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). 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.
Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:3:
Uma: “They do all that to you, because they do not know my Father, and I also, they do not know me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They will do this to you because they do not know my Father nor me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason they will do this to you is because I and my Father, they do not know us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They will do these-things because they don’t know my Father and me.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “They really will do this because they don’t recognize/know me, or the Father either.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “This will happen to you because they have never come to know my Father nor me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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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.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
People will do these things to you may be expressed in some languages as “people will make you suffer in this way.” It must be clear, of course, that the reference is to what is described in verse 2.
The phrase to you (found in some Greek manuscripts) was perhaps added by some scribe on the basis of 15.21. However, whether or not these words are considered an original part of the Greek text, they are essential in translation, and so it is legitimate to include them.
Some translations render have … known as Good News Translation does, while others have “knew” and still others “know.” The verb is in the aorist tense, which is best taken here as expressing a constant truth, that is, “they have (never) known.” As in many similar contexts, it is important to use a verb for know which indicates intimate acquaintance with, or knowledge based upon close association. The verb must convey something more than the mere possession of information about someone.
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 .
They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me: This sentence explains the reason why unbelievers would kill Jesus’ disciples. The reason was that they did not truly know God or Jesus himself. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:
People will do these things to you because they have not known either the Father or me. (Good News Translation) -or-
They will act like this because they have never had the true knowledge of the Father or of me. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English) -or-
They will do this because they have not known the Father and they have not known me. (New Century Version)
They…they: This word refers to anyone who would persecute or kill the Christians.
will do these things: The phrase these things refers to persecuting Jesus’ disciples and specifically killing them. It refers back to 16:2b. Try to use a phrase that implies doing harm or evil. For example:
will do such things (New International Version) -or-
will do these things to you (Good News Translation, God’s Word) -or-
will act in this ⌊evil⌋ way
because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because here introduces the reason why people will persecute Jesus’ disciples.
they have not known the Father or Me: This clause indicates that these people did not really or truly know God or Jesus. They knew who God was and they knew who Jesus was. However, they did not have a personal or close relationship with either God or Jesus. See the notes on 14:7a–b and 15:21b. Here is another way of translating this clause:
they have never ⌊truly⌋ known the Father or me
In some languages it may be natural to repeat the verb. For example:
they have not known the Father and they have not known me (New Century Version)
have not known: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have not known here indicates a constant truth. These people had never come to know God or Jesus, and they did not at that present time either. Some think that the sense of the verb is “failed to recognize” or “did not learn that” (Jesus was God’s Son). Here are other ways to translate this Greek verb:
they don’t know (Contemporary English Version) -or-
they have never known (New Living Translation (2004))
the Father: This phrase refers to God the Father. In some languages it is more natural to say use a personal pronoun:
my Father
Me: This word refers to Jesus. These people knew his name and his earthly home but they did not recognize that he was from God.
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