The phrase And behold was discussed at 1.20. Some translations drop it here, but many do translate it, using an expression such as “And then it happened” or simply “Then.”

Mark also mentions that the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The curtain referred to is the one which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Exo 26.31-35; 40.21), which was thought to be the dwelling place of God on earth. Many translations have to do something similar to Good News Translation, “the curtain hanging in the Temple.”

Both the observation that the split was from top to bottom and the employment of the passive was torn in two point to God as the one behind the drama, and so one may translate “God caused the curtain that was hanging in the Temple to tear in two, from top to bottom.” In addition, it may be necessary to provide a footnote, describing what curtain is intended and what its significance was.

That the earth shook, and the rocks were split is recorded only by Matthew, as is the case with the events of verses 52-53. In Greek both shook (literally “were shaken”) and were split are passive forms implying that God himself is the actor in these supernatural events. In some languages it may be necessary to translate “God caused the earth to shake, and he split the rocks apart.”

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 .