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 and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the Lord.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 36:9:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“For to You there is a fountain of life;
in your light we also see light.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“You are the source of all life.
It is by Your light that we are caused to see.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“For you (sing.) (are) the source of life.
You (sing.) enlighten/[lit. cause-to-be-lighted] us (excl.), and our (excl.) minds are-enlightened/[lit. lit].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“You are the source of life. We are able to see light because of your light.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“For the spring of water of life comes from you,
and your light shine on us.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Kwa maana kwako kuna chemchemi ya uzima,
nuru yako inatuangazia.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“You are the one who causes everything to live; your light is what enables us to see.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.
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Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.
Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”
In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.
Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).
In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.
The psalmist speaks of God as the fountain of life, that is, “the source of all life”; and light is a figure for life (see 18.28; 27.1). The idea in line b is that, because God is life and the source of it, human beings are able to have life, a “full and satisfying life” (Anderson). Dahood believes the reference is to eternal life. The expression with thee is the fountain of life must be recast in numerous languages. In some it will be necessary to say, for example, “you are the one who creates everything that lives” or “you are the one who gives life to all things.” Following the interpretation of light representing life, it is possible to translate line b as, for example, “it is your light which illumines our life” (see Bible en français courant). Another suggestion is that followed by Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “in your light we are able to see the light.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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