complete verse (Leviticus 25:46)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 25:46:

  • Kupsabiny: “You may hand over (leave as inheritance) those slaves like you leave as inheritance your wealth to come to belong to your children. It is people like these who may become your slaves. But do not be harsh to a person of Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It is also OK for you to hand them over like possessions to your children, and it is OK to keep them as slaves until they die. With your Israelite brothers, however, do not deal badly.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and you (plur.) may leave-as-an-inheritance/will them to your (plur.) children in-order-to serve them as-long-as they live. But you (plur.) are- not -to-be-cruel to your (plur.) fellow Israelinhon who (are) your (plur.) slaves.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They will be your slaves for the remaining years of your life, and after you die, it is permitted for your children to own them. But you must not act in brutal ways toward your fellow Israelis.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 Leviticus 25:46

In some languages it may be advisable to introduce this verse with words like “Later on…” as a translation of Revised Standard Version after you. This will show more clearly that the inheritance was to occur at a later time. But it has been left implicit in Good News Translation.

Bequeath … to inherit: these two words are simply different ways of looking at a single transaction. The father “bequeathed” the slaves to his sons, and the sons “inherited” them. In languages where there are no specific words for such transactions, the first word may be rendered “pass them on to your sons,” and the second as “receive them as their own.”

As a possession for ever: this is in contrast with the case of the Israelite, who was to be freed during the Year of Restoration. The foreigner was permanently kept as a slave of the Israelite family.

But: this may also be translated “in contrast” or “on the other hand.” This is a reiteration of what has been previously stated.

Rule … with harshness: see verse 43.

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 .