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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-sukui (御救い) or “salvation (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 67:2:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“That your paths be known on earth,
your salvation among all the races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“May all who live on earth be able to go on Your path.
Yes, May all the nations experience the power of Your salvation.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“so-that all nations in the world will-know your (sing.) ways and salvation.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“so that your ways would be known here on earth,
and all people would learn about your salvation.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Dunia yote iijue njia yako,
makabila yote yajue nguvu ya wokovu wako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“in order that everyone in the world may know what you want them to do,
and the people of all nations may know that you have the power to save them.” (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 opening prayer seems to reflect the form of the priestly prayer found in Numbers 6.24-26. For comments on the language used in verse 1, see 4.1, 6b; 31.16.
Good News Translation has used the direct form of address to God in verse 1 in order to be consistent with its use in verses 2-5; Revised Standard Version, following the Hebrew text, has the third person in verse 1 and, without a break in the sentence, the second person in verse 2.
The expressions be gracious or “be merciful” are often expressed idiomatically in many languages; for example, “show us your good heart.”
For Selah see 3.2.
The request is that all the people in the world (verse 2a earth; verse 2b all nations) may learn from experience God’s will for them (literally, his way) and his saving power. New Jerusalem Bible translates well: “Then the earth will acknowledge your ways and all the nations your power to save.” The Hebrew verb “to know” here means not only intellectual knowledge but an experiential knowledge, that is, knowledge that results from experience.
Thy way or Good News Translation‘s “your will” must often be rendered as a verb phrase; for example, “so that all the people will know what you want them to do.” Thy saving power again must often be translated as a clause; for example, “so that the people of all the nations may be saved by you,” or “so that all the nations may be saved,” or “… know that you have the power to save them.”
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 .
The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview, the second an introduction into the poetry, and the third an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 67.
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