before / in the sight of / presence 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-mae (御前) or “before (God)” in the referenced verses. In some cases in can also be used in reference to being before a king, such as in 1 Samuel 16:16.

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

See also presence (Japanese honorifics) and before you / to you.

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 16:16

Verses 16-17 are a summary statement about these three major festivals (see Exo 23.17; 34.23), making it clear that all Jewish males (twenty years and older) had to be present at the central sanctuary.

Appear before the LORD your God: be present at the place of worship.

At the place which he will choose: the central sanctuary. For this first sentence Good News Translation has “All the men of your nation are to come to worship the LORD three times a year at the one place of worship.” As indicated at the beginning of this chapter, “your” may be also rendered as “our [inclusive].” However, another possibility is “all Israelite men.” So Contemporary English Version has “Each year there are three festivals when all Israelite men must go to the place where the LORD chooses to be worshiped.”

They shall not appear … empty-handed: see 15.13. This can be stated in a positive form: “Everyone shall take something to offer to the LORD.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .