complete verse (Deuteronomy 32:47)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 32:47:

  • Kupsabiny: “I am saying like that because these laws are not for nothing, but for your life. If you honor these laws, you shall live/stay for many days in that land that you are going to take on the other side of the river of Jordan.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Those words are no small matter for you. Rather they are your very life. By them, having crossed over the Jordan, you will live many years in the land you are going into to possess."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These commands are not just an ordinary words; these will-give you (plur.) life. If you (plur.) will-obey them you (plur.) will-live long in the land that you (plur.) will-possess beyond/across Jordan.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “These instructions are very important. If you obey them, you will live a long time in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan River to occupy.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 32:47

It is no trifle for you, but it is your life: see 30.20. This emphasizes the seriousness of the matter; what Moses has taught the people is not something insignificant that they can take or leave. Their very existence as a people depends on their obedience to the Law. Contemporary English Version has a helpful model: “The Law isn’t empty words. It can give you long life….”

Thereby you shall live long in the land: see 30.20. Thereby means “by means of it” and refers to obeying the Law, and Good News Translation has “Obey them [the teachings] and you will live….”

Possess: see 1.8. For parallels see 4.26, 40.

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 .