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.

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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 Psalm 102:12 - 102:14

In the hymn of praise (verses 12-22) the psalmist proclaims Yahweh’s power as king, a fact never to be forgotten. In verse 12a Good News Translation “are king” translates the verb “to sit”; as in 9.7 (which see), the idea may be “to remain, abide,” and that is how New American Bible translates it here. But it is better to understand it to mean “sit (on your throne as king),” that is, to be enthroned (Revised Standard Version).

In verse 12b name translates the Hebrew “memorial, remembrance,” as in 97.12 (see also 30.4); New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible have here “fame.” Instead of the Masoretic text “your memorial,” some Hebrew manuscripts have “your throne” (as in Lam 5.19). The statement “your memorial (or, fame) (is) to generation and generation” means “your fame will last forever.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “all generations will speak of you” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy is like Good News Translation: “your name will always be remembered.” All generations, as used in the Good News Translation sense, may be rendered “all people not yet born” or “everyone still to be born.”

The psalmist’s thoughts now turn to Jerusalem (Zion); she is destroyed (verse 14a) and in ruins (verse 14b), but the Israelites (thy servants) love her and have pity on her. In verse 13b-c time and appointed time are synonymous; the situation seems to be the Babylonian exile, and the expectation is that God will take the exiles back home. The words her stones and her dust indicate that Jerusalem has been destroyed, and so the psalmist affirms that now is the right time for Yahweh to act, for him to restore Jerusalem (see verse 16a). For arise, used of God, see 3.7; 7.6. For idiomatic translation suggestions concerning have pity, see 72.13.

Favor her in the expression it is the time to favor her means “to comfort, be kind, be merciful, to treat tenderly,” and in some languages it may be expressed, for example, “to cause her to be happy,” “to make her feel good,” or idiomatically sometimes, “to give her a cool heart.”

The translator will note how Good News Translation has restructured verse 14 by comparing it with Revised Standard Version. Stones and dust have been made into two concessive clauses related to “servants love” and “they have pity.” Some such restructuring as this is necessary if the reader is not to think of literal stones and dust.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .