The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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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.
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).
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 third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used. In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.”
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
Jesus’ answer to his opponents indicates that he is not trying to honor himself; if he were, that honor would be worth nothing. The verb translated to honor and the noun rendered honor are literally “to glorify” and “glory.” Both are used in a variety of ways in John’s Gospel. In the present context the idea of “to bring honor to” and “honor” are perhaps the nearest English equivalents. The closest equivalent of honor in some languages may be “praise” or “causing praise.” The response of Jesus may then be translated “If I were merely praising myself, such praise would be worth nothing.”
Worth nothing is literally “nothing”; New English Bible translates “worthless.” This expression may be rendered in some instances “would have no value at all” or “would not equal the smallest coin.”
Some ancient Greek manuscripts read your God, using indirect discourse, while others read “our God,” using direct discourse. Good News Translation uses indirect discourse (the very one you say is your God); New English Bible uses direct discourse (“he of whom you say, ‘He is our God’ ”). Although the Greek manuscripts vary between indirect and direct discourse, there is no difference in meaning. The translator should use the structure that is natural for the language into which he is translating.
The very one you say is your God is equivalent in some languages to “he is the same one that you say is your God” or “he is the same one you claim as your God” or “… you address as God.”
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 .
If I glorify Myself: This clause refers to something that did not happen, a condition that was not fulfilled. Jesus did not in fact glorify himself. He did not give himself praise, honor, or glory. The Greek text emphasizes the word I to contrast with his Father glorifying him in 8:54b. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
If I were to seek my own glory (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
If I praised myself
-or-
If it were me that honored myself
My glory means nothing: This clause indicates that praise that one gives to oneself has no meaning. It is unimportant or worthless. Because Jesus did not glorify himself, this clause refers to a situation that was not real. This would be the situation if Jesus praised himself—but he did not. Use an expression that refers to something that could be the case, but is not. For example:
my glory would be worth nothing (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
that honor would be worthless
-or-
it would mean nothing (Contemporary English Version)
8:54b
The One who glorifies Me is My Father: Jesus said that God his Father was the one who glorified him, who gave him honor. There is a contrast to the idea in 8:54a that Jesus gave himself honor. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
The one who honors me is my Father. (Good News Translation)
-or-
My Father is the one who gives me glory. (God’s Word)
8:54c
of whom you say ‘He is our God’: This phrase gives some further information about Jesus’ Father. He is the God of the Jews, (the God whom the Jewish people worship). There is a textual issue here:
(1) Some Greek manuscripts have the quotation in direct speech and say “our God.” For example:
the one of whom you say, ‘He is our God’ (New Jerusalem Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)
(2) Some Greek manuscripts have the quotation in indirect speech and say “your God.” For example:
you say he is your God (New Century Version)
(King James Version, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, Good News Translation, New Century Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1). However, the meaning of the two options is the same. You should use whichever form of speech is most natural in your language here. For example:
about whom you people say, ‘He is our God’ (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
The one who honors me is my Father—the very one you say is your God. (Good News Translation)
He is our God: This clause indicates that Jesus’ Father, the one who gave Jesus glory, was the God of the Jews. And Jesus and the other Jews all believed that he was the only true God. Other peoples worshiped different gods, but the Jewish people only worshiped the one God.
In some languages it may be natural to supply a verb indicating in what sense Jesus’ Father was our God. For example:
He is the God whom we (excl.) worship/honor
-or-
He is the God to whom we (excl.) pray
General Comment on 8:54b–c
In some languages it may be natural to reorder 8:54b–c. For example:
My Father, 54c whom you say is your God, 54b is the one who praises me.
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