Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("save")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, sukuw-are-ru (救われる) or “save” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 9:27

Therefore thou didst give them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer; and in the time of their suffering: God’s response was to punish the Israelites by means of their enemies. The words enemies, suffer, and suffering are all related words in Hebrew from the same root. They could be translated in English as follows to show the relationship of these words to each other: “… oppressors, who oppressed them, and in the time of their oppression….” In some languages such repetition of related terms would be good style, but in others it would be unnatural and unacceptable. Translators must be sensitive to the literary style of their language when translating such repetitions. For the hand of, see verse 24 above. This expression occurs again at the end of this verse and in verses 28 and 30 below.

They cried to thee: See verse 4 above.

From heaven: See the comments at Ezra 1.2.

Great mercies: See the comments at verses 17 and 19 above.

Thou didst give them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies: Saviors and saved come from the same Hebrew verb root meaning “to save” or “to rescue.” This is a key Old Testament term that is repeated in this verse in two forms. The reference here is to the judges or deliverers in the period in Israel before the monarchy (see the book of Judges).

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .