inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 29:5)

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 Jacob.

complete verse (Genesis 29:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 29:5:

  • Newari: “He said to them — ‘Do you know Laban, grandson of Nahor?'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jacob asked again, ‘Are- you (pl.) -acquainted-with/Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?’ They replied, ‘Yes, we (excl.) are-acquainted-with/know (him).'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He asked them, ‘Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?’ They replied, ‘Yes, we know him.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 29:5

Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?: son of Nahor is used to refer to Laban as a descendant of Nahor. Laban is the son of Bethuel and grandson of Nahor. In some languages it will be necessary to say “grandson of Nahor.”

The reply of the herders takes the typical Hebrew form for expressing “Yes,” which is to repeat the questioner’s verb in a positive way, “We know him.” In some languages this reply will be a word equivalent to “Yes” or “Yes, what you say is so.”

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 .