The kingdom … is like is the same introductory formula used in verses 31 and 33. Malay common language version renders “The situation with the Kingdom of God is the same as….” INCL translates “When God rules, the situation is like this parable:….” Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition ties the two parables closely together: “44 The new world into which God calls you is like a treasure which was hidden in a field … 45 Whoever understands God’s invitation acts like a merchant looking for beautiful pearls….”

Treasure refers to something very valuable, although exactly what it may be is not specified. “Something very valuable” or “a very expensive object” are possible renderings.

To say it was hidden may mean it was “buried.” Some languages will not be able to use a passive and will require instead “that someone had hidden (or, buried) in a field.”

The parable can be structured in various ways: “There was something very expensive that had been hidden in a field. A man found it and…” or “A man found in a field a very expensive object that had been hidden there. He covered it up….”

The man is most likely to be understood as a day laborer who himself owns no property. While working in someone else’s field, he accidentally uncovers a treasure hidden there.

Covered up translates a verb which may have the more general meaning of “hides it” (New Jerusalem Bible), but here the meaning is clearly “buried it” (New English Bible). Although the verb is an aorist indicative, Good News Translation and a number of other English translations use the present tense, because this is a more natural way in English to tell a story in a vivid fashion. Translators should use the tense that is most natural in their languages.

The adjective “again” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New American Bible) is necessary in the English restructuring, though it is not present in the Greek text.

In Jesus’ day it was quite common for people either to bury their valuables or to hide them at a distance from the premises on which they lived, to keep them from being stolen by thieves and robbers. So the situation described there is something that would be immediately understood by Jesus’ hearers. In telling this parable Jesus is neither excusing nor condemning the man’s actions. Rather he is calling attention to the man’s wisdom and shrewdness in sacrificing everything he owns in order to secure this one valuable treasure. How a day laborer could get enough money to buy the field is unimportant. Exaggeration is common in parables, and such features are designed to contribute toward the overall impact and meaning.

In his joy is placed in emphatic position in the Greek text, and many translations put it first in the clause in order to underline its importance in the verse (New English Bible “and for sheer joy went…”). In his joy can be rendered as “He became very, very happy and went…” or “Because he was so happy, he went and sold….”

“Then goes back” of Good News Translation describes an action not recorded in the Greek text. However, in many languages it will be necessary to indicate this action specifically. In fact, some languages will require even more; for example, “then he takes the money, goes back, and buys that field.”

He goes and sells all that he has and buys that field can also be rendered “he sold everything he owned so he could then go and buy that field” or “he sold all he owned, then bought that field.”

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 .