teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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-oshie (みおしえ) or “teaching (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

See also law.

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 3:19

These fighting men were to leave their families and cattle behind on the east side of the Jordan.

Your cattle (I know you have many cattle): Bashan was known for its fine cattle. For a comment on cattle or “livestock,” see 2.35.

It is possible to combine verses 18 and 19 as follows:

• At the same time I told the men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh: “The LORD our [inclusive] God has let you occupy this land east of the Jordan river. Your wives and children can stay here with the large herds of cattle I know you have. Now give weapons to all your soldiers, and they must cross the Jordan river ahead of the soldiers from the other tribes of Israel, to help them occupy their land.

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 .

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 3:19

Moses wrote this law: see 1.5. This means the book of Deuteronomy; thus Contemporary English Version translates “Moses wrote down all of these laws and teachings,” or we may say “Moses wrote down all these laws and teachings in The Book of God’s Law and gave it to the….”

Gave it: he gave the written record, that is, the book in which he had written the Law.

The priests the sons of Levi: see 18.1.

Who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: see 10.8.

Elders: see 5.23.

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 .