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 8:49

In this verse Jesus replies to the accusation that he is demon-possessed. He says that this charge cannot be true, because he honors the Father. Then Jesus brings a charge against his opponents (but you dishonor me), which implies that by dishonoring him, they have dishonored the Father. Jerusalem Bible may suggest that they are not yet dishonoring Jesus (“but you want to dishonor me”). Some commentators believe that the verb dishonor more nearly means “you fail to respect me” (New American Bible) or “you fail to honor me” (Anchor Bible). It is true that his antagonists fail to give proper honor to Jesus as God’s own Son, but in the present context they also dishonor him by accusing him of being demon-possessed. It is not merely something they would like to do, as Jerusalem Bible suggests, but something they are actually in the act of doing.

In some languages honor is often expressed in terms of “praise,” for example, “I cause my father to be praised.” The final clause in this verse would then be translated “but you speak against me” or “say disgraceful things about me.”

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 8:49

8:49a

I do not have a demon: Jesus denied what his accusers said in 8:48. They said that a demon caused him to speak as he did. Jesus said that what they accused was false. Translate this clause as one that clearly denied the insult in 8:48. For example:

I have no demon (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am not possessed by a demon (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
No…I have no demon in me (New Living Translation (2004))

Jesus replied: The Berean Standard Bible places the words Jesus replied after the quotation of his words. Place this quote introducer where it is natural in your language. For example:

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon” (New Revised Standard Version)

8:49b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (8:49a) to a positive statement (8:49b). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

I do not have a demon, rather/instead I honor my father.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

I don’t have a demon in me. I honor my Father (Contemporary English Version)

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

I honor My Father: The word honor here indicates that Jesus respected and obeyed God, who was his Father.

8:49c

and: This conjunction connects and contrasts what Jesus did and what his opponents did. In some languages it may be natural to translate it in a way that makes the contrast more explicit. For example:

I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. (Good News Translation)
-or-
I honor my Father—and yet you dishonor me (NET Bible Bible)

Nearly all English translations that use “but” in 8:49b use and here and leave the contrast here implied. You should translate this conjunction in the way that is most natural in your language.

you dishonor Me: The word dishonor here means to say evil things about someone so that others will not respect that person. Jesus’ opponents tried to make others hate him by saying that he was possessed or controlled by a demon. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

you refuse to honor me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you are trying to dishonour me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
you are saying evil/shameful things about me

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