To avoid ambiguity in the phrase left him, Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identify him as “Jesus.”

Left means “went away from him.” The translators must not take it to mean that he deposited Jesus somewhere.

For comments on and behold, see 1.20. It may be rendered “And then it happened that…” or “and then.”

For comments on angels, see 1.20. In keeping with the promise of protection in Psalm 91.11-14, angels came and ministered to him. Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition identifies these angels as “the angels of God.” According to Matthew, angels come to help Jesus only at the end of the period of forty days, whereas Mark describes them as helping him throughout the entire period of the temptation (Mark 1.13).

The verb ministered (Good News Translation “helped”; Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition “served”) is used elsewhere in the Gospel at 8.15; 20.28 (twice); 25.44; 27.55. For ministered, translators usually use a phrase such as “took care of him,” “helped him,” “took care of his needs,” or “gave him what he needed.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .