complete verse (John 15:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:18:

  • Uma: “‘If people who do not believe in me hate you, remember: I was the one they hated first.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said to his disciples, ‘Do not be amazed/marvel if you are hated by the people who do not follow God. Remember that they hated me before you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If the people here in the world who are enemies of God are against you, don’t be surprised because they were already against me before.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus also said to his disciples, ‘In-the-future those who don’t believe in me will hate you. If/When they do that, don’t be surprised. Remember that preceding-that they hated me.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘You really will now be hated by the mass of people who don’t believe-in/obey me, but consider this that as for me, I was hated by those people before they hated you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If people hate you, you should know that I was hated even before you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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

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