favor

The Hebrew that is translated as “(find) favor” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Ajami Bible with the idiom farin jini, verbatim “white eyes.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also loyal love / kindness / favor.

In the German Gute Nachricht Bibel it says Der Herr sorgte dafür, dass die Ägypter den Israeliten wohlgesinnt waren or “The Lord made sure that the Egyptians thought well of the Isrealites.”

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 Exod 33:13

Now therefore is simply “and now.” I pray thee translates a small particle showing respect and marking a humble request. It is sometimes translated as “please.” (See 4.13, 18 in Good News Translation.) If I have found favor in thy sight, literally “if I found favor in your eyes,” repeats what is quoted in verse 12. Contemporary English Version shortens this to “If this is true,” meaning “If I have found favor,” and Good News Translation has “Now if you are.”

Show me now thy ways is literally “you [singular] cause me to know, please, your ways.” The same particle for I pray thee is here rendered as now. The meaning of thy ways is usually understood as referring in general to the manner in which God deals with his people. (See, for example, Psa 103.7.) But Good News Translation limits it to the immediate situation, “tell me your plans” (so also Contemporary English Version). This refers back to Yahweh’s statement in verse 5, indicating that he still had to decide what to do with these people. Similarly Translator’s Old Testament has “reveal your plans to me.” Translators are advised to follow this interpretation. So the first part of this verse may be expressed as “If this is true, please tell me what you plan to do.”

That I may know thee, literally “and I will know you,” seems to refer to Yahweh’s statement that he knows Moses. Of course Moses already knows Yahweh’s name, but he now asks for a more intimate knowledge of him, especially in regard to his intentions for his people. New Jerusalem Bible has “so that I understand you.” And find favor in thy sight, literally “in order that I will find favor in your eyes,” repeats the same expression. The intended meaning here is “so that I may … continue to please you” (Good News Translation). Durham has “in order that I may keep on finding favor in your estimation.”

Consider too that this nation is thy people is literally “And you see that your people [are] this nation.” Consider (“See!”) is in the imperative mood, but it is a request, not a command. Good News Translation and New International Version have “Remember.” Moses here appeals to Yahweh’s earlier reference to the Israelites as Yahweh’s people, not only Moses’ people (see 32.7). So Good News Translation has “Remember also that you have chosen this nation to be your own,” and Contemporary English Version has “And don’t forget that you have chosen….”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .