So (New American Bible, Barclay “Just so”) translates a single word in Greek; Good News Translation has “In just the same way,” An American Translation “In just that way,” New English Bible and New International Version “In the same way.” Since the function of the word is to draw a conclusion by way of analogy from the previous verse, New Jerusalem Bible translates “Similarly.”

My Father (so also An American Translation) is written “your Father” (Good News Translation, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) in other Greek manuscripts. TC-GNT notes that my Father occurs nineteen times in Matthew, while “your Father,” in either the singular or plural form, occurs eighteen times. Therefore either of these terms can be spoken of as Matthean. Although the textual support for my father is strong, TC-GNT believes that it probably was brought in under the influence of verse 10 (see also verse 35). Of the more than a dozen translations checked, only Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation give the alternative wording. In light of the considerable degree of doubt concerning which text may be original, some translators will give the alternative text in a footnote. But this variance does not change the meaning of the passage significantly.

It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven contains a noun phrase, the will of my Father, which is transformed into a clause by Good News Translation: (“your Father in heaven does not want”) and New International Version (“your Father in heaven is not willing”). For many languages this shift will be more natural than the form of the Greek. Some commentators note that the noun will translates an Aramaic word which may also mean “good pleasure,” thus giving the basis for “there is joy in heaven” of Luke 15.7. This may be true, but Matthew obviously prefers the meaning “the will of God” (see 6.10; 7.21; 12.50; 18.14; 21.31; 26.42), though on one occasion he does use “the good pleasure of God” (so 11.26). Here, as always, the text must be rendered according to the meaning given by the individual author.

For a fuller discussion of my Father who is in heaven, see 5.16. As there, “God, my (or, your) Father in heaven” may be necessary.

Good News Translation has rendered perish as “be lost,” which is the same image as was used with the sheep. Of course, this refers to being lost spiritually and to being far from the love of the heavenly shepherd, God. Translators can use “die,” “become lost eternally,” or “lost from him.” But readers must not in any way get the impression this refers somehow to people physically wandering about and not knowing where they are.

Before proceeding to the next section, it should be noted that both here and in verse 10 Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates these little ones as “the simple people.” In verse 10 they are specifically identified as members of the Christian fellowship by the rendering “the simple people in the (Christian) community.” Verse 14 is then translated “That is the way it is with your Father in heaven. He does not want any of these simple people to get 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 .