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. )

Translation commentary on Philemon 1:25

For the concluding benediction see Col 4.18. Here, as in other letters, Paul prays that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with them. (Some later manuscripts have “our Lord Jesus Christ,” see King James Version.) The benediction May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all must be introduced in a number of languages by some verb of prayer of petition, for example, “I pray that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ may be with you all.” Grace must often be expressed as an action or an event, and therefore the structure of this benediction must be considerably changed, for example, “I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ may show his grace to you all” or “… show kindness to you all.”

Good News Translation has you all (also Translator’s New Testament) to show that the pronoun in Greek is plural. The language of the Greek “with your spirit” (Revised Standard Version) is used only in Gal 6.18; Phil 4.23. In English, at least, “with your spirit” carries overtones and implications not present in Paul’s use of the words (see Lohse); the Greek expression means simply “with you” (plural).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Philemon 1:25

Paragraph 25 Good-bye

Read verse 25 again.

25

grace: See notes on verse 3. Paul said again that he wanted the Lord to help and bless Paul’s fellow Christians at Colosse, and he prayed for this. Verse 25 shows the way Paul ended many of his letters. (See 1 Corinthians 16:23, Colossians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:28.)

be with your spirit: This does not refer to some spirit that was separate from the Christians Paul was writing to. He was talking about the people themselves. It is another way of saying “be with you.” The word your is plural and shows that Paul wanted this grace or blessing to be with all the Christians at Colosse. Also the word spirit is singular (meaning “one spirit”). Paul was writing to them as one group of God’s united people.

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Sung version of Philemon

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