inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Kings 3:18)

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 king.

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 3:18

Then: In Hebrew this verse begins with the verbal transition that is sometimes translated “And it happened,” but most modern versions omit it here. See the discussion on this discourse marker in “Translating 1–2 Kings,” pages 14-15.

On the third day after I was delivered: Although Revised Standard Version says on the third day after and Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, and Bible en français courant say “Two days after,” the intended meaning is the same. The Hebrew is literally “on the third day of my giving birth.” In Hebrew the day of the birth was counted as the first day. In English the first day is the next day after the birth.

We were alone is literally “we were together” (so Nouvelle version Segond révisée). But the context clearly shows that there was no one else present in the house with them.

There was no one else with us is literally “[there was] no foreigner with us.” The reference is no doubt to paying customers. An American Translation (similarly Maredsous) renders this “there being no stranger with us.” But what is important is that there was “no other person” or “nobody else” (so Contemporary English Version) present with the two women.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .