Have you ever known someone who was self-centered, who tended to see everything as revolving around themselves? That’s a sign of an immature person, but believe it or not, it’s how many of us read the Bible. Even seasoned Christians sometimes interpret scripture as if they are the main character and primary recipient of God’s promises.
Well, it turns out the English language might be partly responsible for this problem.
English is one of the only languages in the world that uses the same word—“you”—to refer to one person or to a group of people. This means that in a sentence like “Jesus loves you,” there’s no way to know if that’s referring to a single person or everyone. Of course, it’s true either way, but this limitation in modern English allows for individualistic interpretations of Scripture that focus on me, the reader, rather than on us, the wider community of faith.
One of my seminary professors pointed out that Greek and Hebrew actually do have different words for “you” (one person) and “you” (a group), and she said it would be helpful if we could show this in our translations using the word “y’all.” When I became a professor, I decided to take her advice and create an entirely new translation that I think can help us reclaim the communal nature of scripture. Here are a few key examples:
- Dominion is For All Y’all (Genesis 1:28)
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Y’all are to be fruitful and multiply. Y’all are to fill the earth and subdue it. Y’all are to have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the land.”
In the majestic opening chapter of the Bible, God creates the world in six rhythmic days, three of separation and three of filling. In the finishing touch of his masterpiece, he creates humankind in his image (Genesis 1:26), making it crystal clear that both “male and female” are image bearers (Genesis 1:27).
Then, in verse 28, God tells humanity how to function as image bearers with five commanding verbs—be fruitful, multiply, fill, subdue, and have dominion. In Hebrew, all five commands are in plural form. This means that every human being, male and female, young and old, big and small, are all tasked with doing these things together. Being God’s image is something that we do, but it’s also something that we are in relationship to God and one another. And this isn’t just for you or me; it’s for all y’all.
- God Has a Name He Wants Y’all to Know (Exodus 3:15)
God also said to Moses, “You are to tell the children of Israel this, ‘YHWH, the God of y’all’s ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to y’all.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.”
When God appears to Moses in the burning bush, he tells Moses that he has a name, the four Hebrew letters: YHWH. This word sounds like the Hebrew verb for “I am,” and most scholars think it would have been pronounced with two syllables “Yah-weh.” However, Hebrew readers wanted to keep God’s name holy, so when they came across YHWH, they would say the Hebrew word Adonai (meaning “Lord”) instead. Modern English translations uphold that tradition by rendering God’s name in all caps as LORD.
Unfortunately, many readers don’t know there is a difference between the regular case “Lord” (master) and uppercase “LORD” (God’s name). If we translate God’s name as “YHWH” and God’s people with the plural “y’all,” we can see that our God is deeply personal and that he has a people called by his name that he wants to rescue and redeem. The name “Yeshua” (in Hebrew) and “Jesus” (in Greek) means “YHWH saves,” so let’s praise the LORD (YHWH) that he has come for us!
- God’s Plans Are Bigger than You (Jeremiah 29:11)
“For I know the plans I have for y’all,” declares YHWH, “plans for prosperity not disaster, to give y’all hope and a future.”
According to major Bible websites like biblegateway.com, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most popular verses in the Bible, second only to John 3:16. These comforting words confirm that God cares about the details of our lives in both times of celebration and uncertainty. But when this verse is translated with a singular “you,” it’s easy to misunderstand it in a self-centered way, as if our individual lives were the main point of the passage.
The “y’all” here helps us see that the original audience was a group of people, specifically the exiled Israelites. They feared that their sin condemned them to ever-ending suffering, but here God is assuring them that he has a larger plan for the nation, and through them, for the salvation of the world. Of course, God does care about each individual human life (where we go to college, whom we marry, where we live, and so on), but the much grander truth is that God is directing the entire universe toward a redemptive end. Even more, he is inviting us into this story not as lonely, isolated individuals but as a community of faith.
- Together, Y’all Are God’s Temple (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Don’t y’all know that y’all are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in y’all?
Paul begins 1 Corinthians by confronting the disunity caused by creating factions of those who followed Peter, Paul, or Apollos (1 Corinthians 1:12 and 1 Corinthians 3:4-5). In chapter 3, Paul urges them back toward unity by telling them that they are God’s temple. But notice that he doesn’t tell each believer, “You as an individual are a God of temple.” Instead, the Greek for “you” is plural (y’all), but the “temple” is singular. In other words, Paul says that “y’all collectively,” when united in Christ, are the one temple where the Spirit of God dwells.
Interestingly, a few chapters later, when Paul is talking about sexual purity and the proper use of our bodies, he again uses the temple image, writing, “Don’t y’all know that y’all’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). In one sense, he has our individual bodies in view, but he is also saying that sexual union makes two people become “one body” (1 Corinthians 6:16), and he goes on to remind us that we all are members of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 6:15 and 1 Corinthians 10:17). In each case, Paul is saying that we should not think of ourselves as isolated individuals, but as an interconnected assembly of God’s people where God is present in his Spirit in all we do.
- Y’all Aren’t Supposed to Do This Alone (Philippians 2:12-13)
So then, my beloved, even as y’all have always obeyed, not only in my presence but now much more in my absence, continue to work out y’all’s salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in y’all both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
We cling to the truth that we are “saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) and rest in the assurance that God has adopted us as his sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4). And yet, while we know we cannot earn our salvation, there are passages that urge us toward good works. One of those is found here in Philippians, which, as normally translated, can appear rather terrifying: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”!
On one hand, this should be a strong warning against settling for cheap grace. And yet, when we see that Paul is actually addressing a group of people (y’all), not just the individual reader (you), it helps us see that this burden isn’t meant to rest on our shoulders alone. That healthy fear and awe of God is something we should experience together, and God is going to will and work not just through us individuals but through us, the Church. God’s good pleasure is certainly in you, but it finds its fullness in y’all.
- Jesus is Coming for Y’all (Revelation 22:16 and Revelation 22:20)
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give y’all this testimony for the churches … Yes, I am coming soon!”
In the final chapter of the Bible, Jesus reminds us of who he is, fully God (“Alpha and Omega,” Revelation 22:13) and fully human (“the root and offspring of David,” Revelation 22:16), and then he closes with the promise that he will come again soon. As with all the passages we’ve seen, this is not merely a promise to the individual reader of Revelation. Instead, Jesus specifically shifts from addressing John using the singular “you” (Revelation 22:9-10) form to saying this greater promise is given to “y’all” and to the churches (the NIV even has a note here to alert readers that it is plural).
The final verse of Revelation says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” This underscores the message that the story of the Bible is not just about you and me, but about God and God’s people, about YHWH and y’all. Our Triune God is never alone, and he doesn’t expect us to be alone. Instead, he invites us into communion with him and with those around us. He is coming soon for all y’all who believe!
Scripture References
