Japanese benefactives (semete)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, semete (責めて) or “reproach” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Joshua 22:23

Verse 23 lists the three main kinds of sacrifices: (1) burnt offerings, in which the whole animal was burned on the altar; (2) offerings of various kinds of cereals and grains; and (3) fellowship offerings (see 8.31). In verse 27, the second word of the three used there, sacrifices, is a general term for all kinds of offerings on the altar.

The evident intention of listing these three types of sacrifice is to be comprehensive; therefore they may be combined into something like “any kind of sacrifices.”

Verses 22-23 may be placed together in such a way as to avoid some of the overlap, and at the same time to make a more logical presentation:

• “We appeal to the LORD, the Almighty God, as our witness. He knows why we did this, and we want all of Israel to know it too! If we built this altar in order to rebel against the LORD or to break our covenant with him, then may the LORD himself turn us over to you so that you can kill us today. We did not build this altar with the intention of burning any kind of sacrifices on it….”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 22:23

22:23a

If we have built for ourselves an altar to turn away from Him: It may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

If we built an altar to turn away from the Lord (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

to turn away from Him: This is the same phrase that was used in 22:16. See how you translated it there.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

If we have built ourselves an altar so that we could turn against Yahweh
-or-
If we built the altar in order to disobey Yahweh

22:23b

and: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and can also be translated as “or.”

to offer burnt offerings: The phrase burnt offerings was used in 8:31. You should translate this term the same way as in that verse. It refers to animals that were totally burned as an atonement for sins. See Letiticus 1:1-17 for more information about burnt offerings.

and grain offerings: The term grain offerings refers to offerings of wheat. For more information on grain offerings, see Letiticus 2:1-16.

or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it: The phrase fellowship offerings refers to sacrifices in which part of the animal was burned, and the rest of the animal was eaten by the worshipers. Many English versions refer to these offerings as “peace offerings.” The people who ate the animal had fellowship with Yahweh. See Letiticus 3:1-17 for more information about peace/fellowship offerings.

The Hebrew word translated here as fellowship offerings was used in 8:31. See the note in 8:31a.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

or to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, and peace offerings on it,
-or-
And if we built an altar to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or fellowship offerings on it,

22:23c

may the LORD Himself hold us accountable: The Hebrew sentence that the Berean Standard Bible translates as may the LORD Himself hold us accountable is more literally “May Yahweh himself demand.” This is an oath formula. They are asking Yahweh to punish them if they have sinned against him.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

may Yahweh himself demand an accounting from us
-or-
let Yahweh himself punish us

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