As in this context is a transition of time that means “While,” as in “At the time they were leaving.”

As they went away: Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Barclay identify they as “John’s disciples.” Jerusalem Bible translates “As the messengers were leaving,” which is similar to New English Bible and New American Bible.

The crowds, as in 8.1, may be better singular, “the crowd.”

After Jesus began to speak … concerning John, in many languages it is necessary to say “He said.”

What did you go out into the wilderness to behold?: since the allusion is specifically to John the Baptist, Good News Translation translates “When you went out to John in the desert, what did you expect to see?” In some cases, instead of simply “went out” it may be necessary to specify “went out to see” or “went out to listen to.” Another way to render this question is “What did you expect to see when you went out into the wilderness (to hear John)?” Or the order may better be reversed: “When you went out to the desert to hear John, what did you expect to see?”

For wilderness or “desert,” see comments on 3.1.

A reed shaken by the wind? presupposes the fuller form: “Did you go out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind?” Good News Translation retains the singular form (“A blade of grass”), though a collective form may be more appropriate: “a reed-bed” (New English Bible) and “the long grass” (Barclay). Jesus has in mind the tall canegrass which was found along the banks of the Jordan River.

Shaken by the wind (Good News Translation “bending in the wind”) is capable of being translated in a number of different ways: “swept by the wind” (New English Bible), “swaying in the wind” (New American Bible), and “waving in the breeze” (Phillips).

It may be advisable to shift from rhetorical questions to statements: “When John was preaching in the desert, you went out to see him. You did not go there to see a blade of grass bending in the wind” or “You did not go out into the desert merely to see a blade of grass bending in the wind.”

Some translators have retained the rhetorical questions but supplied the answer: “When you went out into the desert, what did you expect to see? Was it long grass swaying in the wind? Of course not.” Verse 8 would follow easily from this.

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 .