Comparison of two Japanese Bible translations of Genesis 1:1


Japanese Contemporary Bible:

> まだ何もなかった時、神は天と地を **造りました** 。

Shinkaiyaku Bible:

> はじめに神が天と地を **創造された**

(The 2017 ed. of the Shinkaiyaku is not in the public domain, so the following
is a screenshot from my purchased electronic version.)

[![Genesis 1:1–3, Shinkaiyaku Bible,
©2017](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lImOL.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lImOL.png)

To clarify my question:

Most English translations have “God created...” “Created” is a simple past
tense verb in English. In Japanese, 造りました ( _tsukurimashita_ ) is the polite
past indicative conjugation of 造​る. In my head, this seems like a relatively
straightforward translation of “[he] created.”

When I look up 創造された, if I am not mistaken, it is composed of 創​造 (which may
be a noun or suru verb), and [去​]{さ}れ​た, which again, if I am not mistaken, is
the **passive** plain past indicative conjugation of する.

**Why does the Shinkaiyaku translation use a verb conjugated in the passive
voice**? I admit I may simply be ignorant of a fundamental aspect of Japanese
verb conjugations.

* * *

### References

リビングバイブル ( _Japanese Contemporary Bible_ ). Tokyo: Word of Life Press
Ministries, 2016.

聖書 新改訳2017. 東京: 新日本聖書刊行会, 2017.




された in your example is the past form of される, which is an honorific form of する.  
The auxiliary れる/られる can express 受け身 (passive), 尊敬 (honorific), 可能
(potential), and 自発 (spontaneous). For more on these usages:

  * [Is this sentence correct? courtesy/honorific use of the passive](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/36179/9831)
  * [Need help understanding causative and passive form: 外国人に質問を聞かれたが、答えられなかった。](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/26171/9831)

創造された here is the past tense form of 創造される, which is an honorific form of
創造する.

* * *

聖書 tends to use more formal/literary language, while リビングバイブル, 日常語 (daily,
everyday language). So 聖書 uses the kango 創造する, and リビングバイブル, the wago 造る.

For the difference of wago and kango, see:

  * [How to tell if a word is Sino-Japanese or Yamato](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/23098/9831)
  * [What's the difference between 腹切り and 切腹?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3534/9831)
  * [What's the difference between 女性 and 女の人?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13777/9831)




された in your example is the past form of される, which is an honorific form of する.  
The auxiliary れる/られる can express 受け身 (passive), 尊敬 (honorific), 可能
(potential), and 自発 (spontaneous). For more on these usages:

  * [Is this sentence correct? courtesy/honorific use of the passive](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/36179/9831)
  * [Need help understanding causative and passive form: 外国人に質問を聞かれたが、答えられなかった。](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/26171/9831)

創造された here is the past tense form of 創造される, which is an honorific form of
創造する.

* * *

聖書 tends to use more formal/literary language, while リビングバイブル, 日常語 (daily,
everyday language). So 聖書 uses the kango 創造する, and リビングバイブル, the wago 造る.

For the difference of wago and kango, see:

  * [How to tell if a word is Sino-Japanese or Yamato](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/23098/9831)
  * [What's the difference between 腹切り and 切腹?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3534/9831)
  * [What's the difference between 女性 and 女の人?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13777/9831)

