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.
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, individual or several disciples address Jesus with the formal pronoun, expressing respect. Compare this to how that address changes after the resurrection.
In most Dutch as well as in Western Frisian and Afrikaans translations, the disciples address Jesus before and after the resurrection with the formal pronoun.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 10:37:
Uma: “They said: ‘When you (sing.) show your (sing.) power and you become King, allow us (excl.) to govern with you (sing.), one on your (sing.) right, one on your (sing.) left.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They answered, they said, ‘We (excl.) want, when you already sit and rule, that you seat us (excl.) at your side, one on your right and one on your left.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they said, ‘We ask that in the future when you sit on your seat of ruling let us also sit there, one on your right and the other on your left.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘When you (sing.) are honored in your (sing.) ruling, please seat us (excl.) on your (sing.) right and left,’ they said answering.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Those two replied saying, ‘Hopefuly grant to us the right that right-beside you is where we will sit there in your praiseworthiness/glory. One on your right and one on the left.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
dos hēmin hina ‘grant us that,’ ‘allow us that’: as commonly in Mark (cf. 5.10, 18) hina ‘that’ gives the content of the request rather than its purpose.
ek dexiōn stands for ek dexiōn merōn ‘from the parts of the right’ and means, simply, ‘on the right.’
ex aristerōn (only here in Mark) ‘on the left,’ similar in construction and meaning to ek dexiōn ‘on the right.’ The two places ‘on the right’ and ‘on the left’ were the places of honor.
kathisōmen en tē doxē sou ‘we may sit in your glory’: the thought behind the request is eschatological. ‘The glory’ is that which the Son of man will share with his Father, in his coming (8.38), and in this final triumph (cf. Goodspeed ‘in your triumph’) the two disciples want the preeminent places of honor and authority.
kathizō (cf. 9.35) ‘sit’: in this context the verb refers to sitting in chairs, or thrones, next to the king on his throne.
doxa (cf. 8.38) ‘glory,’ ‘majesty,’ ‘sublimity.’
Translation:
Grant us may be translated as ‘permit’ or ‘give us the honor.’
Your right hand may of course be ‘your right side’ or ‘your strong arm.’ Similarly the left may be known by a number of figurative expressions.
For glory see 8.38. In Eastern Otomí the only equivalent is ‘greatness’ and in Central Mazahua a phrase ‘where you are in command’ has been used. At first thought this latter term would not seem to be adequate, but a man’s glory or distinction is generally spoken of in terms of his commanding position or authority, in which case the phrase seems to fit the context quite well.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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