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.
The Greek that is translated as “my Father” in English is translated in Matumbi as Tati’ bangu’ or “my fathers.” “Our Father” is translated as “our Fathers” (and likewise “our ancestor” as “our ancestors”). Matumbi uses a majestic plural as an honorific when addressing parents. (Source: Tim Macsaveny)
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).
Following are a number of back-translations of John 5:43:
Uma: “I came here bringing the name of my Father, but you do not want to receive me. If there are those who come bringing just their own names, you receive them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Even though I came (and) have been given authority from my Father God, you do not believe me. But if a different person comes who gives himself authority, you will believe him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My Father God sent me here, and I use his power, but in spite of that you do do not receive me. If another one comes and he uses his own power, you will receive him (by contrast).” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Here I have come here, my Father having given my authority, and you don’t receive/accept-me. But if someone else comes who speaks-highly-of his own authority, he is the one you will receive/accept.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I came here because I was entrusted-with-the-responsibility by my Father (to go for him), but you are not receiving me. Although it’s like that, if there’s another who will come here of his own will, you will receive him all right.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “My Father sent me but you don’t believe me. If a companion of yours comes and speaks his own words you believe him more.” (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.
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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 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).
With my Father’s authority (New English Bible “accredited by my Father”) is literally “in the name of my Father.” Here “the name” is taken as equivalent to the authority, a use that “name” frequently has in biblical thought. It is also found in the corresponding phrase in this verse which Good News Translation renders with his own authority (literally “in his own name”; New English Bible “self-accredited”). See comments at 14.13 for a discussion of “in my name.”
In some languages I have come with my Father’s authority may be rendered “I have come as one who represents my Father,” but it is probably better to use such an expression as “I have come as one whom my Father has sent to represent him.” It may also be expressed as “I have come as one whom my Father has specially sent.”
Have not received is actually in the present tense in Greek. It may be intended to focus attention on the present situation (note Jerusalem Bible “you refuse to accept me”). Good News Translation translation (have not received me) suggests that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus had a wider reference. This translation may be rendered in some cases “have refused to have anything to do with me” or “have pushed me aside” or “have not been willing to listen to me.”
It seems preferable to take the someone of this verse as a general axiom rather than as a specific reference to a particular person. It contrasts the Jews’ unwillingness to accept Jesus and their willingness to accept anyone who comes in his own authority and seeks his own praise.
The clause when, however, someone comes with his own authority may be rendered as conditional, for example, “if someone who speaks only for himself comes.” However, the condition may be divided into two parts, for example, “if someone comes and speaks only for himself” or “… has no authority other than his own.”
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 .
I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me: This is a proof that the religious leaders did not love God. Because Jesus came from God, they would welcome him as God’s messenger if they loved God.
5:43a
I have come in My Father’s name: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in My Father’s name indicates that Jesus came with God’s authority. God sent Jesus to be his representative on earth. He appointed Jesus to speak and act for him.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
I have come with my Father’s authority. (Good News Translation) -or-
I have come with the authority my Father has given me. (God’s Word) -or-
have come from my Father and speak for him (New Century Version)
I have come: Jesus had come from God to earth. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate either where Jesus came from or where he came to. For example:
God sent me here -or-
I have come to you (New Living Translation (2004))
5:43b
you have not received Me: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you have not received Me means “you reject me.” Jesus was not feeling sorry for himself but pointing out what the Jewish leaders were doing. They were rejecting the one that God sent. For example:
you have no welcome for me (Revised English Bible) -or-
you have rejected me (New Living Translation (2004))
5:43c–d
but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him: In these clauses Jesus speaks of anyone who might come and preach without anyone sending them. He is speaking in general of those whom God has not sent. So in some languages it may be natural to use plural forms here. For example:
Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. (New Living Translation (2004))
See General Comment on 5:43c–d for a suggestion of how to reorder these clauses.
5:43c
but if someone else comes in his own name: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as if someone else comes in his own name refers to someone who comes only on his own authority. No one else sent him. For example:
But when another person comes, speaking only for himself (New Century Version) -or-
When, however, someone comes with his own authority (Good News Translation)
5:43d
you will receive him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you will receive him means “you (plur.) will receive/welcome that person.” The word receive is based on the same root word as “received” in 5:43b, where they did not accept Jesus.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
you will accept him (New Revised Standard Version) -or-
you gladly welcome them (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 5:43c–d
In some languages it is more natural to reorder these clauses. For example:
43d you will accept someone else 43c who on his own authority says he is from God -or-
43d you will welcome people 43c who come on their own (Contemporary English Version)
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