In this verse, as in verse 21, Matthew connects the adverb Immediately with the fact that they left. However, in the Marcan parallel “immediately” is not connected with their leaving but with Jesus’ call: “and immediately he called them” (Mark 1.20). Care should be taken not to follow the example of the Living Bible (Living Bible), which forces the Marcan text to agree with Matthew: “He called them too, and immediately they left their father Zebedee in the boat….” Here, as elsewhere, the translator should never force one Gospel to agree with another.

As in verse 20, Immediately will be translated as “Right away,” “At once,” or “Without delay.”

For left, see also verse 20. Possible renderings are “they left the boat and their father there to go with Jesus (or, to become Jesus’ disciples)” or “they abandoned the boat and left their father….” (See verse 20 for other comments on followed.)

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 .