The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English is translated in virtually all sign languages, including American Sign Language with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).
In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)
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, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding Jesus).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of John 8:39:
Uma: “The Yahudi people said: ‘Our(excl.) father is Abraham!’ Yesus said: ‘If you are truly descendants of Abraham, certainly you follow his behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The Yahudi said, ‘Our (excl.) father is Ibrahim.’ Isa said, ‘If you were truly descendants of Ibrahim, you would resemble Ibrahim in his deeds.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they answered, ‘Our ancestor is Abraham.’ And Jesus said, ‘I wish that you were true descendants of Abraham because then you would do what Abraham did long ago.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Upon which the Jews said, ‘It is indeed Abraham who is our (excl.) father.’ But Jesus answered, ‘If it is the-case that you are children of Abraham, you would follow what he did.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The Judio again replied, saying, ‘Abraham is the one who is our (excl.) father.’ ‘Well, if your father is Abraham,’ said Jesus, ‘well why are you deviating from his actions?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Then the people said, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said, ‘If it was Abraham who was your father, you would do just as Abraham did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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.
They answered him is literally “they answered and said to him” reflecting a Semitic Greek style that is redundant in English.
Our father is Abraham must be rendered in some languages as “our forefather is Abraham” or, possibly, “our forefather was Abraham.” Since, however, the term Abraham might be understood as the given in formation, the components of this equational sentence may be reversed in some languages as “Abraham was our forefather.”
In Greek, conditional clauses (“if” clauses) may be so stated as to indicate that the condition is either true or is contrary to fact. Sometimes these clauses are greatly mixed with the result that an even greater vividness is achieved, as in the Greek text followed by Good News Translation. Here the Greek conditional sentence is of a “mixed” type, so that the force is If you really were Abraham’s children, rather than simply “if you were Abraham’s children.” Two important Greek manuscripts have an imperative in the conclusion of this if clause, which results in the reading, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the same works that he did.” Moffatt accepts the imperative as the better choice of text, and this possibility is given by Good News Translation and New English Bible in a footnote as an alternative rendering. However, it is more logical to assume that the imperative was introduced by ancient scribes who attempted to do away with the grammatical difficulties of the mixed type of conditional clause. For this reason the UBS Committee on the Greek text gives its primary support to the reading followed by Good News Translation, though evaluating their choice as “C,” indicating considerable doubt regarding the original reading of the text.
To indicate clearly that a condition is contrary to fact, it may be necessary in some languages to employ a supplementary clause, for example, “If you were Abraham’s children—and obviously you are not—you would do the same things that he did.”
You would do the same things that he did may be translated “you would work in the same way that he did” or “you would behave as he behaved.” It is obviously necessary in this type of expression to avoid a term which would apply merely to physical labor. Customary behavior, rather than physical labor, is meant in this context.
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 .
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