respectful form of "say/speak" (mōshiageru)

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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 of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mōshiageru (申し上げる), the respectful form of iu (言う) or “say / speak” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Psalm 66:3 - 66:4

In verse 3a terrible translates the same word translated “dread” in 65.5 (see comments there); God’s mighty deeds provoke fear and awe in those who hear about them (thus “How awesome are your works” is possible). The expression How terrible are thy deeds, following the suggestion of Good News Translation “wonderful,” can often be translated by idiomatic phrases; for example, “The great things you do cause my insides to tremble” or “… make my heart jump.”

The verb translated cringe in verse 3c is used to describe defeated soldiers unwillingly paying homage to their victorious enemy (see Deut 33.29).

So tremendous and awe-inspiring are God’s mighty deeds that the whole world worships him and sings praises to him (verse 4). The last two lines of the verse are almost identical, the only difference being to thee in line b and to thy name in line c. The two may be combined into one, as Biblia Dios Habla Hoy does; if the translator chooses to have two lines, the phrase to thy name may be expressed by “in honor of thee.”

For Selah see 3.2.

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 .