complete verse (John 16:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:5:

  • Aguaruna: “But now, returning to the one who sent me I tell you this. Not even one of you says to me, ‘Where are you going?'”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And even though I will return now where my Father is, the person who sent me, not one of you asks me what it means that I will return.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “But now, I am about to go to my Father who sent me, and there is not one of you who asks where I am going.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But now I am telling you because I am soon leaving, going back to the one who sent me. And none of you asks me as to where I am going.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But now I am returning to my Father who sent me and none of you asks me where I am going.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I tell-it now, because I am returning to the one who sent me. And here none of you inquires as to where I am going?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus further said, ‘Today/now, I will now go home to the one who sent me, but there’s not even one of you who is asking about this where I will go home to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now I am going and will live where my Father who sent me lives. Now none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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.