formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

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 Translator 2002, 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 Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). His disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

See also formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese).

Come and see that he is alive (image)

“Jesus allows himself to be touched by all. This picture shows a selection of all types of people from various regions and even a foreigner.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnawong in TIPs see here.

See also Thomas with the risen Christ (image).

joy

Click here to view graphically

The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated with “joy” or “gladness” in English is translated with various strategies:

  • Baoulé: “a song in the stomach” (see also peace (inner peace))
  • Bambara: “the spirit is made sweet”
  • Kpelle: “sweet heart”
  • Tzeltal: “the good taste of one’s heart”
  • Uduk: “good to the stomach”
  • Mískito: “the liver is wide open” (“happily letting the pleasures flooding in upon it”) (source for this and above: Nida 1952)
  • Mairasi: “good liver” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
  • Hausa Common Language Bible: farin ciki or “white stomach.” Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling,” happiness / joy, and exceeding joy.

complete verse (Luke 24:41)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 24:41:

  • Noongar: “Still they could not believe. They were overjoyed and very surprised; so Jesus asked them, ‘You have bread or meat to eat, don’t you?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “They could scarcely believe that it was really He. They were amazed carried by the joy of their hearts mixed with confusion. That is why Yesus asked them, he said: ‘do you have any food?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But they had difficulty to believe that it was really true for they were very glad and they wondered. Then he said to them, ‘Do you have anything to eat here?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since they were still doubting, however they were very full of joy, Jesus asked, he said, ‘Have you got any food here?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They still didn’t believe because they were excessively amazed and happy, so Jesus also said to them, ‘Is there food here?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But well, there was now so much happiness and amazement in their minds for maybe this truly was Jesus, that’s why it’s like they couldn’t yet believe. Therefore Jesus asked them, saying, ‘Is there something here still which I can eat?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Luke 24:40 – 24:41

Exegesis:

(V. 41) eti de apistountōn autōn ‘because they could not yet believe.’ The genitive absolute may be temporal, or causal, preferably the latter. For apisteō cf. on v. 11.

apo tēs charas ‘because of their joy.’ The article tēs has possessive force. The phrase goes with both apistountōn and thaumazontōn.

echete ti brōsimon enthade ‘do you have anything to eat here.’

brōsimos ‘eatable,’ here in the neuter with ti ‘something to eat,’ ‘food.’

enthade ‘here,’ ‘on/at this place.’

Translation:

(V. 41) For disbelieved, or, ‘could not believe (what he said)’ cf. on 1.20, and for wondered on 1.21.

For joy does not seem to fit in this context; perhaps it may be taken to mean, ‘this was such joyful news to them that they could not believe it’; hence, “for it seemed too good to be true” (New English Bible).

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 24:41

24:41a

While they were still in disbelief because of their joy and amazement: This clause tells how the disciples reacted when they heard what Jesus said and looked at his wounds (24:38–40). They were exceedingly joyful and amazed that they were seeing Jesus alive again. They were starting to believe, but it seemed too good to be true.

Describe these feelings in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The disciples were overcome with joy and amazement because this seemed too good to be true. (God’s Word)
-or-
They still could not believe it because they were so joyful and amazed.

they were…in disbelief: In this context the phrase in disbelief refers to believing that Jesus was really alive and they were seeing him. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

They could scarcely believe that it was really He
-or-
they could not believe that it was actually true
-or-
they struggled to believe that he was really alive

For more information on translating this sense of “believe,” see believe, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

still: In this context the word still refers to the time immediately after the disciples saw Jesus’ wounds in 24:40. Even after they saw his wounds, they still did not completely believe that he was alive. Languages have different ways to imply the meaning still, and some languages indicate it by a verb form. In some languages it is not necessary to translate it as a separate word, since it is implied by the context. Do what is natural in your language.

joy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as joy refers to great gladness and happiness. Some languages have an idiomatic way to express this meaning. Use a natural way in your language to express great, overwhelming joy. Some other ways to translate it in English are:

very glad
-or-
their hearts were dancing
-or-
they were full of joy

amazement: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as amazement is more literally “being-amazed.” It refers to feeling extremely surprised by something that is too wonderful to understand. Some languages have an idiomatic way to express this meaning. In this context the cause of the amazement is very good and joyful. Use a natural way in your language to express this type of amazement. Some other ways to express it in English are:

filled with…wonder (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
exceedingly amazed

24:41b

He asked them: The clause He asked them introduces the question that Jesus asked his disciples. In some languages it may be natural to make explicit the connection between this question and the disciples’ feelings in 24:41a. For example:

Then he asked them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
so he asked them (Good News Translation)

Connect 24:41a and 24:41b in a way that is natural in your language.

Do you have anything here to eat?: Jesus asked this question because he wanted to show his disciples that he was really alive by eating something. He wanted to prove to them that he had a real body and could eat food. He was not a ghost. In some languages it may be more natural to use a polite request or command in this context. Some other ways to translate the question are:

Please bring/give me something to eat.
-or-
Is there food here?
-or-
Could you bring me something to eat?

Translate it in a way that implies the right meaning in your language.

here: The word here refers to the room or house where the disciples were gathered.

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