addressing God

Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

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.

In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.

Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”

In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.

Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).

In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 9:20

Thou gavest thy good Spirit: The Hebrew word rendered Spirit (ruach) literally means “breath” or “wind.” It was present at creation in Gen 1.2 and it is the source of life to human beings and to all living creatures (Gen 2.7; Psa 104.29-30). The Spirit is identified as good to distinguish it from an evil spirit (see 1 Sam 16.14-16). Many translations write “spirit” with a small initial letter to suggest that it refers to God’s presence (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Others write “Spirit” with a capital first letter to suggest that it refers to the Holy Spirit (so Contemporary English Version, New King James Version , New Living Translation, Bible en français courant, Segond). If this interpretation is followed, then the term “Holy Spirit” should be used so the hearer would know what is meant. Since the verse here is a reference to Num 11.17 where it is clear that the “spirit” refers to the ability given by God to the 70 elders to bear the burdens of Moses, it is advised that “spirit” with a small initial letter or an equivalent term be used. The alternative interpretation should be indicated in a footnote.

To instruct them: The Law is not given again here, but God’s good Spirit is given to instruct them in keeping the Law. Compare this with the example of the 70 elders who were given God’s spirit for helping Moses with judicial duties in Num 11.16-17, 24-29. Good News Translation expresses the meaning in very general terms, omitting explicit reference either to the Spirit or to instruction, and translators should do likewise. Bible en français courant translates “to render them intelligent,” and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “that they might have discernment.”

Didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst: God gave them manna to eat and water to drink. Manna was the food that God provided for the Israelites to eat during the forty years that they were in the wilderness. It was a small substance that had the shape of a flake or a wafer (see Exo 16.14, 31). An explanation of manna may be included in the glossary. There is a play on the Hebrew words withhold (manaʿta) and thy manna (maneka). The translator should not try to imitate or reproduce this wordplay in the receptor language if it will not sound natural. In many languages the word “manna” is borrowed and adapted to local pronunciation and spelling.

From their mouth is an idiom that refers to eating. For the first half of this sentence, Revised English Bible leaves this information implicit by saying “you did not withhold your manna.” Other versions that use a more common style of English change the sentence to a positive affirmation as Good News Translation has done (also Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant). This will be more natural in many language, but it loses some of the poetic flavor of the Hebrew.

For their thirst may be stated more fully; for example, “when they were thirsty” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “to quench their thirst.”

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .