Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“order/command”)

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, meiji-rare-ru (命じられる) or “order/command” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Exod 40:29

And he set the altar of burnt offering again uses the verb meaning “he placed.” This altar was the larger one for offering sacrifices that had to be outside the tent itself, but within the enclosure. It was placed at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, which means that it was “near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting” (New International Version). As explained at verse 2 above, the two terms, mishkan and ʾohel moʿed, should be read in apposition with one another, since both are referring to the tent itself. (See the comment at 39.32.)

And offered upon it the burnt offering is literally “and on it he caused to go up what goes up.” As explained at 24.5, the words for offered and burnt offering are from same root. (See the comment there.) And the cereal offering, literally “and the gift,” refers to an offering of “grain.” (See Leviticus 2 and the comment at 29.41.) As the LORD had commanded Moses is the sixth time this formula is used in this section. (See the comment at verse 19 above.)

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 .