inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Luke 16:26)

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 the rich man).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Luke 16:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:26:

  • Noongar: “But not only that, a deep hole sits between us, so people wanting to leave this place to go to you, they can’t go; and no person can leave that place to come here to us.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “But there, between us there is a very big cliff/gorge. People from here cannot go there, and people from there cannot come here.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And not only that, but between us (incl.) there is placed a wide ditch (with steep cliffs on either side understood), so that the ones here who would want to go cannot go there, and likewise the ones from there cannot come here.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And not only that, there is a great, vast open space between us and nobody can come from there over to here, and the same way also, nobody from us can cross over going there.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Not only that, because there is a very-wide ravine/canyon separating us so that those who want to go there from here, they are not able-to-go, and neither also are those from where you (sing.) are able-to-come here.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Added to that, there has been put-in-a-long-line between us (incl.) a deep ravine, so that those here can’t go there, and those there can’t come here.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 16:26

Exegesis:

kai en pasi toutois ‘and besides all this,’ i.e. the moral aspects described in v. 25.

metaxu hēmōn kai humōn ‘between us and you.’ The plural humōn shows that the reference is to the deceased rich man and those that are with him in Hades. metaxu also 11.51.

chasma mega estēriktai ‘a great chasm has been fixed.’ The perfect tense of estēriktai points to a permanent and unchangeable situation. For stērizō cf. on 9.51.

chasma ‘chasm,’ ‘gulf.’

hopōs hoi thelontes diabēnai enthen pros humas mē dunōntai ‘in order that those who want to pass from here to you may not be able,’ final clause to indicate the intended result, semantically very close to a consecutive meaning (cf. Phillips). diabainō. humas is used here in the sense of ‘the place where you are.’

(hopōs) mēde ekeithen pros hēmas diaperōsin ‘and (in order that) they may not cross from there to us.’ The subject of diaperōsin is not specified. hēmas is used here in the sense of ‘the place where we are.’

diaperaō ‘to cross,’ here virtually synonymous with diabainō.

Translation:

Besides all this, or, ‘moreover’ (Balinese). “but that is not all” (New English Bible).

Between us (referring to Abraham and those with him) and you, or, more economically, ‘between us (inclusive, covering both parties)’ (Huautla Mazatec, Batak Toba).

Great chasm, or, ‘wide ravine’ (Bahasa Indonesia KB), ‘a great trench/ditch (as around a village)’ (Medumba).

Has been fixed, or simply ‘exists,’ ‘is,’ or more expressively, ‘yawns’ (Willibrord), ‘is-extended’ (Bahasa Indonesia KB).

Pass from here, or, ‘cross (or, go over, or simply, go) from here.’ Here, i.e. ‘where we (exclus.) are.’

None may cross from there, or, more fully, ‘nobody may be able to cross (or, come over, or simply, come) from there, or, from where you (plur.) are.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.