inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Ps 66:9)

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, the Jarai translation uses the inclusive pronoun. The Adamawa Fulfulde translation uses the exclusive pronoun.

Translation commentary on Psalm 66:8 - 66:9

The psalmist again calls on the people of other nations to Bless our God, that is “Praise our God” (Good News Translation). The verb Bless with God as object means “Praise” (see discussion in 16.7). The “our” in our God is exclusive, not inclusive; the psalmist is exhorting pagan nations to praise the God of Israel. However, the translator will have to consider how people using the receptor language would speak of “our God” when encouraging those who are not yet worshipers to come and praise him, whether the “our” would be inclusive or exclusive.

In verse 8b his praise means “your praise of him.” Line b contains two problems for some languages; let the sound … be heard must often be shifted to another type of expression, and the passive voice must often be changed to the active; for example, “cause people to hear how great you are” or “cause people to hear when they praise God.”

God has protected and preserved his people: “he has kept our nefesh (see 3.2) among the living,” and he has not let our feet slip (see 17.5 and comments). Here this may mean protection from disaster or defeat, or, parallel with line a, it may mean protection from death.

Verse 9a is positive followed by a negative expression of the same thought in verse 9b. These lines may sometimes be rendered as two negatives; for example, “He has not let us die, and he has not let us be defeated” or “… has not let our enemies defeat us.”

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 .