inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Pp. 3:17)

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 readers of the letter).

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

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” (in the sense of a fellow believer), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

See also brothers.

complete verse (Philippians 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Philippians 3:17:

  • Uma: “My relatives all, I ask that you learn/imitate my actions. While we (excl.) were with you, we (excl.) showed you good behavior. Recognize/Identify and think-about people who follow our (excl.) behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then my brothers, continue to imitate my conduct. Observe/take-note-of also the people who imitate/join my conduct and imitate/join them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for all of you, brothers, continue imitating my behavior. Also you must imitate those people whose behavior is like our (excl.) behavior.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “May it be siblings that all of your minds are-one in your imitating me. Look also at those who are following the way-of-life that we (excl.) showed you so that they also will be the ones you imitate, not others.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My siblings in believing, be united/harmonious in copying my obeying of the will of God. Observe those there who are indeed doing like this and be like them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen brothers, in order for you to know how you must walk, just like you see that I do, that is what you should do. Now you observe how are walking the people who do as I do.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Philippians 3:17

Keep on imitating me is literally “become fellow-imitators of me.” The noun “fellow-imitators” appears only here in the New Testament, but a similar expression is found in 1 Cor 4.16. Paul is not saying “join with me in imitating Christ,” as some persons have thought. This injunction can also be rendered “follow my example, all of you,” bringing out the “fellow” idea in the Greek (Moffatt “copy me, one and all of you”). One may render this injunction as “do just as I do,” or “do whatever you see me doing.”

Pay attention to those who follow the right example is literally “mark those who so walk.” The verb rendered pay attention is the same used in 2.4, where it is translated look out for. Basically the verb means “to look attentively,” that is, to fix one’s attention on something with keen interest. It is certainly more than mere “watch.” New American Bible gives this verb a strong sense, “take as your guide”; so also Jerusalem Bible, “take as your models.” In rendering the phrase pay attention to, it is important to suggest a positive aspect, that is, carefully watching in order to imitate or emulate. This means, essentially, watching carefully in order to be able to imitate the actions of those who give the right example.

The verb follow translates a Greek participle which means literally “walking.” This reflects a Hebrew word which also means “to walk,” used frequently in the ethical sense of “walking before God.” Paul in particular often uses this word in the moral sense of the walk of life.

The right example that we have set for you represents a restructuring of what is literally “you have us as an example.” Notice the shifts from me to we, probably now including Timothy and Epaphroditus. The word rendered right example means generally “image” or “mark,” and in the moral sense “model” (La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée New English Bible) or “pattern” (Goodspeed Knox Barclay etc.). The right example that we have set for you may be rendered as “we have shown you the right way in which you should act,” or “we have made it clear to you by what we have done what you should do.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .