inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Judg 18:25)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai translation uses the exclusive pronoun, excluding Micah.

complete verse (Judges 18:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 18:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then those people of the clan of Dan replied to Micah, ‘Be careful with what you say. You know that some of us have anger which may kill you and your whole household.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “[The men] of the tribe of Dan said to him — "Don’t cry out at us, otherwise some hot-headed men will attack you and it may happen that you and your family will die.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They said, ‘(It is) better if you (sing.) just be quiet, for some of our (excl.) companions might get-angry and they will-kill you (sing.) including your (sing.) family.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The men from the tribe of Dan replied, ‘You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 Judges 18:25

But the Danite soldiers are not to be bullied. They threaten Micah with death if he does not keep quiet. Translators need to find expressions that carry this menacing tone. The Hebrew word nefesh (“life”) occurs three times here, as Micah’s life and that of his family are threatened.

And the Danites said to him may be rendered “Then the Danites threatened him, [saying].”

Do not let your voice be heard among us is a rather literal rendering of the Hebrew. The Danites tell Micah to keep his mouth shut and say nothing further. This is the second time the Danites tell someone to be quiet (see verse 18.19). We might say “Quiet,” “Stop talking,” or even “Shut up!” Revised English Bible says “Not another word from you!” which is a good model.

Lest angry fellows fall upon you: The conjunction lest introduces a consequence that might happen if Micah keeps talking. Angry people might attack him and his family and kill them. New Revised Standard Version uses the connector “or else,” while New International Version has simply “or.” Many languages will use a conditional clause, for example, “If you keep this up” or “If you keep talking like this.” Angry fellows is literally “men of bitter life,” which refers to men who are easily provoked and unable to control their reactions. This expression ironically uses the Hebrew word nefesh (“life”) before the Danites tell Micah he could lose his life. New Revised Standard Version says “hot-tempered fellows,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “quick-tempered men,” both good models. Since the Danites are speaking of men in their company, some languages may prefer to say “some of these quick-tempered men.” Fall upon you is a figurative expression meaning “attack you,” but the Hebrew verb for fall (pagaʿ) is not the typical one used throughout this book. Here the root means “meet” or “encounter” (see comments on verse 8.21). The Hebrew pronoun for you is masculine plural, so it refers not just to Micah but also to the group of men accompanying him. We might say “If you don’t stop talking, these hot-tempered men will attack you.”

And you lose your life with the lives of your household is literally “and you will gather up your life and the life of your house.” This is another consequence if Micah does not stop talking. The Danites threaten him and his family with death. The Hebrew word nefesh is now repeated two more times, rendered life and lives. Originally meaning “throat,” this word often refers to the “breath” or “life” of a person, depending on the context (see verse 5.21, where it is translated “soul”). Idiomatic expressions can be used to express lose your life, for example, “lose your nose.” In this context your household (literally “your house”) does not refer to Micah’s house, but to his family. Contemporary English Version gives a very dynamic rendering here, saying “you’ll only get yourself and your family killed.” We may also say “you will cause your own death and the death of your family.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• The Danites responded, “Shut up! If you don’t, some of these angry men will attack you, and kill you and your family.”

• The Danites told Micah to keep quiet and say nothing more: “Do you want to make these hot-tempered men so angry they end up killing you and your family?”

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .