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).

Mark 13:28 - 37 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 13:28-37 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Jesús dijo: “Cuando ven un árbol brotando hojas verdes las personas que lo ven saben que el próximo día será caloroso, esto es parecido a las cinco puntos que les conté ahorita.

Cuando en el futuro las personas vean estas cinco cosas sabrán por cierto que el Hijo de Hombre está por venir.

Les advierto: Estas personas todavía no habrán muerto pero aún estarán vivos cuando lo vean con sus propios ojos. En el futuro el cielo y la tierra desaparecerán, pero mis palabras jamás desaparecen.

Les advierto: Todas las personas no saben cuando será el día o a qué hora venga, en la misma manera los ángeles y el Hijo de Hombre, todos no saben.

El único que sabe es el Padre Dios. Uds presten atención y vigilen para cuando venga, porque no lo saben.

Por ejemplo: Un hombre es dueño de una casa, y llama a todos sus siervos a que vengan y dice: “Yo me voy de viaje, uds trabajen, tú eres encargado de vigilar la puerta” y el hombre se va.

Ellos deben vigilar para cuando venga el dueño, no saben a qué hora si será en la mañana, tarde, noche o madrugada. Si ellos duermen de repente vendrá el dueño y los verá durmiendo ¿cómo sería eso?

Yo les advierto: En la misma manera todas las personas deben prestar atención y vigilar.”


Jesus said: “When you see a tree that sprouts forth green leaves, the people who see it know that the next day will be hot, it is similar with the five things I told you just now.

“When in the future the people will see these five things they will know for sure that the Son of Man is about to come down.

“I warn you: These people will not have died yet, but will still be alive when they see it with their own eyes. In the future the heaven and the earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

“I warn you: All the people do not know the day or the hour that he comes, in the same way the angels and the Son of Man all do not know.

“The only one who knows is God the Father. You must pay attention and keep watch for when he comes, because you don’t know.

“For example: A man is owner of a house and he calls all the servants to come and says: ‘I am going on a journey, you all need to work, I entrust you (one particular person) with keeping watch over the door,’ and the man goes off.

“They must keep watch for when the owner comes, they do not know at which house, morning, afternoon, evening or before sunrise. If they fall asleep the owner will suddenly come and see them sleeping, how would that be?

“I warn you: In the same way all the people need to pay attention and keep watch.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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Mark 14:1-2 in Mexican Sign Language >>

Mark 13:32-37 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 13:32-37 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus said to his disciples:

— No one knows when this terrible time of suffering will begin, of which I have spoken to you. Neither the angels in heaven know, nor even I, only God knows. But you be careful — watch and pray!

For example, a man, a master, left his house and property, went far away, and ordered his servants to manage the house, guard it and not sleep. In the same way, we are awake. We do not know when the master will return — in the evening? At night? In the morning at dawn? We do not know this. And if the watchman falls asleep, and at that very time the master returns and finds the servant sleeping? What will happen then? Therefore, I am telling you now: one thing is important, that you be awake in your heart.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Иисус сказал ученикам:

— Никто не знает, когда начнется это страшное время страданий, о котором я говорил вам. Ни ангелы на небе не знают, ни даже я — не знаю, один только Бог знает. Вы же будьте внимательны — бодрствуйте и молитесь!

Вот, например, одни человек, хозяин, оставил свой дом и имущество, уехал далеко, а слугам своим поручил управлять домом, сторожить его и не спать. Так же мы — бодрствуем. Мы не знаем, когда вернется хозяин — Вечером? Ночью? Утром на рассвете? Мы не знаем этого. А если сторож заснет, а как раз в это время хозяин вернется и застанет слугу спящим? Что тогда будет? Поэтому я сейчас вам говорю: важно одно, чтобы вы в сердце своем бодрствовали.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 13:28-31 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 14:1-11 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 13:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:33:

  • Uma: “That’s why you must be on the watch and watch out, for you don’t know the time it will happen.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore watch out,’ said Isa. ‘Don’t be careless/inattentive (lipat) because you do not know as to when this will happen.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore be on your guard and be ready, for you do not know when.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Watch-out then, be continually prepared, because you don’t know when it will happen.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore be careful and always be ready, because you don’t know when this will happen.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

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 Mark 13:33

Text:

After agrupneite ‘watch’ Textus Receptus, Soden, Vogels, and Souter add kai proseuchesthe ‘and pray,’ which is omitted by the majority of modern editions of the Greek text.

Exegesis:

blepete (cf. v. 23) ‘watch out!’ ‘beware!’

agrupneite (only here in Mark) ‘keep awake!,’ ‘be alert!’

ho kairos (cf. 1.15) ‘the time’: here, of course, as an eschatological term, it refers to the last time, the time of crisis; Translator’s New Testament ‘the appointed time.’

Translation:

For take heed see verse 23.

The time is here to be understood in terms of ‘an occasion,’ in other words, a point of time, not duration of time. This meaning is translatable as ‘occasion,’ ‘occurrence,’ or ‘this happening.’

Watch is translatable in some languages as ‘keep on looking’ (Tzotzil) or ‘wait and see’ (Tzeltal).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 13:33

13:33a

Be on your guard and stay alert!: There is a textual issue in this verse. Some Greek manuscripts have a third command that means “Pray!”:

(1) Most Greek manuscripts do not have this third command. Most English versions follow these manuscripts.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have a third command that means “Pray.” For example, the King James Version says:

Take ye heed, watch and pray

(King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), since it has stronger manuscript support. Most English versions follow this option. However, you should also check the major language version in your area. If it follows option (2), then you may want to follow it or include it in a footnote.

Be on your guard: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Be on your guard also occurs in 13:5, 13:9a, and 13:23a. In this context, it means “Stay watching.”

stay alert: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stay alert literally means “Stay awake.” It implies that they should be aware of what is happening and be ready for Jesus’ coming.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

be(plur) vigilant
-or-
be(plur) ready (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may be possible to use an idiom here.

13:33b

In 13:33b Jesus told the disciples the reason that they needed to “be on… guard.” They needed to be on guard because they did not know when Christ would return.

For: The Greek text introduces the reason with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that 13:33b is the reason for 13:33a.

you do not know: The pronoun you is plural and refers to the disciples. However, it is not only the disciples who did not know. No one else knows either.

when the appointed time will come: The words the appointed time refer to “that day or hour” in 13:32a. It is the time when Jesus, the Messiah, will return again to earth.

will come: In some languages, the verb will come can only refer to people or other beings. It cannot refer to events. If that is true in your language, you can use the verb “will happen,” or “will be complete.” For example:

when that time will happen/occur
-or-
when that time will be complete

Here are some other ways to translate the phrase the appointed time more explicitly:

when the Son of Man will return
-or-
when I will return to earth

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