inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 27:8)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Acts 27:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:8:

  • Uma: “It was very hard for us to go along the coast of the island of Kreta. At-last we arrived at the ship stopping-place called Good Stopping-place, near the town of Lasea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (excl.) followed-the coastline and even though it was difficult for us (excl.) we (excl.) eventually arrived at the harbor/docking-place named in our (dual) language, ‘Good Harbors.’ That was not far from the town of Lasea.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We did not go very far away from the shore, and our travel was very difficult. After a long time we landed in the place called Good Landing Place near the town of Lasea.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But even though we (excl.) kept-close-to-the-edge along Creta, we (excl.) had-difficulty nonetheless until we (excl.) arrived at what was called Good Docking-Place which was close to the town of (lit. at) Lasea.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When we had crossed to the other side of that island, we continued our voyage gradually keeping close to shore. However it really took us a long time to be able to reach a docking place called Good Docking-place which was near the city of Lasea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 27:8

The coast is literally “it” in Greek; the reference, of course, is to the southern coast of Crete. There is some question as to whether the phrase with great difficulty should be taken with the verb we kept close to or with the verb came, as the Good News Translation has done. Most translators take it with the first of these two verbs (for example, An American Translation* “with difficulty coasted along it and reached a place”).

In all of these “we” passages there is the possibility of the reader assuming that those identified by we were the sailors. One must, therefore, in some languages translate as “the ship in which we were going kept close to the coast” or “the ship in which we were, traveled along very close to the land.”

Safe Harbors appears in most translations as “Fair Havens.” Both Safe Harbors and Lasea were towns located on the southern side of Crete about midway. The name Safe Harbors may be translated as “harbors for protecting ships” or “harbors where ships could remain safe.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 27:8

27:8a

After we had moved along the coast with difficulty: After going down the east coast of Crete, they turned west to sail along the southern coast of Crete. But the winds were still from a little north of west, so sailing into the headwind was difficult.

27:8b

a place called Fair Havens: The Greek words are literally “a certain place being called Fair Havens.” The word “certain” probably indicates that Luke did not expect his readers to know where Fair Havens was.

Fair Havens: This name means “Good Harbors.” It implies a safe place for a ship from wind and waves.

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