Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the master of the slave).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:10:
Noongar: “In the same way, this will happen to you. When you have done everything, all the things you were told to do, you should say, ‘We are only servants; we only did those things that we must do.”” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “So also you. If you have finished following all that God commanded to you, say (emphatic): ‘As for us (excl.), we (excl.) are just ordinary slaves. What we (excl.) do is just what was commanded to us (excl.).”” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Likewise also you. When you have done everything that you have been told to do, say, ‘We (incl.) are servants not worthy to be praised, because we (dual) only did what we (dual) were given to do.”” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And you are also like that. If you have finished what God has caused you to do, place it in your minds that you are just servants of God and you have only obeyed His commandments to you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It is the same also with you (pl.). If you have finished all that God instructed you to do, you ought to say, ‘We are only servants. We have only done the work that was our duty.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Of course it is indeed like that with you (pl.). If you have done as much as you were ordered to do by God, don’t think that that obeying of yours will bring you much praise. On the contrary, you are to say, ‘We(excl.) are only slaves. We are only following/obeying our job/responsibility.”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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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).
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.
In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.
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®).
houtōs kai humeis … legete ‘so you also … must say.’ It is also possible to take houtōs kai humeis as independent, ‘so you also,’ i.e. ‘so with you too,’ “it is the same with you” (Good News Translation), but this appears less probable. houtōs kai draws a parallel between the servant of v. 9 and Jesus’ hearers.
panta ta diatachthenta humin ‘all you were told to do.’
douloi achreioi esmen lit. ‘we are useless servants.’ For the various interpretations of achreioi cf. commentaries, especially Plummer, Lagrange. Here it refers to servants who are aware that they have done only what they ought to do, and no more. Hence achreioi is best understood as expressing the servant’s modesty, cf. Grundmann, and New English Bible, “deserve no credit”.
ho ōpheilomen poiēsai pepoiēkamen ‘we have (only) done what we ought to do.’ The perfect tense of pepoiēkamen denotes an act that has been accomplished.
Translation:
Say, i.e. to each other; hence the subsequent pronouns are taken as inclusive, e.g. in Huautla Mazatec.
Unworthy servants, i.e. ‘undeserving servants’ (see Exegesis), ‘servants who do not deserve (or, are not worthy of) praise/thanks/reward/credit.’
Only, or, ‘nothing more than,’ cf. on 4.8.
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.
So you also: The clause So you also indicates that Jesus was comparing the situation of his disciples to the situation of the servant. Some other ways to translate this are:
So you ⌊disciples, you⌋ too, ⌊like that servant⌋ -or-
It is the same with you (Good News Translation)
17:10b
when you have done everything commanded of you: The clause everything commanded of you is literally “all the things commanded you.” It is a passive clause. It refers to all the orders that their master had given them. The master that is implied here is either God or Jesus. Most scholars seem to indicate that God is implied.
In some languages it may be necessary to translate it as an active clause and supply a subject. If that is true in your language, some ways to do this are:
• Supply a general subject like “master.” For example:
when you(plur) have done everything that ⌊your master⌋ has told you to do
• Supply God or Jesus as the subject. For example:
when you(plur) have done everything that ⌊God⌋ has told you to do -or-
after you have done all that ⌊your master God⌋ has ordered you to do -or-
when you obey me (New Living Translation (2004))
17:10c
should say, ‘We are unworthy servants: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as should say refers to what the disciples should think. It does not imply here that a disciple should say the following words aloud to someone else.
Some ways to translate 17:10c are:
• As a thought expressed in the disciples’ own words. For example:
should say to yourselves, “We are unworthy servants…” -or-
should think, “We are servants and do not deserve ⌊any praise⌋…”
• As a thought expressed indirectly. For example:
should think/realize that you are unworthy servants -or-
should have the attitude that you do not deserve ⌊praise⌋ for serving your master
We are unworthy servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unworthy in this context means “not deserving thanks” or “not worthy of praise.” Some other ways to translate this are:
We are not worthy of praise. (New Living Translation (1996)) -or-
We are ordinary servants (Good News Translation)
Jesus wanted his disciples to be humble and to recognize that God did not owe them anything.
17:10d
we have only done our duty: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as we have only done our duty is literally “we have done what we were obligated to do.” Some other ways to translate this are:
we have done what we were supposed to do -or-
we have merely done what we ought to have done -or-
we have simply done what ⌊our master⌋ told us to do
If you translated 17:10c as indirect speech, you can continue to use it here. For example:
10c…you should think/realize that you are ordinary servants. 10dYou have only done your duty.
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