Now is a transition as the narrative shifts to another episode. In many languages, for example English, no formal marker is needed (see Good News Translation).

Heard this: in Greek no object is expressed after the verb heard, but English requires one; Good News Translation has “the news about John.” Even if it is possible to translate without the express mention of an object, it is wise to supply one because this verse opens a new section. INCL and Malay common language version translate “When Jesus had heard this news”; New Jerusalem Bible has “When Jesus received this news,” and New English Bible “When he heard what had happened Jesus….”

He withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart assumes that Jesus first got into the boat, and some languages will expect this fact to be stated explicitly. Moreover, apart translates a construction which actually means “privately, by himself,” thus raising a question concerning the whereabouts of Jesus’ disciples at this time. Were they in the boat with Jesus during his journey to a lonely place, or did they show up later, either with the crowds or on their own? “The disciples came to him and said” of verse 15 provides no answer; this statement does not mean that the disciples had just at that moment arrived, but rather that “they came up to him.” Finally, the preposition to, signifying “in the direction of,” may require translation as a verb. On the assumption that the disciples accompanied Jesus on his journey in the boat, it is valid to translate “He and his disciples got into a boat. Then they left there and headed for a lonely place where Jesus could be alone.”

It is probably not necessary to specify where there refers to. The text does not actually tell us where Jesus was when he got the word, so the translation can be “went away” or “went away from that place.”

There are languages where it will not sound natural to speak of getting into a boat unless it is also specified on which body of water the boat was. For example, translators may have to say “… got into a boat on the lake and went from there….” However, translators should be careful not to make things like this specific unless their language really does require it.

A lonely place apart can be rendered “a place where there were no other people” or “a deserted area.”

The crowds (a favorite term in the Gospel) is rendered “The people” by New Jerusalem Bible and Good News Translation; New English Bible has “people.”

Heard it: this is the second time in this verse when the verb heard is used in Greek without an expressed object; New Jerusalem Bible has “heard of this,” and New English Bible “heard of it.” One may feel compelled to express the object more precisely: “heard that Jesus had left in a boat.”

Followed him on foot from the towns implies two actions on the part of the people, though only one is specifically marked by a verb: (1) the people left their towns, and (2) they followed Jesus. Good News Translation mentions both actions and places the events in chronological order: “left … followed.”

Although elsewhere in the Gospel followed may be used of discipleship, the literal meaning alone is intended here.

On foot (Good News Translation “by land”) contrasts travel by land with travel on water. Matthew does not state why the people decided to go by land instead of by boat, though the implication is that other boats were not available.

Followed him on foot could be “walked after him” or “walked to where he was.”

The towns has been translated by Good News Translation as “their towns,” but this can also be “the towns where they lived” or “the towns of that area.”

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 .