Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("bless")

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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 are (され) 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, shukufukus-are-ru (祝福される) or “bless” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Job 42:12 - 42:13

The latter days is better expressed by Good News Translation as “the last part” in contrast to “the first part.” It is not that the LORD blesses the days, but that he blesses Job during that time. The number of animals is exactly double the number given in chapter 1. In chapter 1 the sons and daughters are mentioned before the animals. In verse 13 the sons and daughters are mentioned after the animals, and unlike the animals they are not doubled, unless the peculiar form of the word seven is to be understood as a dual, as Dhorme suggests, and so would mean fourteen. This does not explain why the number of daughters is not doubled. There is no mention of the servants. Translators should refer to comments on yoke and each of the types of animals in 1.2-3.

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 .