inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 34:9)

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’s family.

complete verse (Genesis 34:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 34:9:

  • Newari: “Now we will intermarry with one another. Give your daughters to us, you take our daughters.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “And perhaps (it is) also good that you (pl.) have- your (pl.) young-ladies/unmarried-ladies -marry our (excl.) single-men and we will-also -have- our (excl.) young-ladies/unmarried-ladies -marry your (pl.) young-men.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Let’s make an agreement: You will give your daughters to our young men to be their wives, and we will give our daughters to your young men to be their wives.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 34:9

Hamor now extends his request for Dinah to a more general proposal for an agreement or treaty that would enhance his standing in Canaan.

Make marriages with us translates a verb whose form here means “Make yourself a son-in-law [daughter’s husband].” The thought is expressed in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy as “Make yourselves our relatives.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch asks “Why shouldn’t we relate ourselves to each other?” We may also say, for example, “Let our sons and daughters marry each other.” The sense of making an agreement about intermarrying is given by Revised English Bible “Let us ally ourselves in marriage”; this may also be expressed as “And we should make a promise [agreement] about our people marrying each other.”

Give your daughters to us: this proposal expands on the previous one. We may also express it, for example, “Let my people marry your [plural] girls.”

Take our daughters for yourselves: that is, “Let your people marry our girls.” Note that Good News Translation considers both of these “Let” commands to be included in “Let us make … intermarriages between our people and yours.” Deut 7.3 forbids for Israelites of a later period what Hamor is proposing to Jacob.

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 .