Father (address for God)

The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )

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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”

If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also Lord and my / our Father.

kingdom (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kuchi (御国) or “kingdom (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also kingdom (of God / heaven).

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”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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. )

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Scriptures Plain & Simple (Matthew 25:31-46)

Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 25:31-46:

On the day of judgment, God’s Appointed One
will appear in all his glory with his angels
       and assume his place of authority as Judge.
Everyone of every nation will be there,
and he will separate them
       as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.

“Sheep to my right! Goats to my left!”
the King will announce,
       before pronouncing final judgment:

“To you on my right, my Father now gives his blessing.
So, come and enter the kingdom prepared for you
       before the world was created or even conceived.
I was hungry, and you gave me food;
       I was thirsty, and you gave me water.
              I was a stranger, and you welcomed me;
I was naked and you gave me clothes;
       I was sick, and you cared for me;
              I was in jail, and you came to visit me.”

Though you’ve pleased me, still you’ll ask,
“When were you hungry, and I gave you food?
       When were you thirsty, and I gave you water?
              When were you a stranger, and I welcomed you?
When were you naked, and I gave you clothes?
       When were you sick, and I cared for you?
              When were you in jail, and I came to visit you?”

Then I will remind you —
Whenever you did any of these things for any one
       of those who seemed so insignificant,
              you did it fo rme.

Now for those of you on my left — Get away from me!
Go into the eternal fire God has prepared
       for the devil and his angels.
I was hungry, and you gave me no food;
       I was thirsty, and you gave me no water.
              I was a stranger, and you didn’t welcome me;
I was naked and you gave me no clothes;
       I was sick, and you didn’t care for me;
              I was in jail, and you didn’t come to visit me.

Though you’ve displeased me, still you’ll ask,
“When did I fail to do any of these things for you?”

Then I will remind you —
Whenever you turned your back on any one
       of those who seemed so insignificant,
              you turned your back on me.

Translation commentary on Matthew 25:34

The King is translated “the Judge” by Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition. This may not be the best model, since the King does no more than pronounce a judgment made by his Father (O blessed of my Father), who stands behind the scene as the real judge.

Come translates an adverb which is often used as a verb of exhortation. Here it has the force of an invitation to share in the benefits of God’s Kingdom.

The phrase O blessed of my Father often needs to be expressed with a verbal phrase; for example, “you people whom my Father has blessed,” “you who have earned the blessing of my Father,” or even as a separate sentence, “You are people my Father has blessed.” Other expressions are “you people who have received so much good from my Father” and “you are people my Father has done so much good for.” As elsewhere, Father may be “God my Father.”

Inherit is a typical Semitic figure of speech for the way in which one freely receives something from God. It is translated “Come and possess” by Good News Translation and “enter and possess” by New English Bible. See comment at 5.5.

In discussions of the kingdom we have suggested expressions such as “God’s reign (or, rule)” and “God’s New World.” However, in conjunction with inherit or “possess,” this same expression may prove awkward and unnatural. Translators may try “Come and receive the blessings (or, benefits) of God’s rule,” or they may use an active sentence with God as the agent: “Come and God will give you the blessings of his Kingdom.” See 3.2 and 5.3.

In the text, Come and inherit are separated by the vocative O blessed of my Father. In most languages it is more natural to move the vocative to the beginning of the sentence and put the two invitations together: “come and possess.”

Prepared for you from the foundation of the world presupposes God as subject of two actions: God has prepared (something) for you, and he created the world. Therefore one may translate “which God prepared for you before (or, at the time that) he created the world.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the King’s pronouncement as “Come here, you whom my Father has blessed! Receive God’s new world, which he has had ready for you from the beginning.”

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 .