complete verse (Isaiah 43:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 43:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those that I made to be my people,
    so that (they) could praise my name.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I have formed that nation for myself that it may proclaim my praise."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They are the people whom I created to become mine, and in-order to praise me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Isaiah 43:21

The people whom I formed for myself describes God’s people. The verb formed is an inclusio for verses 1-21 since it occurs here and verse 1 (see the comments there). The phrase for myself expresses God’s ownership of the people of Israel and his close relationship with them.

That they might declare my praise: God made a covenant relationship with the Israelites, so that they would praise him. Declare my praise indicates that their praise of God must be public, so that others know what he has done. They are to be witnesses for God (see verses 10, 12). Good News Translation has “sing my praises,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “broadcast my praises.” New International Version and Revised English Bible are similar with “proclaim my praise[s].”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• … those whom I formed to belong to me,
so that they would praise me and make others praise me.

• Those are the people I created to be mine,
so that they would praise me publicly.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .