formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

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.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on John 1:38

By the question Jesus asked, What are you looking for? John indicates that discipleship is based upon the initiative of Jesus.

Rabbi is used of Jesus in 1.38,49; 3.2; 4.31; 6.25; 9.2; 11.8. This title, which literally means “my great one,” that is, “my master,” was used in Judaism of those qualified to expound and apply Jewish law. In the Gospel of John it is used as the equivalent of Greek didaskalos, “teacher.” which occurs here, as well as in 11.28; 13.13f; 20.16.

The parenthetical expression (This word means “Teacher”) may often be rendered simply as “The word Rabbi means Teacher.” However, in some languages a more appropriate way of introducing the meaning of a borrowed term would be “This word in our language means Teacher” or “The word Rabbi was used to speak about a teacher.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .