inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Isa 41:22)

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.

complete verse (Isaiah 41:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 41:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “Let the idols come
    and let them, too, predict what is going to happen.
    Let them just say what shows/explains what has passed
    so it can be known what caused it to happen like that.
    Let them show what will happen.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O idols, tell us what will happen,
    tell us about your former prophecies
    So that we may think them
    and know how they were fulfilled if or not.
    Or what is about to happen — tell us that information.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) come-near and tell us (excl.) what will-happen in the future. Tell us (excl.) what have- you (plur.) -spoken before that will-happen so-that we (excl.) can-think if this was-fulfilled. Tell us (excl.) what will-happen in the future so-that we (excl.) will-know that you (plur.) are gods. You (plur.) do good-(thing) or bad-(thing) so-that we (excl.) will-be-amazed and terrified of you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 41:22

In this verse God challenges the gods of the nations to prove they control events in the world.

Let them bring them: The first pronoun them refers to the gods, and the second one to the arguments mentioned in the previous verse. Yahweh tells the gods to present their arguments concerning who is the master of history. Bible en français courant (1997) provides a helpful model here with “Bring [plural] your arguments.” New International Version believes the first pronoun them refers to the nations, and the second one to their idols, so it has “Bring in your idols.” Good News Translation follows the reading of the ancient versions here with “Come here” (similarly Revised English Bible, New American Bible). However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and de~Waard prefer the Masoretic Text reading in Revised Standard Version, which is supported by Dead Sea Scrolls, so translators should follow it.

And tell us what is to happen: Yahweh challenges the gods to predict the future. The first person plural pronouns us and we in this verse and the next one refer to Yahweh and the audience in the court listening to the arguments presented by the gods. What is to happen probably refers to future events, but it could point to ongoing events since the Hebrew verb here is in the imperfect form. Bible en français courant follows the latter sense by rendering the whole line as “explain to us what is happening.” However, most translations consulted refer to the future here; for example, Revised English Bible has “and foretell the future for us.”

Tell us the former things, what they are: The Hebrew noun translated former things is an important term in this part of the book. It reappears at 42.9; 43.9, 18; 46.9; and 48.3, but its specific meaning depends on the context in which it is used. Here it clearly refers to past events since it contrasts with what is to happen. Yahweh also challenges the gods to prove they knew beforehand the events that have taken place. The NJPSV footnote|prj:NJPS.Isa 41.22 on this line points out that it concerns “former prophecies by your gods which have been fulfilled.” The implication is that there were never any such prophecies. For this line Good News Translation says “tell us what they mean,” and Revised English Bible has “Let them declare the meaning of these past events.” These versions shift the focus from the fulfillment of past prophecies to the meaning of past events.

That we may consider them is literally “and let us put [them] to our heart,” which means “let us reflect on them.” The LORD wants to know the evidence the gods have that they successfully predicted past events, so he can think about it.

That we may know their outcome refers to discovering whether the gods actually predicted past events. Their outcome is the occurrence of the past events described as the former things. If these events actually happened, then the gods of the nations would be real gods. Some translations link this line to the future events referred to in the last line, so they place it at the end of the verse; for example, for the last two lines Revised English Bible has “let them predict the future to us that we may know what it holds” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant). If this is done, the first two lines speak about the future, the next two about the past, and the last two about the future again. This rearrangement of the verse has no textual basis, but translators may follow it.

Or declare to us the things to come: The Hebrew conjunction rendered or introduces an alternative here. If the gods cannot demonstrate how they predicted past events, then perhaps they can state what will happen in the future. This is the same challenge Yahweh gave them in the first two lines.

Good News Translation rearranges this verse, so that future events are in its first two lines (lines 1-2 and 6 in Revised Standard Version) and past events are in its last two lines (lines 3-5 in Revised Standard Version). Other languages may find this a helpful model.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Let the gods bring their arguments
and tell us what will happen.
Let them tell us the past events they predicted;
let us consider them and learn if they really happened.
Alternatively, let the gods advise us of things to come.

• Let them bring their arguments
and tell us about events that will happen.
Tell us about former events you predicted;
let us reflect on these and discover whether they took place.
Alternatively, tell us what things will happen in the future.

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 .