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

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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, arawas-are-ru (現される) or “appear” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Isaiah 52:10

Yahweh will act to save his people from Babylonia, and the rest of the world will watch in amazement. There are several echoes here of Psa 98.1-3. This verse has a chiastic structure: God bares his arm > before the nations > < the nations see < God's salvation. The LORD has bared his holy arm is figurative language for God’s preparation to rescue his people. He is freeing (has bared) his arm, maybe even by taking off his cloak, so that he can more easily use his weapon to rescue them. This is a very human way of describing God and the power he intends to use. As in 51.9, God’s arm, represents his powerful action (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The Hebrew word for holy normally describes something as set apart for God (see the comments on 1.4). Here it implies that God’s power is “set apart for” the rescue of his people from Babylonia.

Before the eyes of all the nations indicates that God’s rescue of his people will be seen by all nations. This is hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration) since only the nations of Babylonia, Persia and surrounding areas will witness what happens to Israel and see it as God’s handiwork.

And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God means the whole world will see God rescue his people. All the ends of earth shall see is parallel and synonymous with the previous line, so Good News Translation combines them, saying “all the world will see it.” It is another hyperbole. For all the ends of the earth, see the comments on 45.22. The salvation of our God refers to God’s rescue of his people, not his own salvation. Good News Translation expresses it clearly with “he will save his people.” Revised English Bible says “the deliverance wrought by our God” (similarly Bible en français courant).

The modern versions vary in the way they treat the tenses of the verbs in this verse, but many have perfect tense for has bared and future tense for shall see. Translators may use future tense for both verbs.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Yahweh has laid bare his powerful arm
in the sight of all nations;
the whole world will witness
the victory that our God will bring about.

• The LORD will reveal his sacred power
for all nations to see;
our God’s victory will be seen
by the whole world.

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 .