nurse (verb)

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “nurse” in English is translated in German as stillen or “to quiet.”

The das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) and the BasisBibel (publ. 2021) also use the same verb in Psalm 131:2 (for this choice, see here).

formal 2nd person pronoun (Spanish)

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Spanish uses a formal vs. informal second-person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Spanish Bibles all use only the informal second-person pronoun (tú), with the exception of Dios Habla Hoy (third edition: 1996) which also uses the formal pronoun (usted). In the referenced verses, the formal form is used.

Sources and for more information: P. Ellingworth in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 143ff. and R. Ross in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 217ff. .

See also the use of the formal vs. the informal pronoun in the Gospels in Tuvan and 2nd person pronoun with high register.

complete verse (Exodus 2:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 2:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then that girl who was the sister to the child came and said, ‘Should I go and look for you for any lady from Israel to breastfeed this child?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At that time his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and bring one of the Hebrew women to you to nurse the baby for you?’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then the female sibling/(sister) of the child approached/came-near the princess and asked, ‘Would- you (sing.) -like me to-get for you (sing.) one of the Hebrew women to nurse and take-care of the baby for you (sing.)?’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “That child’s sister asked the daughter of the great chief like this, ‘Could I get some Ibru woman to come and then nurse that child there [in your arms]?’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “And the sister of child came said to daughter of king of Egypt «shall I go call here for you one (fem.) who has breast from women of Hebrew, that she might come give this child breast?»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Then the baby’s/my older sister approached the king’s daughter and said, ‘Do you want me to go and find someone from among the Hebrew women who will be able to nurse the baby for you?’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with high register (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 second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person. In these verses, however, the more venerable anata-sama (あなた様) is used, which combines anata with the with a formal title -sama.

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

See also formal 2nd person pronoun (Spanish) and the formal vs. the informal pronoun in the Gospels in Tuvan.

Translation commentary on Exod 2:7 - 2:8

It must be assumed that his sister joined the princess and her servants in the excitement of finding the baby, for she did not have to call to her. She simply said or “asked her” (Good News Translation). Since the sister was last mentioned in verse 4, it will be helpful in many languages to say “the baby’s [older] sister.” In certain languages it will also be necessary again to identify Pharaoh’s daughter, as the Hebrew has done, and translate “Then the baby’s sister said to the king’s daughter” (see Revised Standard Version). Shall I go may also be expressed as “Do you want me to go….”

The nurse intended here was a “wet-nurse” (New English Bible) for the purpose of breast-feeding the child. This was an immediate need which the princess would have recognized. It should not be difficult for most translators to find a suitable term for “wet-nurse.” In some languages this person is referred to as “milk mother.” Hebrew women should not be changed to “Israelite women” (as noted in the comment on 1.15).

Go in Revised Standard Version should not be understood as a stern command. Rather it was a natural response of agreement to the girl’s suggestion. It may be rendered as “Please do” (Good News Translation), “Yes” The New Jerusalem Bible [New Jerusalem Bible], or “Yes, do so” (New American Bible). The child’s mother refers to the baby’s own mother, but of course she was also the girl’s mother.

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 .

humble form of "come" (mairu)

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 of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mairu (参る), a humble form of kuru (来る) or “come” is used.

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

See also respectful form of “come” (omie ni naru), respectful form of “come” (oide ni naru), and come (Japanese honorifics).