complete verse (Exodus 22:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “Because you are my people, do not eat meat from an animal killed by a wild animal. Instead of you eating (it), you throw it to the dogs to eat.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You will be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts. Throw it to the dogs.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘You[pl] are my chosen people, so you[pl] are- not -to-eat meat of any animal that has-been-killed by a wild/cruel animal. You[pl] should-feed this to the dogs.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘You (pl.) must show that my mark of ownership is resting on you. Therefore when a wild animal strikes your tame animal so that it dies, you can’t/mustn’t eat its flesh. Throw it to the dogs.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “You will be my people who be holy. Therefore, animal which wild animals kill, you not (imp.) it eat. Give dog it.»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “You are people who are completely dedicated to/set apart for me. And I detest the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals. Therefore you should not eat such meat. Instead, throw it where the dogs can eat it.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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 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 Exod 22:31

You shall be men consecrated to me is literally “And men of holiness you shall be to me.” This may be understood either as “You are to be my holy people” (New International Version) or as “You must be men set apart for me” (Durham). Good News Translation favors the second meaning and condenses it: “You are my people.” Consecrated or “holy” here means that the Israelites were “set apart” for God. In other words they were Yahweh’s special possession.

Therefore is the usual conjunction waw, which here introduces a result clause. One may say “Since you are my people, then you shall not…” (similarly An American Translation and Moffatt). You shall not eat uses the plural you. Any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field is literally “flesh in the field of a torn animal.” This refers to “the meat of any animal that has been killed by wild animals” (Good News Translation). The word for in the field is missing in some of the ancient versions, possibly because it is implied by the word for “torn animal.” You shall cast it to the dogs simply means, as Good News Translation expresses it, “give it to the dogs.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .