humble first person pronoun

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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 humbling suffix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In this verse, the Greek that is translated as “I” in English is translated as watashi-nado (私など), combining “I” (watashi) with the humbling suffix -nado. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

respectful form of "do" (nasaru)

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 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, nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do,” is used.

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

respectful form of "give" (kudasaru)

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 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, kudasaru (下さる), a respectful form of kureru (くれる) or “give” is used.

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

See also respectful form of “give” (tamawaru) and give (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Acts 11:17

On this verse see 10.45, 47. The same gift is, of course, a reference to the Holy Spirit. An expression such as gave … the same gift is difficult to render literally in many languages. One simply cannot “give a gift.” Under such circumstances one may translate, however, as “God gave to the Gentiles in the same way that he gave to us” or, even more specifically, “God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles in the same way that he gave the Holy Spirit to us.”

As in practically all contexts, an expression such as believed in is to be understood not in terms of “believing what a person has said” but “trusting in” or “committing one’s self to.” This implies “loyalty to” or “adherence to.”

Who was I, then, to try to stop God! translates a Greek construction that is very difficult to explain, but it is agreed that it contains two elements: (1) “who was I to try to stop God?” and (2) “could I stop God?” This final question in a number of languages may require some characterization of the speaker, such as “was I big enough to try to stop God?” or “did I have enough power to try to prevent God?” It may even be necessary to specify what was involved in “preventing God,” for example, “prevent God from doing what he wanted to do.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .