inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Luke 17:10)

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 master of the slave).

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

complete verse (Luke 17:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:10:

  • Noongar: “In the same way, this will happen to you. When you have done everything, all the things you were told to do, you should say, ‘We are only servants; we only did those things that we must do.”” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “So also you. If you have finished following all that God commanded to you, say (emphatic): ‘As for us (excl.), we (excl.) are just ordinary slaves. What we (excl.) do is just what was commanded to us (excl.).”” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Likewise also you. When you have done everything that you have been told to do, say, ‘We (incl.) are servants not worthy to be praised, because we (dual) only did what we (dual) were given to do.”” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And you are also like that. If you have finished what God has caused you to do, place it in your minds that you are just servants of God and you have only obeyed His commandments to you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is the same also with you (pl.). If you have finished all that God instructed you to do, you ought to say, ‘We are only servants. We have only done the work that was our duty.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Of course it is indeed like that with you (pl.). If you have done as much as you were ordered to do by God, don’t think that that obeying of yours will bring you much praise. On the contrary, you are to say, ‘We(excl.) are only slaves. We are only following/obeying our job/responsibility.”” (Source: Tagbanwa 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.

Translation commentary on Luke 17:10

Exegesis:

houtōs kai humeis … legete ‘so you also … must say.’ It is also possible to take houtōs kai humeis as independent, ‘so you also,’ i.e. ‘so with you too,’ “it is the same with you” (Good News Translation), but this appears less probable. houtōs kai draws a parallel between the servant of v. 9 and Jesus’ hearers.

panta ta diatachthenta humin ‘all you were told to do.’

douloi achreioi esmen lit. ‘we are useless servants.’ For the various interpretations of achreioi cf. commentaries, especially Plummer, Lagrange. Here it refers to servants who are aware that they have done only what they ought to do, and no more. Hence achreioi is best understood as expressing the servant’s modesty, cf. Grundmann, and New English Bible, “deserve no credit”.

ho ōpheilomen poiēsai pepoiēkamen ‘we have (only) done what we ought to do.’ The perfect tense of pepoiēkamen denotes an act that has been accomplished.

Translation:

Say, i.e. to each other; hence the subsequent pronouns are taken as inclusive, e.g. in Huautla Mazatec.

Unworthy servants, i.e. ‘undeserving servants’ (see Exegesis), ‘servants who do not deserve (or, are not worthy of) praise/thanks/reward/credit.’

Only, or, ‘nothing more than,’ cf. on 4.8.

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.