complete verse (Leviticus 11:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “But other insects that have wings and legs are not clean as far as you are concerned.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It is detestable to you all winged insects that crawl.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) may eat the little-animals/little-creatures that fly and crawl which have big legs for jumping/hopping, just-like locusts, crickets and grasshoppers. But you (plur.) must- not -eat the other little-animals which fly and crawls. You (plur.) are-to-consider these little-animals detestable.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But you must detest and not eat other insects with wings that have four legs.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 Leviticus 11:23

Although the wording is not identical with verse 20, this verse repeats the same basic information. Because the information shows contrast at this point in the text, it is important to introduce it this time by a transition word such as But, marking contrast with the previous verse.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .