formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on John 4:20

My Samaritan ancestors is literally “our ancestors,” but in translation “our” may be ambiguous, unless explicitly marked as exclusive. And you Jews (so also New English Bible; New American Bible “you people”) is literally “you” (plural). The woman is, of course, contrasting the viewpoint of her Samaritan people with that of the Jewish people concerning the place of worship.

In contrast with the ambiguous use of our in verse 12, in which it is impossible to decide between the inclusive and exclusive implications, here it is clear that “our ancestors” must be understood as exclusive. In many languages “our ancestors” is rendered “our grandfathers” or “our fathers from ancient times.” To make clear that these are “our Samaritan ancestors,” one may say “our grandfathers from this Samaria region.”

In Greek there is no stated object of the verb worshiped, but Good News Translation makes the object explicit (worshiped God).

This mountain is a reference to Mount Gerizim. Even after their temple was destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 128 B.C., the Samaritans continued to use that mountain as their place of worship. The Samaritans were as firm in their worship on Mount Gerizim as were the Jews in their worship in Jerusalem; they interpreted the one sanctuary law of Deuteronomy to refer to Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem.

Where we should worship God is literally “where it is necessary to worship.” As in other passages where the verb “it is necessary” is used, the reference here is to the necessity imposed by the divine will. (See at 3.14 and 4.4.) Where we should worship God may be rendered in some languages “where we ought to worship God.” The divinely imposed necessity may even be expressed by saying “where God says that we should worship him.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .