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). His 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).

complete verse (John 16:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:12:

  • Uma: “‘There is still much that I want to say to you, but you are not yet able to receive it at this time.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘I still have much to tell to you,’ said Isa, ‘but you cannot bear it now.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but you couldn’t understand them yet.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘There is much more that I will not be able-to-tell you now, because it would be excessively difficult for you to think-about.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There’s more I would like to tell you, but since you are grieving, you don’t yet have the ability to try-to-understand it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There are many other words I want to tell you but the time has not yet come that you can understand what I tell you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on John 16:12

It would be too much for you to bear (New English Bible “but the burden would be too great for you now”) is more literally “but you are not able to bear (it) now.” Too much for you to bear may also be rendered “your ears cannot hear it” or “it will be too much for your thoughts” or “my words would have no place in your minds.”

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 16:12

Paragraph 16:12–15

Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them about him.

16:12

I still have much to tell you: This clause indicates that there were many more things Jesus wanted his disciples to know. There were things that he had not yet taught them but that he wanted to teach them. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

There is much more that I could say to you (Revised English Bible)
-or-
I have a lot more to tell you (God’s Word)

I: This pronoun refers to Jesus.

you: This pronoun is plural and refers to the disciples.

but you cannot yet bear to hear it: This clause indicates that it would be hard for the disciples if Jesus immediately taught them everything that they should know. They could not bear (endure, accept) hearing these additional things from Jesus. There were things that Jesus’ disciples were not yet able to understand and accept. Therefore, Jesus implied, he would not teach them these truths himself, but the Holy Spirit would guide them when he came. It would not be helpful for them at this time. For example:

but they are too much for you now (New Century Version)
-or-
right now it would be more than you could understand (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
but as yet you cannot bear/endure them, ⌊I will not say them⌋

The Greek and many English versions end this verse with “now.” It is a time word that refers to when Jesus was speaking with the disciples.

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