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 Translator2002, 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.
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “You shall not kill/murder” or similar in English is translated in Una as “Don’t kill people” because in Una an object needed to be added. (Source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 5:21:
Uma: “‘You know the command that was said to our (incl.) ancestors long ago that says: ‘Don’t kill, and whoever kills must have his case sat/heard and be punished.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘You have heard about the teaching of the people of old saying, ‘Do not kill. Whoever kills shall be judged.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You know that which was taught long ago to our ancestors which forbad murdering, because one who murders will be sentenced to punishment.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus continued saying, ‘You have heard what was commanded to our ancestors in the distant-past, that they not kill, and if they kill a life (idiom for murder), they will be judged and sentenced to be punished.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus said next, ‘You have heard what was commanded the people of long ago, ‘Do not kill, for whoever takes (lit. severs) the life of his fellow man, he will have to answer for it to the judge.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “You have heard the word taught to the old-time people long ago, that they were told: ‘Do not murder. Concerning the people who murder, they must be judged and punished,’ they were told.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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).
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 5:21-26:
y´The Bible says, “Don’t murder!” and “Condemn a murderer!”
But I condemn you for being angry and hating someone
or for calling anyone a worthless nobody —
Do this, and you will be doomed and in danger of hell!
When you kneel to worship God, try to remember —
Is someone angry with you?
If so, forget about worship, until you run and make peace!
Has someone accused you of doing wrong?
Hurry and settle the matter
before you are thrown into prison and impoverished.
You have heard that it was said to the men of old is restructured by Good News Translation as “You have heard that people were told in the past.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “You know that it has been said to our ancestors” (Jerusalem Bible “You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors”; New American Bible “You have heard the commandment imposed on your forefathers”). The impersonal passive form of it was said can possibly mean “people of the past said”; however, in the New Testament such a passive always introduces a divine utterance or a scriptural quotation. One may therefore translate “You know that God said….” Many translations will therefore use a sentence such as “You know God said to your ancestors” or “People have told you what God said to your fathers of long ago.”
The men of old refers primarily to the “Sinai generation.” However, all subsequent generations are also included. The same construction occurs in verse 33. The phrase is usually translated as “your ancestors” or “your fathers of long ago.” Note that it refers to all those people, not just to the males.
You shall not kill comes from Exodus 20.13, while whoever kills shall be liable to judgment echoes Deuteronomy 17.8. Good News Translation correctly translates “murder” as the meaning of kill. Both the Hebrew and the Greek verbs mean murder or assassination, not just any form of taking life.
The distinction between “murder” and “kill” has often proved a problem for translators. “Murder” specifically means killing that is not legal or sanctioned by the community, nor is it accidental. Thus killing in battle or sanctioned executions are not included in the commandment You shall not kill. Usually a language will have a way of referring to murder, either with a specific word or with a phrase such as “killing from anger” or “killing of one’s own volition.” Such expressions should also exclude killing accidentally.
The shall, of course, is not a simple future reference but an imperative: “you must not” or “I forbid you.” You is in the singular in the text.
Whoever means “anyone who,” “any person who,” or “that person who.”
Liable to judgment (Good News Translation “brought to trial”) is translated “answer for it before the court” by New Jerusalem Bible and “stand his trial” by Phillips. The verb may, however, mean “guilty,” as it does in 26.66. One commentator, accepting the meaning “guilty” (that is, “condemned by the properly constituted authority”), is convinced that it is here equivalent to “be put to death.” In this case the properly constituted authority would be the twenty-three members of the local Sanhedrin. See comments at verse 22 for coordinating the translation of this term with its use there.
Translators who follow the first interpretation, the one in Good News Translation, will use the normal expression in their language for being brought to trial: “accused before the judge,” “will be taken to court to be tried (or, judged),” and so forth.
Other translations will follow the second interpretation, whereby judgment implies “guilt.” They might say “found guilty by the judge” or “the judge will declare him guilty.” A common West African expression is “the judge will cut the case against him.”
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 .
In this section, Jesus explained one difference between the way that Jewish religious leaders interpreted the law of Moses and the correct interpretation of the law. Jewish religious leaders taught that God will judge a person who murders. Jesus taught that murder is the outward sign of evil inner attitudes. He taught that God will judge a person who is angry just as he will judge a person who has murdered. He spoke in such a strong way to show that reconciling is very important (5:23–26).
The rest of chapter five as well as chapters six and seven describe how a believer’s righteousness is to surpass “that of the scribes and Pharisees” (5:20).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Avoid becoming angry and reconcile with your fellowman
-or-
Make peace with people whom you have offended
-or-
Teaching about anger and reconciling
Paragraph 5:21–22
In 5:21, Jesus continued his sermon. In some languages it may be natural to indicate that Jesus continued speaking here. For example:
⌊Then Jesus said,⌋
-or-
⌊Jesus continued speaking⌋
5:21a
You have heard that it was said to the ancients: The clause it was said to the ancients refers to the law that Moses gave to the Israelites. The people listening to Jesus would know that he was referring to the law of Moses.
In some languages, it may be necessary to use more direct language. For example:
You have heard that the law of Moses says (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
You have heard what Moses commanded our ancestors long ago
You have heard: The clause You have heard indicates that most people had not read the commandments themselves. They had heard someone read them or explain them. In addition, this clause implies that everyone was familiar with the words that Jesus would say.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
You have heard ⌊the teachers of the law say that⌋
it was said to the ancients: The word ancients refers to the ancestors of the Jews who lived several hundred years before Jesus.
This clause it was said to the ancients is passive.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
• Use a passive form. For example:
our ancestors were told (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
our forefathers were told (Revised English Bible)
• Use an active form. The law, Moses, or even other teachers are all possible agents who could have spoken this command to the rest of the Israelites. For example:
⌊the law⌋ commanded the people long ago
-or-
the people long ago received ⌊this command:⌋
5:21b
Do not murder: Most versions are like the Berean Standard Bible and use the word murder to translate the Greek verb in this clause. Most scholars also understand the Greek word to mean murder, rather than the more general word “kill.” To murder means to kill someone unlawfully. Murder generally does not occur when a person kills someone in war, or when the government executes a criminal, or when a person accidentally kills someone.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Do not kill ⌊anyone⌋
-or-
Do not ⌊unlawfully⌋ kill ⌊another person⌋
Here Jesus quoted one of the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). In Moses’ time, when God spoke to the people of Israel, he often used the singular “you,” as in this verse. He did this because he considered the people to be one nation. In the same way, the clause Do not murder is singular in Greek just as it is in the Hebrew Old Testament. But this commandment is general and addressed to everyone.
In some languages, people make general commands by using “you” (plural), or by using “we,” or by using “he,” “one,” or “a person.” For example:
You (plur.) must not murder ⌊anyone⌋.
-or-
A person must not murder ⌊anyone⌋.
Here, and in similar contexts, use whichever form is most natural in your language.
5:21c
and: Here the word and indicates that 5:21c is the second part of what the people had heard regarding murder.
Anyone who murders:
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
If you commit murder (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the person who kills another person
-or-
whoever murders (English Standard Version)
will be subject to judgment: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be subject to judgment refers to being tried before a judge (or judges). This probably implies that the person who commits murder will be both judged and punished.
This clause is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive form. For example:
will be judged ⌊and punished⌋
-or-
will be brought to trial (Good News Translation)
• Use an active form. For example:
⌊the local authorities⌋ will judge him
-or-
⌊they⌋ will judge/try him ⌊and punish him⌋
Here, this clause refers to a human court of law. But 5:22a repeats this clause, where it probably refers to God’s judgment. If possible, translate this clause in a way that you can use it in both contexts.
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