inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 31:1)

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 inclusive pronoun, including the family.

complete verse (Genesis 3:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 3:11:

  • Kankanaey: “God said to him, ‘Where was your(sing.)-means-of-knowing that you (sing.) were naked? Is it because you (sing.) ate some of the fruit of the tree that I prohibited to you (pl.)?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “‘Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten the fruit of the tree that I told you not to eat?'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD God asked, ‘Who said to you (sing.) that you (sing.) are naked? Did- you (sing.) -eat the fruit of the tree that I told you (sing.) not to eat?'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “God said, ‘How did you find out you were naked? It must be because you ate some of the fruit from the tree that I told you, ‘Do not eat its fruit.”” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 3:11

The man has confessed to his nakedness but has said nothing about his disobedience. Therefore God pursues the questioning.

Who told you that you were naked? may have to be expressed in the present: “… that you are naked.” Some translators may have problems with the form of this question, since it does not state directly what God is really asking, namely, “How did you find out that you were naked?” The word told in this context actually means “spoke to you so that you found out.” See also comments on “knew that they were naked” in Gen 3.7. A restructuring used in one translation to make the sense of this verse clearer is “God asked him, ‘How did you know that you were naked? Who told you? Have you eaten…?’ ”

Have you eaten of the tree…? is often better translated “Did you eat the fruit of the tree…?” or “Did you eat some of the fruit of the tree…?”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:1

Verses 1-2 form a transition between the close of chapter 30 and the introductory episode in chapter 31.

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying: Now is the Revised Standard Version rendering of the Hebrew connective and serves to mark the change to the new events that will now unfold. Jacob heard probably means here that he heard these words from others who reported them to him. This is often expressed as “Jacob received word” or “Jacob heard news that.” In some cases it may be better to say “learned” or “found out.” In societies where it is important to express relationships when speaking of people, the sons of Laban may have to be called “his [Jacob’s] brothers-in-law.” And the speech that follows may begin “Our brother-in-law has taken….”

Laban’s sons are quoted in Revised Standard Version as saying Jacob has taken all that was our father’s. The sense of taken is “taken for himself,” “taken away from Laban.” All that was … means “all the animals that belonged to our father.” This may be understood as exaggeration. It may be clearer to say, for example, “All the animals that Jacob has taken belonged to our father.”

And from what was our father’s he has gained: that is, “from the things that belonged to our father” or “from our father’s wealth.” See Good News Translation “from what our father owned.”

Gained all this wealth may be rendered “he has gotten all his riches, animals, property.” A number of translations express this simply as “he has become [very] rich.”

In many languages it will be more natural to change the order of the clauses in the last part of the sentence as Good News Translation has done. One other translation that does this says “He is a very rich man, but everything he has belonged to our father before.”

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 .