2nd person pronoun with low register (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 second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Luke 15:32

Exegesis:

euphranthēnai de kai charēnai edei ‘but we had to enjoy ourselves and to be glad,’ with hēmas ‘we’ (i.e. ‘we in the house’) understood; the clause refers to the inner compulsion which the coming home of the younger son caused. euphranthēnai refers to external celebration, charēnai to inner feeling.

ho adelphos sou houtos ‘your brother here,’ echoes ho huios sou houtos in v. 30, and implicitly criticizes the note of contempt in those words.

ezēsen ‘he began to live again,’ synonymous with anezēsen in v. 24.

apolōlōs ‘(he was) lost,’ with ēn understood.

Translation:

It was fitting to, or, “but we had to” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation, Good News Translation), ‘how would it have been possible not to,’ the personal pronoun to be taken as exclusive, where that distinction is obligatory.

Be glad, or, ‘rejoice,’ see 1.14.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:32

15:32a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces the conclusion and climax of the parable. In this verse the father declared that it was necessary to celebrate the fact that his other son had come home.

This verse is in contrast to the fact that the son was refusing to celebrate. His attitude was like the Pharisees’ complaint that Jesus ate with sinners (15:2). In this verse Jesus gave the concluding statement of his answer to the Pharisees.

Some English versions have “but” here. In some languages this may be confusing because the contrast is not mainly with the preceding verse (15:31). Some English versions do not have a conjunction here. You should translate in a way that is appropriate to introduce the father’s statement and also to conclude the parable.

it was fitting to celebrate and be glad: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it was fitting to celebrate and be glad is more literally “it was necessary/fitting to celebrate and be glad.” The Greek text does not specify who needed to celebrate. Another way to translate this clause is:

It would have been wrong not to celebrate and be happy

In many languages it will be necessary to supply a pronoun such as “we.” If you need to further specify “we(excl)” or “we(incl),” here are some factors that you may need to consider in deciding which form you need to use in your language:

(a) The father wanted the older son to join in the celebration. The context implies that all of them should celebrate, including the older son.

(b) The older son was not present when the celebration started.

(c) The father’s statement “it was necessary to celebrate…” explains why they were already celebrating. It also implies that the older son should not be refusing to celebrate.

15:32b–c

because this brother of yours: Notice that the phrase this brother of yours is similar to the phrase “this son of yours” which the older son had used with contempt in 15:30a. The father may have used this similar phrase as an implied rebuke to his older son. He may also have used it to remind his son of his family relationship with his brother.

was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found: These figurative expressions are repeated exactly from 15:24a and 15:24b. See the notes there.

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