formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). This disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

See also formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese).

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

complete verse (John 1:44)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:44:

  • Uma: “That Filipus was from Betsaida town, the town of Andreas and Petrus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This Pilip was from Betsaida, the place of Andariyas and Petros.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Philip was from Bethsaida, and the town of Bethsaida is also the place where Andrew and Peter lived.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilea. He found Felipe the townmate of Andrew and Pedro who were from-Betsaida and he said to him, ‘You (sing.) become my disciple.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilea. Before he set out, he first looked for a person named Felipe, a taga Betsaida, who was a fellow countryman of Andres and Simon. Having found him, he said ‘Felipe, you accompany me because you are now my disciple.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This Philip was an inhabitant of the town of Bethsaida where Andrew and Peter were from.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 1:44

Bethsaida was actually Bethsaida Julias, built at the northeastern-most point of the Lake of Galilee by Philip, the rule of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis. Technically, the city was not in the region of Galilee, but it is possible that the whole region around the lake was loosely called Galilee. This region had a large Gentile population, and it is interesting that both Philip and Andrew are Greek, rather than Jewish names.

Though in connection with 1.40 it was suggested that Simon Peter may have been the older brother of Andrew because Peter is usually named first in the listing of the disciples, not that in verse 44 the name of Andrew occurs before that of Peter. It is possible, therefore, that Andrew was indeed the older brother and that in this particular verse, rather than in the other instances, we have the normal way in which two brothers would be listed in Hebrew or Semitic Greek. Nevertheless, on the basis of the more usual pattern, we are probably justified in regarding Peter as the older of the two.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 1:44

1:44

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter: Bethsaida was probably a fishing village on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here are other ways to translate this:

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida (New International Version)
-or-
Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived (Good News Translation)

Now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now is not a time word. Here it introduces some parenthetical information. You should introduce this information in a way that is natural in your language.

Andrew and Peter: These are the disciples first mentioned in 1:40. Peter is the same person as Simon Peter in that verse.

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