complete verse (John 18:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 18:21:

  • Uma: “So, why do you (sing.) ask me? Ask those who hear me teach. They will know what I said.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Why do you ask me? Ask the ones who heard my teaching. Ask them what I taught them. They know it.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Why are you asking me? Ask those who heard me because they know what I said to them.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Why do you (sing.) question me? You (sing.) ought to inquire from those who have been listening to me, because they know what I have been saying.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Why am I still the one for you to question? Those ones who heard my teaching, those are the ones for you to question. They know what I said.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “How come you are asking me about what I have said? Ask the people and they will tell you about what I have said. They know what I have said.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing religious leaders

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 religious leaders with the formal pronoun, showing respect. Compare that with the typical address with the informal pronoun of the religious leaders.

The only two exceptions to this are Luke 7:40/43 and 10:26 where Jesus uses the informal pronoun as a response to the sycophantic use of the formal pronoun by the religious leaders (see formal pronoun: religious leaders addressing Jesus).

In most Dutch translations, the same distinctions are made, with the exception of Luke 10:26 where Jesus is using the formal pronoun. In Afrikaans and Western Frisian the informal pronoun is used throughout.

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”.

Translation commentary on John 18:21

There is no Greek equivalent for then in Jesus’ question Why, then, do you question me? However, it is natural to include it in English, since Jesus’ question is based on what he has said in verse 20.

Question the people who heard me. Ask them what I told them is one sentence in Greek: “Ask the people who heard what I said to them.”

In Greek they know what I said begins with the interjection ide, which was discussed at 16.29. It is used for emphasis, and most translators omit it.

Jesus’ argument in verses 20-21 must be understood in the light of contemporary court procedures. According to a later Jewish law, which may have been in force in Jesus’ day, it was improper for an accused person to be asked to testify against himself. Jesus is demanding that the trial be conducted in legal fashion, with proper witnesses.

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 .