inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 19:25)

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 inclusive form (including the workmen).

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

complete verse (Acts 19:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 19:25:

  • Uma: “One day, he gathered his one-work companions with other skilled silver workers, and he said to them: ‘Relatives, you know yourselves that we receive much income from this work of ours.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They were all called by Demetiri and told to gather. He also called other men who had the same work as that work of theirs. When they were all there, he said to them, ‘Friends, you know that our (incl.) income is very good in this work.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for this Demetrius, he gathered together his workers and some other craftsmen like them, and he said, ‘Brethren, you all know that we have become prosperous in our craft.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore Demetrius caused-to-gather those whom he was salarying and his fellow metal-workers and he said, ‘My companions, you know that we are getting much money from this work of ours.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What Demetrio did was, he gathered all his personnel and others for whom that was their livelihood. When they were gathered, he said, ‘My companion metal-workers, we are all aware that it is this livelihood which has caused us to be strong (i.e. well off).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 19:25

Demetrius apparently called together not only those who worked directly under his supervision, but all other men in the business of making model temples. One may translate this first part of verse 25 as “so he called together all of his workers, and all others who made small silver temples of Artemis.”

The word rendered prosperity appears only here in the New Testament; it is rendered “prosperity” (An American Translation*, Jerusalem Bible), “financial prosperity” (Barclay), “wealth” (Revised Standard Version), and “high standard of living” (New English Bible). The closest equivalent to prosperity in some languages is “we have much money because of this work we do” or “our riches depend (hang) on this work we do.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .