Japanese benefactives (yō ni shite)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, yō ni shite (ようにして) or “do so (so that) / make it like” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

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

Translation commentary on Psalm 59:10

My God in his steadfast love is expressed by Good News Translation as “My God loves me”; the phrase can be taken to mean “my loving God.” New Jerusalem Bible has both here and in verse 17 “my faithful God.” In some languages it is not possible to speak of “my God,” and consequently one must shift to a verb phrase; for example, “the God whom I serve” or “God whom I worship.”

Will meet me: that is, he will come and save the psalmist.

The thought of verse 10b is the same as that of 54.7b; literally the Hebrew says “God will cause me to look on my enemies”–an expression of victory in battle. For the word translated enemies see comments on 54.5. The expression look in triumph on my enemies and the Good News Translation rendering “let me see my enemies defeated” in many languages will require shifting so that the two events of allowing to see and defeating are clearly marked as being done by God; for example, “he will defeat my enemies and he will let me watch him” or “he will let me watch him when he defeats my enemies.”

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 .