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 Samuel 7:21

The structure of this verse may have to be altered in some languages, since it begins with two subordinate clauses that are dependent on the main verb, which comes later, and that provide the reasons for the action described by the main verb.

Because of thy promise: in some languages this may be more naturally rendered by a verb phrase such as “because you said that you would.”

According to thy own heart: since the heart is the seat of the will, this may be translated “because you wanted to do so” or “according to your own will.”

Wrought all this greatness: the verb used in Revised Standard Version is archaic, and it is surprising that it has been retained in New Revised Standard Version. The idea of the verb translated wrought is “to do,” “to perform,” or “to accomplish.” And while this greatness is singular in form, the presence of the adjective all shows that there is also a plural idea involved. Anchor Bible has therefore translated “all this, this great thing.” And Good News Translation has simply “all these great things.” There is some debate as to what the words “great thing” refer to. Some think it is the establishment of the dynasty of David, while others believe it refers to God’s revelation about this. In view of the uncertainty it may be better to translate in such a way that either may be understood, and if necessary a footnote can be added.

Thy servant: see the previous verse.

The structure of this verse should probably be modified in a number of languages, because as it stands the main verb clause comes after the two expressions that indicate the reason for God’s acting in this way. Good News Translation makes these into an independent sentence but leaves it at the beginning of the verse. It may fit better at the end of the verse in other languages:

• You have done all these great deeds in order to teach me. And you did them because of your promise and according to your own purpose.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .