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.

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

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 Job 40:4

Behold, I am of small account: Behold emphasizes the importance of Job’s conclusion, in which he values himself as worthless. Many versions do not represent it in translation. I am of small account translates a verb meaning “to be swift, light, insignificant.” The verb is found in 7.6 and 9.25 (“are swifter”); 1 Samuel 2.30 (“be lightly esteemed”); Nahum 1.14 (“are vile”). Job is admitting that he is of little importance in God’s vast scheme of things. Bible en français courant says “I am nothing at all,” New International Version “I am unworthy”; New English Bible translates “I who carry no weight,” but in English this expression means “I have little influence on those above me.” Since Job’s quarrel with God has resulted in Job’s speaking against God’s justice, Good News Translation says “I spoke foolishly, LORD.” Translators should note that it may not be wise to add the name “LORD” here as Good News Translation does, since Job uses it only once in all the discourses.

What shall I answer thee? is Job’s way of saying “There is nothing I can say to you.” In some languages, when one speaks to a superior, as Job does here, it is necessary to avoid the use of the pronoun alone. In these cases Job may say “How can I answer you, God?” In verse 2 Job was given the choice of giving up or answering. His choice will have to be to give up, surrender, submit. I lay my hand on my mouth expresses the gesture of placing the fingers or hand over the mouth as a sign of silence. In translation it may be necessary to state the purpose of the gesture; for example, “I place my fingers on my lips and remain silent.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .