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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 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).
Even though Good News Translation introduces God as the speaker here, it is more likely the prophet (so most commentators and versions). After the God’s speech in verses 4-5, the prophet addresses his people in verses 6-7. God resumes speaking in verses 8-9b. Like Revised Standard Version, most versions add a paragraph break here since the speaker changes. Other languages will find this helpful.
Turn to him from whom you have deeply revolted: The prophet calls on the rebellious people of Judah to turn back to Yahweh. You have deeply revolted emphasizes the extent of the people’s defection from Yahweh. They have put their faith in a political alliance with Egypt rather than in him. The pronoun you is “they” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) in Hebrew. Like Revised Standard Version, most versions emend the text to read “you” since this pronoun refers to the Israelites whom the prophet is addressing. It is not unusual in Hebrew poetry to switch between second and third person for the same referent. For this whole clause New International Version says “Return to him you have so greatly revolted against,” while New Revised Standard Version has “Turn back to him whom you have deeply betrayed.”
O people of Israel: In some languages it may be better to place this vocative at the beginning of the verse (so Good News Translation). Israel in this context refers to the people of Judah (see the comments on 1.3).
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Turn back to the one you have so deeply betrayed, you people of Israel.
• O people of Israel, return to him whom you have so profoundly rejected.
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 .
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 third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used. In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.”
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