formal pronoun: angels addressing 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, angels address people with the formal pronoun, expressing respect.

In most Dutch as well as in Western Frisian and Afrikaans translations, the angels are addressing people with the informal pronoun.

See also angel.

complete verse (Luke 24:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 24:6:

  • Noongar: “He isn’t here! He has been raised! Remember what he said to you in Galilee:” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “He is no longer here. He is alive again! Remember what he said to you yesterday [recent past time] in Galilea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa is no longer here. He is already alive again. Remember what he told you when he was there yet in Jalil.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because as for Jesus, he’s no longer here because he’s risen from the dead. You remember what he said to you when you were still in Galilee.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus is not here, because he came-to-life again. Have you forgotten what he told you when you were in Galilea” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He is no longer here, because he has been made alive again. Remember what he said to you when there in Galilea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 24:6 – 24:7

Exegesis:

ouk estin hōde ‘he is not here,’ i.e. in the tomb.

alla ēgerthē ‘but he has risen,’ cf. on 7.14.

mnēsthēte hōs elalēsen humin ‘remembering how he said to you.’ hōs does not refer to the mode of speaking but to what was said.

(V. 7) legōn ton huion tou anthrōpou hoti dei paradothēnai ‘saying that the Son of man must be delivered up.’ ton huion tou anthrōpou, though syntactically the object of legōn, is the subject of paradothēnai. dei denotes the divine compulsion. For the phrase about the Son of man cf. on 9.44.

anthrōpōn hamartōlōn ‘of sinful men.’ Here hamartōlos is used in the meaning ‘wicked,’ ‘evil.’

kai tē tritē hēmera anastēnai ‘and rise on the third day,’ cf. on 9.7.

Translation:

For has risen and rise cf. on 9.7f.

Remember, see on 16.25.

How he told you, or, ‘what (or, the things) he told you,’ ‘his words to you.’ V. 7. may become then, ‘that is, “The Son of man must…” ,’ or, as a new sentence, ‘He said…,’ followed by the verse in indirect or direct discourse.

Still, cf. on 8.49.

(V. 7) For must cf. on 2.49, for delivered into the hands of sinful men on 9.44. Sinful, i.e. ‘evil.’

And be crucified, or, ‘and these will crucify (see on 23.21) him.’

For on the third day see on 9.22.

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.