inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 19:5)

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 Lot.

complete verse (Genesis 19:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 19:5:

  • Kankanaey: “and shouted-at Lot saying, ‘Where are those visitors of yours (sing.)? Cause- them -to-come-out (emphatic command particle) so-that we (excl.) will rape them (lit. forcingly take their manhood).'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then taking Lot’s name they cried out loudly — ‘Where are the people who came to your place in the evening? Bring them out! Let us sleep with them!'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They called Lot and asked, ‘Where are your male visitors now who arrived this very night? Make- them -come-out here for we want to-have-sex with them.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They called out to Lot, saying, ‘Where are the men who came to your house this evening? Bring them out, so that we can have sex with them!'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 19:5

And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight?”: their calling or shouting is also threatening, not merely inquiring. Who came to you means who came as your guests, who came home with you, or who came to spend the night with you.

In some languages there are different terms for calling out, including terms that carry the sense of a demand or a threat. Such terms are appropriate in this context. In other languages the sense of threat may be carried by the form of the question; for example, this is expressed in one translation as “Where are those two strangers? You’ve got them inside, eh? Well you bring them out….”

Bring them out to us, that we may know them: the verb know is used in 4.1, 17, 25 meaning to have sexual relations with a spouse. See 4.1 for discussion. However, the same verb is used here for homosexual relations. Translators must determine whether or not the word or phrase used in 4.1 is suitable in the present context. If homosexual relations are unknown or no term is available, translators may have to provide one. This may require a footnote to explain, for example, that the men of Sodom wanted to sleep with these men. One translation, for example, says, “We want to sleep with those two; just like men do to women we want to do to them.” Examples of translations that avoid direct expressions that may be regarded as offensive are Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “We want to lie with them,” Bible en français courant “we want to take our pleasure with them,” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “We want to have relations with them.”

In this action the men of Sodom are not only asking to have sex with Lot’s guests; they are also violating the right of a guest to be protected by the host, an equally bad misconduct.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .