here it has the figurative meaning of “give honor to” (so Good News Translation). The phrase thy name refers to Yahweh himself (see the comments at 12.4).

For thou hast done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure: The connector for introduces why the prophet praises Yahweh. He uses this connector two other times in this song to give additional reasons for his praise (see the beginning of verses 2 and 4). Here he praises Yahweh because of his wonderful things, which are extraordinary events, marvelous acts. The next verse describes them more fully. Plans formed of old means Yahweh planned these marvelous things a long time ago. For the Hebrew word rendered plans, see the comments at 5.19, where the same word is translated “purpose.” Faithful and sure also describes Yahweh’s plans. These two similar adjectives render the same Hebrew root, so they emphasize that Yahweh accomplished what he planned.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• O Yahweh, you are my God.
I will honor you, I will praise you,
because you have worked marvels;
you carried out your firm and faithful plans that were fixed/decided long ago.

• O Yahweh, you are the God I worship.
You I honor, your name I praise,
for you have carried out your marvelous purposes made long ago,
plans that are firm and faithful.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .