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 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.

See also formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese).

complete verse (John 8:43)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 8:43:

  • Uma: “Of course you do not know the meaning of my words, because you cannot stand to hear my teaching.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Why do you not understand what I am saying? The reason that you don’t understand is because you cannot endure to listen to what I am saying.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore you cannot understand what I said because you do not want to do what I teach.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Why don’t you understand what I say? Is it that you have turned-a-deaf-ear-to (lit. deafed) what I mean to say, is that it?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Why can’t you understand what I am saying? Probably it’s because you don’t want to accept this which I am teaching.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Why can’t you understand what I say? You do not understand because you do not want to listen to what I teach you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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 8:43

In Greek there is a definite contrast between what I say (lalia) and my message (logos). The first focuses attention on the audible or spoken word, while the second emphasizes the meaning or the message involved in these words. Phillips translates the first “my words” and the second “what I am saying.” New English Bible attempts to make the same distinction, though at a rather high level of speech: “Why do you not understand my language? It is because my revelation is beyond your grasp.”

The verb rendered cannot bear in Good News Translation (so also Revised Standard Version, New American Bible) is literally “unable to hear” (Phillips “cannot hear”). The question is whether the verb “to hear” has the force of “to grasp” (New English Bible “beyond your grasp”; Jerusalem Bible “cannot take in”) or “to listen to” (Moffatt “unable to listen to”). Most translations, including Good News Translation, prefer the latter meaning. That is, the focus is on the unwillingness of these people to accept Jesus’ message, rather than on their inability to understand its meaning. Though the Greek text literally says “you are not able to hear my message,” there was obviously nothing wrong with the people’s hearing or even with their capacity to listen. It was their fundamental unwillingness to accept the message which prevented their understanding what Jesus was talking about. Therefore, in many languages you cannot bear to listen to my message may be rendered “you refuse to listen to my message.”

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 8:43

8:43a

Why do you not understand what I am saying?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used as a rebuke. Jesus rebuked the religious leaders because they did not understand what he said. There are two ways to translate this rebuke:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

Why is my language not clear to you? (New International Version)

• Use a statement: For example:

You don’t understand what I say. (New Century Version)

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

Why can’t you understand what I am talking about? (Contemporary English Version)

what I am saying: This phrase refers to the words that Jesus used, while “My message” in 8:43b refers to the meaning or message or content of what he said. Jesus said that they could not even understand the words that he spoke because they rejected his message. For example:

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message. (Good News Translation)

8:43b

It is because: This phrase introduces the reason that the listeners could not understand what Jesus said.

you are unable to accept My message: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you are unable to accept are more literally “you are unable to hear.” In this context this seems to mean that the people were not morally able to truly hear Jesus’ message. They were not deaf physically, but they were deaf spiritually. They could not really hear his message because they refused to truly listen. For example:

you cannot bear to listen to my message (Good News Translation)
-or-
you are unable/unwilling to listen to my word
-or-
you refuse to listen to my message

In some languages it may be possible to use the metaphor of being deaf. If you do this, check carefully that your readers will understand that this refers to being spiritually or morally deaf, not to being physically disabled. For example:

you are deaf with regard to my word
-or-
you are totally/quite deaf as far as my message is concerned

My message: This phrase refers to the content or message of Jesus’ words.

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