The Hebrew that is translated as “before you,” “to you” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) as pamaso panu, lit. “on your eyes.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 139:7:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Where can I go wanting to free from your Spirit?
Where can I flee to go away from your sight?” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Where will I be able to hide from Your eyes?
Where can I go to escape from Your presence?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“Where can- I -flee from your (sing.) Spirit?
Where can- I -go that you (sing.) are-not-there?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“Where would I run to go from your Spirit?
Where would I run from your presence?” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Niende wapi kuwa nikuepuke wewe?
Nikimbilie wapi ambako wewe hauko?” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Where could I go to escape from your Spirit?/ I could not go anywhere to escape from your Spirit.
Where could I go to get away from you?/I could not go anywhere to get away from you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.
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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.
In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.
Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”
In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.
Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).
In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.
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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-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.
In verses 7-12 the psalmist praises Yahweh’s power to be present everywhere; this thought is not only a comfort but a warning as well, since it reminds him that nowhere can he escape Yahweh’s notice. In verse 7 the two lines are parallel and synonymous: go from and flee from, and thy Spirit … thy presence. The question in Hebrew is a way of saying that it is impossible to get away from Yahweh’s presence; it does not imply, however, that the psalmist wants to get away from him.
Yahweh’s “spirit” is his presence and power. Good News Translation has not used the word “spirit” here, since the Hebrew ruach in this context, parallel with “face” in the next line, means Yahweh himself, not the use of his power to give life and strength (see its use in 51.11; 104.29-30). See also Bible en français courant “you … your presence”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “you … you”; Traduction œcuménique de la Bible “your breath … your face.” It should be noticed that in English there is a considerable difference of meaning between “spirit,” with a lowercase initial letter, and “Spirit,” spelled with a capital initial letter. Especially in the context of the Bible, “the Spirit of God” will be understood by the Christian reader to mean “the Holy Spirit,” in terms of Christian theology. So Revised Standard Version and New International VersionSpirit should not be imitated; New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible “spirit” is better. But best of all is to say “you” or “your presence.” The two questions in verse 7 may require a reply, namely “Nowhere.” In some languages it will be more natural to recast these questions (or this single question if reducing the two to one) as negative statements; for example, “There is nowhere I could go where you will not also be” or “No matter where I go you will always be there.”
The psalmist speaks of the most distant places in the universe, in all of which Yahweh is present; neither in heaven above nor in Sheol below (see 6.5 and comments) would he, the psalmist, be beyond Yahweh’s knowledge and care.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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-mae (御前) or “before (God)” in the referenced verses. In some cases in can also be used in reference to being before a king, such as in 1 Samuel 16:16.
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