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 16:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:5:

  • Aguaruna: “But now, returning to the one who sent me I tell you this. Not even one of you says to me, ‘Where are you going?'”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And even though I will return now where my Father is, the person who sent me, not one of you asks me what it means that I will return.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “But now, I am about to go to my Father who sent me, and there is not one of you who asks where I am going.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But now I am telling you because I am soon leaving, going back to the one who sent me. And none of you asks me as to where I am going.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But now I am returning to my Father who sent me and none of you asks me where I am going.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I tell-it now, because I am returning to the one who sent me. And here none of you inquires as to where I am going?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus further said, ‘Today/now, I will now go home to the one who sent me, but there’s not even one of you who is asking about this where I will go home to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now I am going and will live where my Father who sent me lives. Now none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 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.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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).

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

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("send")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, tsukawas-are-ru (遣わされる) or “send” is used.

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 16:5

16:5a

Now, however: The time word Now here means “very soon.” This time contrasts with “from the beginning” in 16:4c.

I am going to Him who sent Me: This clause means “I am returning to God who sent me.” Jesus was with God his Father before his birth on earth, and now he would return to him in heaven. See how you translated this same clause in 7:33.

to Him who sent Me: The phrase Him who sent Me refers to God the Father. In some languages it is more natural to make this explicit. For example:

I am going back to the Father who sent me (Contemporary English Version)

16:5b

yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’: None of the disciples were asking Jesus about his journey, or how and why he was going back to his Father.

yet: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as yet is often translated as “and.” Here it introduces something that is the opposite of what is expected. (Here, yet means “although that is true” or “but.”) Both 16:5a and 16:6 begin with the Greek word meaning “But.” So it may be best to use a different expression here. See the General Comment at the end of 16:7a. Here are other ways to translate this word (with context):

and not one of you is asking me (NET Bible)
-or-
None of you asks me (New International Version)
-or-
Now I am going back to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me (New Century Version)

none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’: The words Where are You going? are reported in direct speech as a quotation inside a quotation. In some languages it is more natural to translate this inner quotation as indirect speech. For example:

yet none of you is asking me where I am going (Good News Translation)

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