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

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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 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, iyas-are-ru (癒やされる) or “heal” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Matthew 9:35

As may be gathered from a reading of Revised Standard Version, all of verse 35 is one sentence in Greek.

All: this may not indicate that Jesus went to every city and village, since in Hebrew the word frequently refers to a large number. Matthew does not define what cities and villages are intended. The district of Galilee is specifically mentioned in 4.23, and in 11.21, 23 the three towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are mentioned. Chorazin and Capernaum were actually in Galilee, while Bethsaida was across the Jordan River from Capernaum, in the district of Galanitis. But in any case it would appear that the cities and villages may loosely be identified as those of Galilee. If the translation must be specific, one may render “all the towns and villages of Galilee” or “all the towns and villages near Lake Galilee.”

Languages that do not have separate words for cities and villages can say “big towns” and “little towns,” or even “all the towns.” Some translators will find it difficult to keep the exaggerated style of Matthew, all, and will say “many of the towns.”

This first sentence will be handled in different ways. Some examples are “Jesus went to all the towns and villages (in the area)” and “Jesus visited the towns and villages of that area.”

Teaching … every infirmity: see comments on 4.23. The two verses are essentially identical at this point.

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 .