Japanese honorifics (Matthew 10:42)

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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

Japanese also uses a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms). Here, 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. )

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 10:42

10:42a

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones: The phrase one of these little ones refers to any disciple of Jesus. The word little is used in a figurative way to refer to a disciple of low status, not his age. He is an ordinary person and is not important.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

one of the least of these my followers (Good News Translation)
-or-
any of my humble followers (God’s Word)
-or-
one of these least important ⌊disciples of mine⌋

even a cup of cold water: Giving someone a cup of cold water to drink was a common example at that time of the smallest deed of hospitality. Even a poor person could go to the community well and get water for someone to drink.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

even a cup of cold water ⌊to drink⌋
-or-
even a drink of water (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

10:42b

because he is My disciple: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because he is My disciple is literally “in the name of a disciple” (as in the NET Bible). The meaning is the same as the similar phrase in 10:41a. This phrase indicates that the person knew the other person was a disciple and therefore gave him a cup of cold water.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because that person is my disciple (God’s Word)
-or-
because he knows/recognizes that he is my disciple

10:42c

truly I tell you: Jesus often used these words to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize.

Here are some other ways to show this emphasis:

• As a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

I tell you the truth (New International Version)
-or-
Listen to this:
-or-
Let me tell you this:

• As an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:

he will certainly never lose his reward

If you have another way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, consider using it here. See how you translated this clause in 10:23b.

he will never lose his reward: The phrase never lose is a figure of speech. It means that he “will definitely receive” a reward. Here lose does not mean that the person had a reward and then lost it.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

he will not fail to receive a reward
-or-
will certainly receive a reward (Good News Translation)

-or-

⌊God⌋ will certainly give him a reward

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