Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“scold/rebuke”)

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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 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, shikaritsuke-rare-ru (叱りつけられる) or “scold/rebuke” is used.

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

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

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 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, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

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

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 8:26

And he said to them refers to Jesus, and it will be necessary in some languages to be specific (Good News Translation “Jesus answered”).

The sequence of events in Matthew differs from that of Mark (4.39-40) and Luke (8.24-25). According to Matthew, Jesus first rebukes the disciples and then he orders the storm to stop, which is a reversal of the order of events in Mark and Luke. Similarly, in 14.31-32 Jesus rebukes Peter for his lack of faith before the storm stops.

Why are you afraid? (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible “… so frightened?”) is translated “Why are you such cowards?” by New English Bible. This is a rhetorical question which expects no answer but implies “There is no reason for you to be afraid!” The adjective translated afraid is a very strong word, occurring elsewhere in the New Testament only in Mark 4.40 and Revelation 21.8 (Good News Translation “cowards”). Thus it can be translated here as “scared,” “terrified,” or “fearful.” In some languages the strength of the word is seen better in a construction like “You are really terrified. Why is that?” or “… There is no reason for that!”

Men of little faith translates one word in the Greek text. It is used by Matthew also in 6.30; 8.26; 14.31; 16.8, but elsewhere in the New Testament only in Luke 12.28. A related noun is used in Matthew 17.20. See 6.30 for a discussion of men of little faith. Here the rebuke is very strong, as in “Your faith is so little,” “You don’t trust very much in God,” “Don’t you have any trust in God?” or “Your trust in God is so little. Is that good?”

Rose means “got up,” or possibly even “stood up.”

Rebuked (so New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible) is the basic meaning of the Greek verb, but it may even mean “warn” or “threaten” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). New American Bible has “took … to task,” and Good News Translation “ordered … to stop.” It is obvious from these examples that rebuked can be translated with either of two emphases. The stronger, more usual understanding requires a translation like “reprimand,” “warn,” or “speak severely to.” Another way is to say “tell (or, command) to stop.”

Perhaps it should also be noted that Matthew has the plural winds, where Mark 4.39 has the singular “wind.” The preference for the plural mirrors a stylistic feature of Matthew’s Gospel: the plural “crowds” is frequently present in place of the Marcan “crowd”; in 13.5 both “other” and “rocky ground” are plural forms (Mark has the singular); in 13.11 Matthew has “secrets” for the Marcan “secret”; in 26.15 Matthew has the plural “pieces of silver” and Mark has “silver” (meaning “money”). Translators should use singular or plural according to the normal form in their language.

Instead of sea it may be better to say “lake,” but “water” or “waves” are also acceptable.

And there was a great calm is a literal rendering of the Greek text. Jerusalem Bible renders “and all was calm again”; New American Bible retains a rather high level of language: “Complete calm ensued.” Translators should use whatever phrase is natural to indicate that all was calm again; perhaps “everything was quiet again,” or even “and the weather and lake became calm again.”

It seems clear that this happened right after he spoke. Some translations add “right then” or “at once.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .