1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Matthew 15:32

In place of Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, Mark has a more detailed introduction: “Not long afterward another large crowd came together. When the people had nothing left to eat, Jesus called the disciples to him and said…” (8.1, Good News Bible).

Then (so also An American Translation) translates a Greek particle generally rendered “But” (so New Jerusalem Bible, Phillips). Good News Translation, together with several other translations (New American Bible, Moffatt, Barclay), does not represent this particle by any particular word in translation. To render “But” in English assumes a contrast with what precedes, which is not the intention of the Greek text. In Greek the particle is frequently used, as here, merely to mark a transition.

Called (so also Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible) is a participle that is dependent upon the main verb said. The verb called was first used in 10.1; in this chapter it appears first in verse 10, then here; elsewhere in Matthew it is used in 18.2, 32; 20.25. Here “asked them to come near him” will convey the meaning.

Have compassion on represents a verb that signals the deepest possible feelings of compassion (Good News Translation, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible “feel sorry for”); it was previously used in 9.36.

They have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat is ambiguous, both in Greek and in English. It is possible to interpret the words to mean that the people had been with Jesus for three days, during which time they had gone without food. This interpretation receives at least indirect support from the observation that the adjective hungry may also mean “without eating” or “without food,” and it derives from a verb which means “to fast.” Matthew may then be describing a scene in which the people spontaneously followed Jesus, without preparing food to take along with them, and as a result they had gone without food for three days. On the other hand, Matthew may be depicting a situation in which the people had originally taken along some food with them, but now had run out of anything to eat, as is indicated by Good News Translation: (“and now have nothing to eat”), An American Translation (“and they have nothing left to eat”), and Phillips (“and have no more food”). Most translations remain ambiguous, and as a rule the issue is left undiscussed in the commentaries.

I am unwilling to send them away hungry can be expressed “I don’t want to have them leave here while they are hungry” or “I don’t want to ask them to leave until they have had something to eat.”

Lest means “so that not.” Some translations use a positive phrase beginning with “for” or “because otherwise.” Others keep the negative by saying “so that they don’t.” Another method is to use a new sentence starting with “I am afraid some of them would faint otherwise” or “I don’t want any of them to faint.”

In contexts such as this, the verb faint may mean “become weary,” “be worn out,” or “collapse” (so New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Barclay, Phillips). An American Translation translates “give out.” In other contexts it is possible for the verb to mean “give up” (Gal 6.9). “Pass out” is another possibility.

Although in itself the phrase on the way may signify travel of any sort, the present context clearly signals that the meaning is “on their way home,” as Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Bible en français courant make clear.

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 15:32



Section 15:32–39

Jesus provided food for over four thousand people

In this section, Jesus miraculously provided food for over four thousand people. He did something similar in 14:13–21. In both of these stories Jesus began with only a small amount of food, but he caused it to miraculously multiply so there was enough for all of them to eat. Matthew told us the number of the men only, even though many women and children were also there and ate.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Feeding the Four Thousand (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Four Thousand Fed (New American Standard Bible)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Mark 8:1–10.

Paragraph 15:32–39

15:32a

Then: The events in this paragraph occurred soon after the events in 15:29–31. Here is another way to indicate this:

After that

Jesus called His disciples to Him and said: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called means “summoned.” It is implied that Jesus called/summoned his disciples to talk to them. It is also implied that after Jesus called his disciples, they came. Then he spoke the words of 15:32b.

This clause does not imply that Jesus called his disciples to him from a distant place. They disciples were already with Jesus. They traveled with Jesus wherever he went.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus called his disciples ⌊to come together.⌋ ⌊When they gathered,⌋ he said
-or-
Jesus called to his disciples, ⌊and they gathered⌋ to him. ⌊Then⌋ he said

15:32b

I have compassion for this crowd: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have compassion means “feel sympathy or pity for the troubles that others have.” A person with compassion wants to help other people. Jesus understood that the people would have difficulty returning home because of their hunger. So he pitied them and wanted to help them.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I pity the crowd of people
-or-
I feel sorry for these people (Good News Translation)

You may have an idiomatic way to translate this term. The Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English has one example in English:

My heart goes out to this crowd (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

this crowd: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the crowd refers to the large crowds that were mentioned in 15:30a.

15:32c

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces the reason for Jesus having compassion (15:32b). In some languages, it may be more natural to put 15:32c before 15:32b. For example:

32cThe crowd has been with me now three days. They have had nothing to eat. 32b⌊That is why⌋ I have compassion on them.

they have already been with Me three days: The counting of the days included the day on which Jesus spoke. So he was referring to the day he spoke, the day before, and the day before that.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

this is the third day that they have been with me

have nothing to eat: The Greek does not say how long the people were without food. It was perhaps only the last day. Or perhaps they did not have anything to eat since they came to Jesus. Many English translations are also vague about this. It is recommended that you follow the Berean Standard Bible and other translations and translate in a general way. For example:

don’t have anything to eat (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they have nothing left to eat (New Living Translation (2004))

15:32d

I do not want to send them away hungry: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as send…away refers to telling the crowd go home. It does not mean “chase away.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I do not want to send them away hungry (New International Version)
-or-
I do not want to dismiss them while they are hungry.

15:32e

or: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as or means “otherwise,” “so that not,” or “in order that not.” This gives the purpose for not wanting to send the crowd away hungry. Jesus did not want them to go away if they would faint because of their hunger.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

so that not
-or-
if I do ⌊send them away like that⌋

they may faint: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faint means “become exhausted” or “collapse.” It refers to being unable to complete the journey because of hunger.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

they may collapse (New International Version)
-or-
they may become exhausted (God’s Word)
-or-
they may lose consciousness

along the way: The phrase on the way refers to the journey that the people would make in order to go home.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

while they are on their way ⌊home⌋

-or-

while they are walking/going ⌊home⌋

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