complete verse (John 5:43)

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)

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 most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

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. )

Translation commentary on John 5:43

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 .