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 Ezekiel 36:23

And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name is literally “And I will sanctify my great name” (King James Version / New King James Version), which means “I will show how holy my great name is” (New Living Translation). For holiness and name, which refer to the pure character and reputation of God, see verse 20. Great does not refer to large size here but simply describes God’s exceptional reputation. The clause may be rendered “I will protect my good reputation.” An even better model is “I will show that indeed I am worthy of people worshiping me.”

Which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them: See the comments on verse 20. Many translations combine these two clauses (so Good News Translation, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). For languages in which repetition is clumsy and awkward, and passive verbs are unknown, this is acceptable. But the repetition here serves the purpose of stressing that the Israelites were responsible for bringing dishonor upon God, and translators will do well to try to incorporate this emphasis. International Children’s Bible keeps it by saying “It has been dishonored among the nations. You have dishonored it among these nations.” For languages that do not have passive verbs, a possible model for the first half of this verse is “I will look after my good reputation. I am feeling shame before the nations. Yes, you Israelites have caused me to feel shame before those nations.”

And the nations will know that I am the LORD: When God acts to protect his reputation by intervening on behalf of his people, the nations will recognize that Yahweh is God. For this recognition formula, see verse 11.

Says the Lord GOD: This solemn formal declaration stresses that God will do what he promises (see verse 14).

When through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes: Here God repeats what he said at the beginning of this verse but with a few small changes. Through you shows that what God will do to protect his own reputation will involve the Israelites, that is, what God will do to save the Israelites will protect his own reputation. The beginning of this clause may be rendered “What I will do for you” or “When I act to save you.” God uses the shortened form my holiness instead of repeating the holiness of my great name, but the meaning is the same. Finally, before their eyes shows that the nations will see what God will do for Israel. For this whole clause New International Reader’s Version has “So I will use you to show the nations how holy I am.”

The last half of this verse may be expressed as follows:

• When I act to save you, that will show those nations that I am worthy of people worshiping me. Then they will know that I am Yahweh. This is what I, the Lord Yahweh, declare.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .