formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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 8:19

The question Where is your father? is yet another instance in the Gospel where Jesus’ hearers misunderstand him, and where, on the basis of their misunderstanding, Jesus gives further teaching. This question may be raised by the Jews as a means of trapping Jesus, since they assume that they know where he comes from (7.27).

Good News Translation rearranges this verse slightly for the sake of English style, and the same restructuring is followed by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. In the Greek text, the words they asked him come first in the sentence and are followed by the question Where is your father? Then come the words Jesus answered, and his answer is given in one part, not broken into by these two words. This verse is a good example of one where restructuring is necessary to achieve good style in the receptor language. In deciding on the kind of restructuring, the translator must always consider his audience. In many languages it would be more natural to follow the order of the Greek text and to translate, for example, “They asked him, Where is your father?” The response would then be “Jesus answered, You know neither me nor my Father.”

Jesus’ words You know neither me nor my Father represent a basic theme of the Fourth Gospel, namely, that one can know the Father only through the Son, and that those who do not know the Son cannot possibly know the Father.

In some languages it would seem anomalous to say “you do not know me,” for obviously his audience was acquainted, in a sense, with Jesus. What needs to be emphasized here is “you do not really know me” or “you do not really know who I am” or “you do not know who I really am.” This would then form the basis for the final statement in verse 19, “if you really knew who I was, you would also be acquainted with my Father” or “… recognize who my Father is.”

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 8:19

Paragraph 8:19–20

The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus to tell them where his Father was. Jesus told them that if they knew him, they would know his Father. This implied that he was himself God.

8:19a

In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction that is often translated “therefore.” The English word “then” can have that meaning as well. Some English translations use the word “then” and some others use “therefore” or “so.” Other translations like the Berean Standard Bible do not translate this conjunction. The conjunction introduces the Pharisees’ response to what Jesus said about his Father. Introduce the Pharisees’ response in the way that is natural in your language.

Where is Your Father?: This is a rhetorical question. The Pharisees used it to challenge Jesus without showing respect. The leaders were challenging Jesus to show them his second witness. They did not believe that Jesus’ Father was God. They thought on a human level and wondered about Jesus’ physical father. Perhaps they knew that his mother Mary was not married when she became pregnant with Jesus. They also implied that Jesus’ father was not around.

There are two ways to translate this rebuke:

• Use a rhetorical question as in the Berean Standard Bible.

• Use a statement. For example:

Show us your father!
-or-
We can/do not see your father!

Translate this challenge in the way that is most natural in your language. You may want to translate it in a way that shows that they were mocking Jesus. For example:

And your father is where?

they asked Him: The pronoun they refers to the Pharisees and the pronoun Him refers to Jesus. In some languages it may be natural to make one or both of the pronouns explicit. For example:

the Pharisees said to Jesus

8:19b

You do not know Me or My Father: Of course the people Jesus spoke to knew who Jesus was and they knew who God was. But they did not know or understand very well either Jesus or God his Father. In some languages it may therefore be natural to translate this clause like this:

You do not ⌊truly/really⌋ know either me or my Father.

You: The pronoun You is plural because it refers to the religious leaders.

My Father: The phrase My Father is referring to Jesus’ father, God himself.

Jesus answered: In the Greek, the quote introducer Jesus answered comes before what Jesus said. Place it where it is most natural in your language. For example:

Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.” (New Revised Standard Version)

8:19c

If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well: Jesus implied that he was God. Anyone who knows him knows God. Someone who does not know him does not know God. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:

Knowing me means knowing my Father as well.
-or-
To truly know me means that you know my Father too.

If you knew Me: This clause refers to a condition that was not fulfilled. It indicates that the religious leaders did not really know Jesus. These leaders said they knew where Jesus came from, but they did not realize that he came from God. Translate this clause in a way that makes it clear that this is not a fulfilled condition. The religious leaders did not truly know Jesus. For example:

If you ⌊really⌋ knew me
-or-
If you had known me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

you would know My Father as well: This clause refers to something that was not true. The condition in the previous clause was not fulfilled and so the consequence did not happen. Indicate this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

you would have known him (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

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