scripture

The Greek that is translated “scripture” or “scriptures” in English is translated as “God’s word which people wrote” in Guerrero Amuzgo (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125) and “paper writings” in Copainalá Zoque (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.).

While the term “Bible,” often used as a synonym, does not appear in the Bible itself, there’s an interesting translation of that word in Dehu. Missionaries had translated “Bible” as “Container of the Word” until they realized that this was also used for “penis sheath.” (Source: Clifford 1992, p. 87)

For other translations of scripture see all scripture is inspired by God and examined the scriptures.

form of address between the persons of the Trinity

In Hindi a differentiation is made between the way that the different persons of the Trinity are addressed by a regular person or by another person of the Trinity. When Jesus addresses God the Father or when God the Father addresses Jesus, a familiar form of address is used, unlike the way that any of them would be addressed with a honorific (pl.) form by anyone else.

Source: C.S. Thoburn in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 180ff.

complete verse (John 17:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 17:12:

  • Uma: “While I am still with them, I am the one who takes care of them with the power of your (sing.) name–with the name that you (sing.) gave me. I guard them and none of them received disaster, except for one. He must have disaster, so that they world written in the Holy Book come true.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “As long as I was here with them I have watched over the people you gave to me with the power of your name. I watched over them, therefore none is lost from you, except one, for someone had to be lost so that the writing of the holy-book would be fulfilled.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “These people you have given me, while I was still with them I kept them safe by means of the power of your name. I watched over them and there is not even one of them who will be lost. The person whose punishment was prophesied, he will be lost because the prophecy in the written word of God will be fulfilled.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “While I was with them, I protected and cared-for them by the power of your (sing.) name which you (sing.) gave to me. And assuredly none of them were separated from me except the one who was designated/destined to be punished, in order that what you (sing.) caused-to-be-written would come-true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “While I am with them, I am taking care of them through the strength of your supernatural-power which you gave to me. I have watched over them well, therefore not even one has been lost, except that person who searched for what-would-cause-him-to-be-lost, for it was also just the fulfilling of what is contained in the writings.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “While I have been with them here on the earth, I have cared for those you delivered over to me by means of your power. I have not let anything happen to them. No one was lost, except one person — he who was written about as being lost so that it turned out as written in the Holy Book.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

name (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-na (御名) or “name (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

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”.

respectful form of "give" (kudasaru)

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 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, kudasaru (下さる), a respectful form of kureru (くれる) or “give” is used.

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

See also respectful form of “give” (tamawaru) and give (Japanese honorifics).