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). This 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).

goes out into the sewer

The Greek that is translated as “goes out into the sewer” is translated in Kuku-Yalanji as “doesn’t stay there” and in Chipaya as “it goes to the outside.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Matthew 15:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 15:17:

  • Uma: “The food that enters into our (incl.) mouths continues into our (incl.) stomachs and from there is immediately thrown-away. That is not what makes us (incl.) evil in the sight of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Do you not understand that whatever food enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes out?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t you think that what we put in our mouths goes into our stomachs and from there goes on out of our bodies? That’s not what displeases God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Don’t you know that what a person causes-to-enter his mouth, it goes to his stomach and them comes-out?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Don’t you know that whatever goes into the mouth, where it goes to is the abdomen/bowels, and then it exits.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Don’t you know that concerning all the things a person eats, it goes to the inside of the person and then afterwards is passed out?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 15:17

Do you not see … and passes on? is in the form of a lengthy rhetorical question which many readers will find difficult to decipher. In order to make it less difficult, Good News Translation divides the question into a brief question (“Don’t you understand?”) followed by a statement. As a careful reading of Revised Standard Version implies, the question intimates that the disciples do not yet understand, and so the anticipated reply would be a negative one.

The mouth may strike some readers as somewhat odd; Good News Translation has “a person’s mouth,” and Barclay “a man’s mouth.” New English Bible handles the problem in a slightly different fashion: “whatever goes in by the mouth.”

And so passes on (Revised Standard Version footnote “is evacuated”) is a reference to the evacuation of body waste through the bowels. In translation care should be taken that the way of stating this is natural, but yet not offensive. New English Bible renders “and so is discharged into the drain”; New Jerusalem Bible has “and is discharged into the sewer.”

The entire verse may be reformulated as two or more statements, thus avoiding any rhetorical questions: “You still don’t understand what I am talking about. I mean that whatever a person eats, first goes into his mouth, then into his stomach, and finally it goes out of his body.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 15:17



15:17

Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a mild rebuke. It also emphasizes that whatever enters the mouth is not important. It is not important because it goes into the stomach and then out of the body.

Here are some other ways to translate this rebuke and emphasis:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? (Contemporary English Version)

• As a statement. For example:

Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes out of the body. (New Century Version)

Translate this rebuke and emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

15:17a

Do you not yet realize: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as realize means “understand.” For example:

Don’t you understand? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Don’t you know (Contemporary English Version)

whatever enters the mouth: This expression refers to the food that a person puts into his mouth. For example:

the food that enters the mouth (New Century Version)
-or-
the food you put into your mouth (Contemporary English Version)

15:17b

is eliminated: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is eliminated is literally “goes out into the latrine.” The Berean Standard Bible uses a euphemism here for the literal Greek words. (A euphemism is a figure of speech that substitutes acceptable words for words that may embarrass or offend people.)

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a euphemism. For example:

then goes out of the body (New Century Version)
-or-
is eliminated (New American Standard Bible)

• Translate it more literally. For example:

then passes out into the sewer (NET Bible)

-or-

then into a toilet (God’s Word)

You should use a term that will be acceptably polite when your translation is read aloud in church. You should not use a term that only applies to a modern toilet.

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