Japanese benefactives (aishite)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, aishite (愛して) or “love” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on John 17:26

I made you known to them is literally “I made your name known to them.” Here God’s name refers to what he is, and so it may legitimately be translated by the pronoun you. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “I have shown them who you are.”

And I will continue to do so is literally “and I will make (it) known.” For stylistic reasons Good News Translation translates continue to do so, instead of “continue to make you known to them.”

In Greek the last clause of this verse reads “in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” Good News Translation renders “the love with which you loved me” as the love you have for me, and it supplies the verb may be in the clause “and I in them.” To avoid the idea of one person being in another person, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “the love which you have for me must also fill them, and I will work in them.”

In some languages it may be difficult to speak of the love which one person has for another as being in someone else. A literal rendering of in order that the love you have for me may be in them is liable to be interpreted as “that you will love them in the same way you love me.” What is intended here is that the disciples should love others in the same way that God has loved Jesus. Therefore, it may be best to translate the purpose clause in this verse as “in order that they may love others in the same way that you have loved me.” The final purpose may then be expressed as “and in order that I may live in them” or “in order that I may be joined to them.” The particular way of expressing this relationship depends upon what is semantically possible within the receptor language.

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 17:26

17:26a

And I have made Your name known to them: This clause means “I have taught these men who you are and what you are like.” See 17:6a, where a similar expression is used. The word name is a Jewish idiom referring to the person himself. In some languages it may be necessary to state this explicitly to help people understand. For example:

I showed them what you are like (God’s Word)
-or-
I told them what you are like (Contemporary English Version)

Your: This pronoun is singular here and refers to God the Father.

17:26b

and will continue to make it known: This clause indicates that Christ would continue to teach his disciples about God. For example:

and I will show them again (New Century Version)
-or-
and I will continue showing them ⌊what you are like⌋
-or-
and I will tell them even more (Contemporary English Version)

17:26c

so that the love You have for Me may be in them: This is a purpose clause. It indicates that Christ’s purpose in showing the disciples what God is like is so they will have God’s love in them. God’s love for Christ will be the love that his disciples have for others. Their love will be like God’s love. That means that they will love others in the same way that God loves Christ. Even though Jesus was praying for his 11 disciples, certainly he desires that all believers have God’s love in them. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Then the love that you have for me will become part of them. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then they will have the same love that you have for me. (New Century Version)
-or-
so that they may love ⌊others⌋ as you (sing.) love me

love…may be in them: This clause indicates that God’s love would be in the disciples. That means that the disciples would show love to others like God loved Christ. In some languages it may be natural to translate love as a verb, with the disciples as the subject. For example:

so that they might love one ⌊one another⌋
-or-
so that they will love ⌊others⌋

17:26d

and I in them: This clause means “and I myself will be united with my disciples.” See how you translated this clause in 17:23a. For example:

and I will be one with them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and that I, myself, may be united to them

I: The Greek text emphasizes this pronoun. You may want to include the word “myself” to show this emphasis. For example:

and that I myself may be in them (New International Version)

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