And Jesus answered them represents a Semitic Greek construction, literally “and answering Jesus said to them.” As elsewhere, And is simply a device to show the story is continuing. Some languages use a word like “So” or “Then,” and others do not need any word.

Go is a participle in Greek, while tell is an imperative. But the use of a participle for an imperative is not uncommon in Greek, especially when accompanied by an imperative.

Jesus does not answer John’s question directly, but rather he orders the messengers to report what they hear and see. Quite possibly the reference is to the miracles of Jesus mentioned in chapters 8–9 and to the work of the disciples whom Jesus had earlier sent out to continue his work of preaching and healing. Upon the testimony of these events, the disciples of John are then to decide whether Jesus is the Coming One.

Some languages will require some kind of object for both hear and see. It will probably not be good to indicate specifically at this point in the passage what they are. Rather, some general phrase will suffice: “what you are hearing people say and what you are seeing yourselves.” Some have wanted to make the object of hear “what I am saying to people,” but “what people are saying” fits the context a little better.

The Scriptural support for Jesus’ appeal comes from Isaiah 35.5-6; 42.18; 61.1. Significant is the observation that in the Isaiah passage the coming salvation event is accompanied by the punishment of God’s enemies (Isa 34.1-17; 61.5-7), while here Jesus speaks only of deliverance. Moreover, the Isaiah passages do not mention either the cleansing of lepers or the resurrection of the dead (verse 5). Finally, the proclamation of good news to the poor, here placed in the position of emphasis, is introduced as an entirely new element of the coming salvation. And it receives even further emphasis by the arrangement of hearing before that of seeing.

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 .