Honorary "are" construct denoting God (“say”)

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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 morpheme are (され) is 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, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 36:6

Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: Here God is addressing Ezekiel again, telling him what else to tell the land of Israel. The connector Therefore introduces this additional message as a response to what the land has suffered from its enemies. For prophesy see Ezek 36.1; for mountains, hills, ravines and valleys, see Ezek 36.4.

Thus says the Lord GOD: See Ezek 36.2.

Behold, I speak in my jealous wrath: Behold renders the emphatic Hebrew word hinneh. Here it highlights the following message of God’s judgment on Israel’s enemies. In my jealous wrath is literally “in my zeal and in my anger” (similarly King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible). For the Hebrew word rendered jealous, see the previous verse. Here God’s wrath, that is, “anger” (Good News Translation), is made explicit. This phrase may be rendered “in my great anger.”

Because you have suffered the reproach of the nations means Israel has endured the “insults” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible), “taunts” (Revised English Bible) or “scorn” (New International Version, Christian Community Bible) of other nations (see 34.29). In many languages it will be clearer to make the nations the subject of this clause; for example, Contemporary English Version says “Nations have insulted you” (similarly Good News Translation), and New International Reader’s Version has “They [the nations] have laughed at you” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This clause gives the reason for God’s judgment on these nations, which is mentioned in the next verse, so it may be more natural for some languages to say “You, Israel, are the one that other nations have insulted and humiliated. Because of that [or, For that reason]….”

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 .