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 Translator2002, 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.
Some of the Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek phrases that are translated in English in association with “name,” including “in the name of,” “in my name,” “in your name,” “on the account of my name,” “on the account of your name” (according to a classification by Robert Bratcher in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 72ff. , phrases that belong to the categories of “Agency or instrumentality” and “Representation”) present a number of challenges in other languages.
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Eugene Nida (1947, p 178ff.) explains this way:
“The biblical attitudes toward human personality are of great theological importance. There is, however, only one word which produces any considerable difficulty in other languages. This is the word ‘name.’ The great difference attached to the significance of the name of a person in the Bible times in contrast with our own culture is very important. Note such phrases as ‘whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,’ John 14:13, ‘believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,’ John 3:18, and ‘life through his name,’ John 20:31. These expressions are generally difficult for us to understand, for the word ‘name’ does not mean the same to us as it meant to those of Bible times. To them the name was the symbolization of the authority and personality of the individual who possessed the name. To us a name is far less important. It may be changed whenever one can convince a judge that another name might be more economically advantageous. The name is also a legal method of giving one’s written assent to certain business transactions, but to us it is not the symbol of the personality.”
The translation in Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl typically is “in someone’s authority” (for instance “I have come in my Father’s name” in John 5:43 becomes “I have come on my Father’s authority”) (source Nida 1947, p. 179), or in Highland Puebla Nahuatl with the more paraphrastic equivalent “as though on orders from you” or in Tzeltal as “by your authority, so he said” (both examples for Mark 9:38 and 39, see Bratcher / Nida).
In Guhu-Samane, Mark 11:9 (in English: “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”) is translated as “Blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes.” “In the name of the Lord” caused “puzzlement [because] has he just assumed the name of the Lord, valid or otherwise? [But] with ‘blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes’ the strong bond between the namesake and the important ancestor for whom named entitles the namesake to the deference due the ancestor. Thought very proper in this context.” (Source: Ernest L. Richert in Notes on Translation December 1963: p. 4-7; reprinted in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )
Barclay Newman (see The Bible Translator 1974, pp, 432ff. ) reports on different solutions for the translation of the Today’s Malay Version (Alkitab Berita Baik, 1987):
In Malay “the phrase ‘in my name’ is problematic (…) since it sounds like the use of magic. For this reason [the English] Today’s English Version (Good News Bible) was followed at such passages as John 5:43 and 10:25, where ‘in the name of my Father’ is translated as ‘with my Father’s authority’ and ‘by my Father’s authority’ [respectively]. In John 12:13 ‘in the name of the Lord’ has become ‘in his (the Lord’s) behalf,’ following the common language German translation Die Gute Nachricht. In John 14:13, ‘because you are my followers’ is used, in John in 15:16, 16:23 and 24 ‘as my followers,’ in John 17:11 ‘by your own power, the power you gave me,’ and in John 14:26 ‘in my place.'”
Other translations for “in the name of Jesus Christ” include “in the authority of Jesus Christ” (Isthmus Mixe), “calling on Jesus Christ” (Teutila Cuicatec), “calling the name of Jesus Christ over you” (Ayutla Mixtec), “because of Jesus” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “by the power of the name of Jesus Christ” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), “the word of Jesus Christ is strong” (Lalana Chinantec) (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and “mentioning the name of Jesus” (Elhomwe — source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
Noongar: koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
HausaCommon Language Bible: farin ciki or “white stomach.” Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:24:
Uma: “Until now, you have not asked for anything with my name. Just ask, you will receive it, so that your joy is complete.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “From the beginning till now you have not asked/requested because of your trust in me. Ask/request and you will be given so that your joy will be complete.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is nothing yet which you have asked from him which comes from your believing me. Ask so that you might receive so that you might greatly rejoice.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Until now, you haven’t been requesting anything on-account-of your aforementioned unity-with me. Now however, repeatedly-request so that you will be given so that you will be thoroughly made-happy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Till now, there’s nothing yet you are asking for on the strength of your being tied-together/united with me. Make your request. It’s certain it will be given to you and therein you will be really happy.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Until now you have not yet asked God to give you something because you believe in me. Ask now in order that it will be given you. And you really will be given joy.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
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 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).
Asked for translates the Greek verb aiteō (see verse 23). In this context in my name may be rendered either “by calling on me” or “because you are my disciples” or “… my followers.”
The verb ask is in the present imperative, suggesting that the request should be persistent and continuous.
In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the agent with such an expression as you will receive. It may be rendered in an active form by “God will give it to you” or “you will receive from God.”
May be complete is more literally “may be full.” So that your happiness may be complete may be rendered in some languages “so that you may be completely happy” or “so that there may be nothing lacking in your being happy.”
So that translates a Greek conjunction (hina), which normally denotes purpose, but in the present context it appears to indicate result. However, in Jewish thought the ideas of purpose and result are not easily distinguished in declarations of God’s will.
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 .
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name: This sentence indicates that until that time the disciples had not asked God for things in Jesus’ name. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:
So far you have asked nothing in my name. (Revised English Bible) -or-
You haven’t done this before. (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
You have not asked for anything in this way before. (Contemporary English Version)
Until now: This phrase means “in the past.” For example:
before (Contemporary English Version) -or-
So far (Revised English Bible)
you have not asked for anything in My name: The pronoun you is plural and refers to the disciples. The phrase asked for is short for “asked God for” and means “prayed to God for.”
in My name: See how you translated this phrase in 16:23.
16:24b
Ask and you will receive: This clause encourages the disciples to pray to God, asking him for what they need. It assures them that God would answer their prayers.
Ask: This verb is short for “Ask God for” and refers to praying to God regularly and repeatedly.
and you will receive: This clause is short for “you will receive from God what you asked for.” In some languages it is more natural to say what the disciples will receive:
and you will receive it (NET Bible) -or-
Then it will be given to you. (Contemporary English Version) -or-
⌊God⌋ will give you ⌊what you asked for⌋
16:24c
so that your joy may be complete: This clause indicates the purpose of the disciples’ asking and receiving. It means “so that you may be completely happy.” The disciples would be joyful when they saw God’s love and concern for them in fulfilling their needs and requests. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
so that you will be completely happy (Contemporary English Version) -or-
so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy (New Century Version) -or-
so that you will be as joyful as possible
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