But … rather is translated “Instead” by Good News Translation. As both translations clearly indicate, a contrast is intended between where the disciples are not to go and where they are to go.

Go may need to be expressed as “You should go.”

The lost sheep of the house of Israel is deceptive, since it sounds as though the lost sheep are a group within the larger group of the house of Israel. Actually, this is a Semitic way of referring to those same people (see also the comments on 15.24). Good News Translation avoids the figure of a house: “the lost sheep of the people of Israel.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch clearly identifies the two: “go to the lost flock, the people Israel.” Many translators will want to retain the images of the metaphor, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The house of Israel is a reference to the people of Israel, and they are being compared to lost sheep. Thus the phrase can be rendered “the people of Israel who are like lost sheep” or “… who are lost like sheep (with no shepherd).” It probably is not necessary to specify here in what way they are lost.

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 .