formal second person plural pronoun

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 show 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 Luke 22:20

Exegesis:

kai to potērion hōsautōs ‘and in the same way the cup.’ hōsautōs refers to acts with reference to the cup comparable to what v. 19 says about the bread, i.e. taking, blessing and giving it to the disciples. The article to is best understood as referring to the cup mentioned in v. 17.

meta to deipnēsai lit. ‘after the eating of the meal/supper,’ hence, ‘after the supper,’ implying the elapse of some time between v. 19 and v. 20. For deipneō cf. on 17.8 and 14.12.

touto to potērion hē kainē diathēkē en tō haimati mou ‘this cup (is) the new covenant in my blood.’ For translational purposes the following considerations are relevant: (1) touto to potērion refers to that which the cup contains, i.e. wine. (2) The relationship between the covenant and the blood, indicated by the preposition en, is that the covenant is inaugurated by the sprinkling of sacrificial blood (cf. IDB IV, 151). The new covenant is inaugurated by the shedding of Jesus’ blood. (3) There is the same relationship between the wine and the blood of Jesus as there is between the bread and his body. For diathēkē cf. on 1.72.

to huper humōn ekchunnomenon ‘which is being shed for you.’ Grammatically the phrase goes with potērion but semantically if refers to the blood. As 11.50 shows ekchunnō is not a sacrificial term but has the connotation of murder. For the present tense cf. on v. 19, didomenon.

Translation:

Likewise, or, ‘he did the same with.’

After supper, or, ‘when they had finished eating, or, finished the meal/supper.’ The phrase modifies the event as a whole, not ‘the cup’ only.

This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood, preferably, “this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is being shed for you” (see Exegesis). For is see on v. 19. — New contrasts here with ‘old,’ ‘former’ and implies that the Mosaic covenant has become obsolete and should be replaced by the superior new one. Covenant, see on 1.72. In is instrumental here; hence ‘through,’ ‘by means of,’ ‘made by’ (Northern Grebo), “sealed by/with” (New English Bible, Good News Translation), ‘put in force by’ (Highland Totonac), ‘established/made-strong/confirmed by’; this may lead to further shifts, cf. e.g. ‘this the cup that-establishes (lit. plants) …’ (Toraja-Sa’dan). Actually it is not the object, the blood, but the process, the shedding of the blood, through which the new covenant is being established; therefore ‘my blood which is being shed’ may have to become, ‘shedding my blood’ (cf. Northern Grebo), ‘the fact that I shed my blood,’ ‘the fact that I allow my blood to be shed, or, allow people to kill me (cf. on 11.50).’

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.