The effect of this experience on the disciples (verses 6-7) is without parallel in either Mark or Luke.

Some translators have found that the disciples needs to be rendered as “the three disciples,” although the context makes this clear enough for most readers.

In the Greek text the verb heard is a participle in Greek and does not have an expressed object. But in English an object is obligatory, and most translations supply this (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New International Version); An American Translation has “it.” On the other hand Moffatt (“the voice”), Phillips (“this voice”), and New English Bible (“At the sound of the voice”), together with Good News Translation, provide “voice” as the object. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “When the disciples heard these words.” One may even need to translate “When the disciples heard the voice from heaven say these words.”

They fell on their faces, and were filled with awe: Good News Translation both reverses the order of the two clauses and shifts from a coordinate connection (and) to a causative one: “they were so terrified that they threw themselves downward on the ground.” It is typical of the biblical languages that they will utilize coordinate structures for what would be more naturally expressed by a different construction in other languages. Here it is obvious that they fell on their faces is a result of being filled with awe, and Good News Translation has merely made the relation explicit. New English Bible retains the original sequence but shifts from a coordinate structure: “the disciples fell on their faces in terror.” The same is true of Phillips and New Jerusalem Bible: “the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear.” Barclay has “they flung themselves face down on the ground, for they were terrified.”

Fell on their faces is normally not translated literally. Fell does not mean they fell accidentally (after stumbling, perhaps), and to fall literally on their faces would be quite painful. Most languages will have an idiomatic way of expressing the idea that they deliberately lay down on the ground, possibly with their faces touching the ground, as an act of reverence or great respect.

As can be seen from the examples in the paragraphs above, filled with awe does not really reflect the idea of the text. “Terrified” is much more accurate.

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 .