inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Cor. 16:16)

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, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

In Huautla Mazatec, however, the translators selected the inclusive we.

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 16:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 16:16:

  • Uma: “that you really submit to them, along with all the people who work with them in the Lord’s work.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I beseech you, follow whatever people like Estepanus and whoever are their companions helping them working for God, say.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore I beg you to listen to the advice of people like Stephanas, and also anyone of our companions who very carefully obey what our Lord wants them to do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “to submit (lit. cause-to-be-ruled) to people like these and anyone else who is industrious to join-in-working for the Lord Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I’m asking-your-cooperation that you must submit to them and all those like them who strive-hard-at this kind of work.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I want that you obey what they say and also whoever else works for your good you should obey.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 16:16

This verse begins in Greek with a strangely emphatic “you also be subject to such people.” This suggests that Stephanas and his family had served God’s people in places other than Corinth, or at least that they had served other Christians than those to whom this letter was addressed. We do not know for sure. Most translations ignore the emphasis, but New Jerusalem Bible makes sense of it by translating “I ask you in turn to put yourselves at the service of people like this.”

I urge you: in Greek this clause stands at the beginning of verse 15.

Be subject to means “follow the leadership of” (Good News Bible), or “be submissive to,” or “obey.”

Such men: “such people” (Good News Bible) is a better translation. It is very likely that Stephanas’ family included women.

The participles translated worker and laborer refer to “those who work.” The second participle implies hard work. The first participle includes a prefix meaning “with,” but there is nothing to indicate whether it means “work with them,” that is, with Stephanas and his family, or “work with me,” that is, Paul. All translations consulted agree with Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible to leave the matter vague, applying to fellow workers in general.

This verse may also be rendered as “… to obey leaders such as these people, and any other person who works with them.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .