work(s) (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-ude (みわざ) or “work (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Translation commentary on Psalm 40:5

The structure of the parallelism in verse 5 has two summaries. The first, none can compare with thee, refers to God, and the second one, they would be more than can be numbered, refers to the great things God has done. In the Hebrew order of the parallelism, line b carries line a forward by expanding it and making it a bit more specific. These lines belong semantically together. However, the summary line c interrupts, since the next line, proclaim and tell, refers to the great things. By shifting line c to the position of b, Good News Translation has broken up the first two parallel lines but has related the original line b to the remainder of the verse. Translators may do the same, but they may find that this is not necessary.

The psalmist praises the LORD’s goodness, speaking of the wondrous deeds on behalf of his people (see comments on 9.1), and his thoughts toward them, that is, his purposes and plans for them. Revised Standard Version Thou hast multiplied, besides not being natural English, is not a very good translation of the Hebrew, which is better rendered “Many (or, great) are the wonderful things you have done.” Good News Translation has rearranged the material in the first part of the verse for greater ease of understanding (see also Bible en français courant).

Revised Standard Version O LORD my God translates the Masoretic text; Good News Translation follows one Hebrew manuscript (and Syriac) “O LORD our God.” Most translations follow the Masoretic text.

The words translated none can compare with thee (similarly Good News Translation and others) may mean “they cannot be recounted to you” (see New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version); the verb translated “compare” means “prepare, set in order.” This meaning, while possible, does not seem very probable here.

The LORD’s acts of love and kindness are so many that the psalmist would not be able to list them all, if he tried to do so; they are more than can be counted. The passive expression, they would be more than can be numbered, may have to be recast to say, for example, “no one could count them,” “they would be so numerous no one could say how many they were,” or “they would be more than I have numbers for counting.” Some languages will prefer to use a direct quotation such as “I will speak of them like this, ‘They are too many to count.’ ”

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 .