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. )

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“answer”)

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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) 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, kotae-rare-ru (答えられる) or “answer” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Luke 7:22

Exegesis:

apokritheis ‘answering,’ i.e. to their question of v. 20.

tuphloi anablepousin ‘blind people are regaining sight.’ The present tense is repetitive and refers to what happens regularly. This applies also to the subsequent clauses of v. 22. The fact that several of them reflect Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messianic age is the implicit answer to John’s question whether Jesus was ‘the coming one.’

anablepō ‘to look up,’ here, ‘to gain or, regain sight,’ preferably the latter.

chōloi peripatousin ‘lame people are walking.’ For peripateō cf. on 5.23.

chōlos ‘lame,’ ‘crippled,’ ‘limping.’

leproi katharizontai ‘lepers are cleansed,’ cf. on 4.27.

kai kōphoi akouousin ‘deaf people are hearing (again).’ kai is best understood as being inserted for stylistic reasons, i.e. in order to interrupt the series of asyndetic clauses.

nekroi egeirontai ‘dead people are raised,’ cf. on v. 14.

ptōchoi euaggelizontai ‘to poor people the good news is being brought.’ For ptōchoi cf. on 4.18 and 6.20. euaggelizomai ‘to proclaim good news’ (cf. on 1.19 and 2.10) is used here in the passive with a personal subject indicating the person to whom the good news is brought.

Translation:

Go, or, ‘go back’ (Javanese, Balinese).

What you have seen and heard. In Shona 1966 the so-called applied form of verbs is used, giving the shade of meaning, ‘what you have seen for yourselves and heard for yourselves.’

The blind receive their sight, or, ‘can see (again),’ or, ‘become seeing (again),’ or, ‘see now’ (Kekchi, ‘now’ indicating the change of former circumstances). For ‘to see,’ when used intransitively in the sense of ‘to have the faculty of sight,’ some languages have a specific form, e.g. Batak Toba; elsewhere the transitive verb can be used in this sense when a generic object, ‘space,’ is added (Tzeltal).

The lame walk, or, ‘the crippled/limping walk properly’ (Bahasa Indonesia, Sundanese). The term for lame may lit. mean ‘foot-dead’ (Trukese); or, ‘having just one foot/leg.’

Lepers are cleansed, or, ‘lepers become clean,’ and see on 4.27.

The deaf, or, ‘those who can’t hear’; the Chuukeseterm lit. means ‘ear-closed.’

To hear, in the sense of, ‘to have the faculty of hearing’ is, again, expressed by a specific verbal form in e.g. Batak Toba, and by ‘to hear space’ and ‘to hear the air (i.e. all that is in the air, or, in a person’s surroundings)’ in Tzeltal and Tae.’

The dead are raised up, or, ‘dead people arise, or, come to life (again), or, live again’ (Sranan Tongo, Tae’ 1933).

The poor have good news preached to them, or again, ‘the poor receive/can hear the good news,’ ‘someone preaches the good news to the poor.’ For to preach good news see on 3.18.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:22

7:22

Jesus did not ignore the question that John’s disciples asked (7:20). He wanted them to see the miracles that he was doing (7:21). It was on this basis that he replied to them here in 7:22.

7:22a–b

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So is often translated as “and.” Here it introduces what Jesus did next. He answered the messengers from John. He used the miracles that he had been doing as the basis for his answer. Some English versions translate this connection as “And” (Revised Standard Version) or “Then” (New Living Translation (2004)). Some other English versions do not translate it (Good News Translation). Connect this verse to 7:21 in a way that is natural in your language.

He replied: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He replied is literally “replying, he said to them.” Your language may require you to specify to whom Jesus replied. You could say “them,” or you could use another word or expression to clarify that this refers to the men whom John had sent. In your translation, use an expression that clearly refers to the two men mentioned in 7:18b and 7:20a. Other ways to translate this are:

he replied to the messengers (New International Version)
-or-
he told John’s disciples (New Living Translation (2004))

7:22c

The blind receive sight: The phrase The blind receive sight means “people who were blind can now see.”

the lame walk: The phrase the lame walk means “people who could not walk can now walk.”

lame: A lame person is someone who is permanently unable to walk.

7:22d

the lepers are cleansed: This clause is passive. Some other ways to translate it are:

those who have leprosy become well
-or-
lepers receive cleansing/healing
-or-
People who have leprosy are being healed (Contemporary English Version)

lepers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lepers could describe people who had several different skin diseases. Scholars disagree as to whether these diseases included what modern medicine calls leprosy (Hansen’s disease). They agree that in New Testament times the Greek word referred to dreaded skin diseases. People believed that these diseases were spread by contact with someone who had the disease. A person who had one of these diseases was also considered ritually unclean. Some ways to translate this word are:

• Use a general phrase that describes the nature or significance of the disease. For example:

dreaded skin diseases (Good News Translation)
-or-
serious skin diseases
-or-
contagious skin diseases

• Use a term that refers specifically to leprosy. For example:

leprosy
-or-
something like leprosy

A term that refers specifically to leprosy may be appropriate in areas where readers are already familiar with the term “leprosy.” If you decide to use a word that means “leprosy,” it is recommended that you add a footnote to give more information. For example:

The disease that is mentioned here refers to various contagious and dreaded skin diseases. A person who had one of these diseases was considered ritually unclean. According to the Jewish law, he was not allowed to associate with other people or to worship in the Temple.

See the notes on 4:27a and 5:12b.

cleansed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as cleansed refers to the lepers’ status under the Law of Moses. People who had leprosy were ritually unclean or impure. They were not allowed to participate in public religious ceremonies or to worship God in the temple. They had to live away from other people who did not have this disease. When they were healed, they became ritually clean, and then they were allowed to enter the temple again and participate in community activities.

Here are several ways to translate the word cleansed here:

• Translate both the idea of healing and the idea of becoming ritually pure. For example:

⌊healed and⌋ ritually cleansed

• Translate only the idea of healing here. For example:

cured (New International Version)

• Translate only the idea of becoming ritually pure. For example:

made ⌊ritually⌋ clean/pure

See the notes on 4:27b and 5:12d.

7:22e

the deaf hear: The phrase the deaf hear means “deaf people become able to hear again.”

the dead are raised: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate this without using a passive verb. For example:

people who have died become alive again
-or-
dead people have come back to life

7:22f

the good news is preached to the poor: This is a passive clause. Some other ways to translate it in this context are:

poor people hear the Good News (God’s Word)
-or-
the poor have good news proclaimed to them (NET Bible)
-or-

⌊I⌋ am telling good news to poor people

Jesus told good news to poor people. The clause good news is preached to the poor occurs in a list that mostly includes miracles. Jesus listed different things that the Old Testament said that the Messiah would do. See Isaiah 61:1–2 and Luke 4:18–19. Jesus implied that he was showing that he was the Messiah by doing those things.

preached: The word preached here means to proclaim or tell good news. Use a word in your language that is natural for telling good news to people. Do not use a word that refers only to what a preacher does in church.

the poor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the poor normally refers to people who lack enough food, clothing, or other necessities. It can also refer to people who are needy in other ways. They may lack status, or they may be oppressed by other people. In the Bible the poor often refers to people who know that they need God to help them.

In this context, Jesus referred to the people that he preached to. These people were poor in different ways. If possible, use a word that can refer to different types of poverty, including spiritual needs. If your usual term for poor people is not used in other senses, you might choose a more general term. For example:

those in need (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
those who are in want
-or-
those who are without resources

See how you translated poor in 6:20b.

General Comment on 7:22c–f

In 7:22c–f Jesus talked about these amazing things that were happening without saying who was doing them. It was very clear that he was doing them himself. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

22c
⌊I⌋ am giving blind people their sight, making lame people able to walk again, 22dcleansing/healing lepers, 22emaking deaf people able to hear again, and raising dead people to life. 22f⌊I⌋ am proclaiming the good news to the poor.

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