addressing God

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 Translator 2002, 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.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 14:20

For behold, I will go, as thou hast commanded me: The connector For may be omitted (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). For the word behold, which highlights the following words, see the comments on 2 Esd 6.18. I will go, as thou hast commanded me may be rendered “I will leave this world just as you have commanded me” or “I will do just as you say, and leave this world.”

And I will reprove the people who are now living: See verse 13. As there, the verb reprove means “give my parting [or, last] advice to.”

But who will warn those who will be born hereafter?: Contemporary English Version says “But who will warn those who will be born after I’m gone?”

For the world lies in darkness, and its inhabitants are without light: The conjunction For introduces the reason why Ezra asks the question. The people of the world do not have a light to guide them in their darkness. The world lies in darkness may be translated “This world is a dark place.” The light refers to God’s Law, the Torah (compare Psa 119.105; Pro 6.23). Contemporary English Version uses less figurative language for this sentence, saying “This world is a dark and sinful place, and its people need to be shown what is right.” This model may be helpful for some languages.

We suggest the following model for this verse:

• Yes, I will do just as you say, and leave this world. And I will give my parting advice to the people who are living. But what about people yet to be born? Who will tell them what to do? For this world is a dark place, and its people have no light.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.