respectful form of "do" (nasaru)

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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 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, nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do,” is used.

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

Honorary "are" construct denoting God (“do/perform”)

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 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, okonaw-are-ru (行われる) or “do/perform” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Galatians 3:5

This verse is a repetition of verse 2, but with a slight shift of focus. It summarizes Paul’s appeal to the experience of the Galatians. Again, as in the case of the question in verse 2, it may be necessary to shift this rhetorical question into the form of a statement, for example, “God does not give you the Spirit and cause miracles to happen among you because you do what the Law requires; rather, he gives you the Spirit and causes miracles to happen among you because you hear the good news and believe it.” It is possible in a number of receptor languages to eliminate some of the redundancy in this type of statement by employing appropriate pronouns to refer to the giving of the Spirit and the working of miracles.

Does God give you the Spirit is literally “He that supplies the Spirit to you.” The pronoun obviously refers to God, and this is made explicit in most translations. The verb for give expresses the idea of “supply abundantly,” “giving freely and liberally.” Paul’s use of the present tense form indicates that, for him, the experience of receiving the Spirit is not merely an experience in the past but can be thought of as being in progress, even up to the time of his writing this letter. The continuity in God’s giving his Spirit may be expressed in some languages as “he constantly gives the Spirit,” “he continually gives the Spirit,” or “he is always supplying the Spirit.”

Miracles refers to what are often spoken of as the charismatic manifestations of the Spirit. Among you may also be understood as “in you,” but most translations understand it in the same sense as Good News Translation. In a number of languages miracles are spoken of as “wonderful events” or “unexpected happenings,” while in other languages they may be referred to by idiomatic expressions, for example, “longnecked things” (referring to the fact that people stretch their necks to watch miracles) or “mouth-opening happenings” (since in surprise people are supposed to open their mouths).

What the Law requires and hear the gospel and believe it are to be understood in the same sense as in verse 2. For the Law it may be necessary to use a plural form as a collective, namely, “laws,” and, in some instances, to specify that these are “the laws that came through Moses.” Otherwise, the reference would imply merely local government regulations. Similarly, it may be necessary to indicate the object of the “Good News,” since in some languages one cannot simply speak of “Good News” without indicating what the Good News is about. In this instance it would be “the Good News about Jesus Christ.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Galatians 3:5

3:5

In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that makes it clear this verse is Paul’s conclusion or summary of this paragraph.

Some ways to translate this conjunction to introduce this conclusion are:

So then (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
So ?tell me?
-or-
Therefore (King James Version)

Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?: In this verse, Paul again used a rhetorical question. This rhetorical question emphasized something that the Galatians already knew, that they had received the Spirit by faith. This question is similar to the rhetorical question in 3:2.

Paul began the rhetorical question by summarizing two things that God did for the Galatians:

(a) he gave them his Holy Spirit

(b) he worked miracles among them

Paul continued the rhetorical question by asking the Galatians two questions: had they received these things:

(a) by obeying the law or

(b) by faith in Jesus Christ?

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As one or two rhetorical questions. For example:

Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you do what the Law requires or because you hear the gospel and believe it? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you do what the Law requires? Or is it because you hear the gospel and believe it?

• As a question followed by a statement. For example:

Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you follow the law? No, he does these things because you heard the Good News and believed it. (New Century Version)

• As a statement followed by a question. For example:

God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. But does he do this because you obey the Law of Moses or because you have heard about Christ and have faith in him? (Contemporary English Version)

• As a statement. For example:

God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. He does not do it by means of your obedience to the law. Instead it is by means of your faith in what you heard.

3:5a

lavish His Spirit on you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lavish means “give.” God gave the Holy Spirit to the Galatians. For example:

give you the Holy Spirit (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
gives you his Spirit (Contemporary English Version)

work miracles among you: This clause means that God did miracles among the Galatians. These miracles were things such as healing people or causing them to prophesy and speak in other languages. The miracles were also giving people spiritual qualities such as faith, hope, and love.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

does miracles in your midst
-or-
does amazing things among you

3:5b

because you practice the law: In Greek, this is the same phrase as in 3:2b. You should translate it in the same way. For example:

by obeying the Law (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
through keeping the law
-or-
because of keeping the law
-or-
following the law ?that God gave to Moses?

because you hear and believe: In Greek, this is the same phrase as in 3:2c. You should translate it in the same way. For example:

by means of your faith ?in the gospel? you heard
-or-
because of trusting ?in Christ? when you heard ?the Good News? .

See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary for more information.

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