complete verse (Job 34:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 34:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “God sees everything that is done,
    and everywhere where a person goes.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He is watching people’s behavior,
    and sets His eyes on all their steps. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Surely God watches everything that man does.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

eye (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix on- (御 or み) can be used, as in on-me (御目) or “eye (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

See also ear (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("looking")

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 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, miteo-rare-ru (見ておられる) or “looking” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Job 34:21

For his eyes are upon the ways of a man is a repetition of 24.23b. See there for comments.

And he sees all his steps would cause Job no surprise, since he himself asked in 31.4 “Does he not see my ways and number all my steps?” Elihu applies his words to people in general, but the inference concerns Job’s case. This line may also be rendered “and God sees him everywhere he goes.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .