Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“give”)

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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, atae-rare-ru (与えられる) or “give” is used.

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

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 20:27

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem: The pronoun they refers to every man of Judah and Jerusalem, that is, the army of Judah. For the sake of clarity this phrase may be shifted forward to become the subject of the verb returned as New Revised Standard Version has done. In order to avoid obscuring the relationship between Jerusalem and Judah, it will be better in many languages to say “all the soldiers from Jerusalem and the rest of Judah.”

And Jehoshaphat at their head may be rendered “and Jehoshaphat was in front of them all” or “with Jehoshaphat leading them” (New Living Translation).

Returning to Jerusalem with joy refers to the sense of happiness about their victory over the enemy armies. Good News Translation and Revised English Bible say simply “in triumph.”

For the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies: The soldiers of Judah rejoiced because the LORD had given them victory over their enemies. This clause may be rendered “for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies” (New International Version) or “The LORD gave them a reason to rejoice about what had happened to their enemies” (God’s Word).

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 .