Japanese honorifics (1 Chronicles 21:23)

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. In this verse, o-kini mesu (お気に召す) is used, combining “please” or “do me a favor” (kini mesu) with the respectful prefix o-. Also, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) is used in go-ran (ご覧), a combination of “behold / see” (ran) and the honorific prefix go-.

Other uses of honorifics in this verse include:

  • Lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, such in this verse sashiageru (差し上げる), a respectful form of ageru (あげる) or “give,” add another level of honorifics.
  • The choice of a benefactive construction. Here, nasatte (なさって) or “do” and goran (ご覧) or “see/behold/look” n 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).”
  • The imperative construction shows the honorific form kudasai (ください), reflecting that the action is called for as a favor for the sake of the beneficiary. This polite kudasai imperative form is often translated as “please” in English. While English employs pure imperatives in most imperative constructions (“Do this!”), Japanese chooses the polite kudasai (“Do this, please.”).

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

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 21:23

Then Ornan said to David: Here the verb said may be translated “replied” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional).

Take it is literally “Take for yourself.” Ornan offers David the threshing floor as a gift, for no payment.

And let my lord the king do what seems good to him is literally “and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes.” Ornan addresses David in the third person to show respect. Good News Translation restates this sentence by referring to David in the second person while maintaining the sense of respect by saying “Your Majesty … and do whatever you wish” (similarly Nueva Versión Internacional).

See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings: Ornan used the oxen to thresh the wheat. He offers them to David, so that David can sacrifice them to God as burnt offerings (see the comments on 1 Chr 16.1). Other renderings of burnt offerings include “whole-offerings” (Revised English Bible) and “holocausts” (New American Bible).

And the threshing sledges for the wood: Threshing sledges were heavy boards with bits of rock or metal on the bottom that were used in the process of separating the husks from grain. They were normally dragged by oxen across the stone floor on which the grain had been spread out. For a fuller description of threshing sledges, see WTH, pages 15-16|fig:WTH.Threshing board.15-16.html. Other renderings include “threshing boards” (Good News Translation), “threshing-sleds” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “threshing-instruments” (American Bible). The Hebrew does not state specifically why Ornan offered to give the threshing boards, saying only for the wood. Good News Translation makes this more explicit by saying “to use as fuel [for the sacrifices].” Compare also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, which adds “To make a fire.”

And the wheat for a cereal offering: A cereal offering was an offering of grain mixed with incense and olive oil. This offering could be raw grain, finely ground grain, or grain made into cakes and then baked or fried. Instructions for the cereal offering are found in Lev 2.1-16 and 6.14-23. According to Exo 29.38-41 and Num 15.1-10, a cereal offering was to be offered with every burnt offering. Other translations of this offering include “grain offering” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible) and “meal offering” (American Bible). For burnt offerings and cereal offering, Good News Translation uses the general word “offering” without specifying either kind of offering.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .