people (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-sumai (御民) or “people (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Japanese benefactives (-sete)

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-kao (御顔) or “face (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 1 Chronicles 29:18

O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers: Good News Translation uses the name “Jacob” instead of Israel to avoid confusion (see the comments on verse 10 and 1 Chr 1.34). In the formula that begins “the God of Abraham…,” the Old Testament text often uses the name “Israel” (1 Kgs 18.36; 2 Chr 30.6); but elsewhere when the three patriarchs are mentioned together, the name “Jacob” is usually used (see, for example, Exo 33.1; Deut 9.27; 2 Kgs 13.23; Jer 33.26). As in verse 15, the word fathers is better rendered “ancestors” (Good News Translation).

Keep for ever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of thy people: Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other versions understand this clause to mean that God should always keep such devotion in the hearts of his people as they have just shown. New Living Translation says “make your people always want to obey you.” It is the people who are always to have such thoughts. But New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh takes this clause in a different sense, saying “remember this to the eternal credit of the thoughts of Your people’s hearts.” According to this interpretation, David is asking God to do the remembering.

And direct their hearts toward thee means “and cause them to respond to your calls to serve you.” New Living Translation says “See to it that their love for you never changes.” For this clause and the previous one New Century Version has “Make your people want to serve you always, and make them want to obey you.”

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 .