Again (Good News Translation “And … more”) translates a Greek adverb which may indicate either repetition (as in Revised Standard Version) or continuation (Moffatt “another thing”; Barclay “Still further”). The context suggests the second of these two possibilities. Translators may say, for example, “Another thing I will tell you,” “In addition to that…,” or “I will tell you something else.”
In some Greek manuscripts “truly” is present, thereby making I say to you the same form as that used in verses 3, 13, and 18. Most modern translations do not include it in the text, though Barclay has “I tell you truly,” and Luther 1984 has “Truly, I say to you”; Jerusalem Bible has “I tell you solemnly.”
Two of you … they ask … for them is unnatural for English readers, since you, they, and them refer to the same persons. Good News Translation avoids this awkwardness by rendering “two of you … you pray for … for you.” New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible also make similar shifts to second-person pronominal usage throughout. Grammatically it will be equally possible to use third person throughout: “two people … they pray for … for them.” However, Jesus is addressing his disciples and means two of them. Consequently “you” should be retained, as in Good News Translation.
The contrasting phrases on earth … in heaven link this verse with verse 18. In this respect a pleasing balance is achieved, but for many readers two of you … on earth will sound awkward. One may therefore prefer to translate “whenever any two of you.” A relative clause may allow translators to retain on earth; for example, “two of you who are here on earth.” But this should only be done if the resulting sentence in the receptor language is natural.
If is sometimes more naturally expressed as “When,” “Whenever,” or “Any time that.”
Agree … about anything they ask refers specifically to prayer, as the person asked (my Father in heaven) signifies. Good News Translation therefore translates “agree about anything you pray for.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “if two of you on earth pray together about something.” If the verb ask is maintained in translation, then it may be obligatory in some languages to indicate the person of whom the request is made: “… ask my Father in heaven for something, he will do it for you.” Even where the verb ask is translated specifically as “pray,” some languages may still require specific mention of the Father in heaven as the one to whom the prayers are directed.
In the present context anything refers to the settlement of disputes within the Christian community and should not be translated in such a way as to imply the provision of material goods as an answer to prayer. Moreover, as “in my name” of verse 20 indicates, the prayer must be in keeping with God’s will.
With these things in mind, translators may render the passage as “If two of you here on earth agree about something you ask God to do,” “Whenever two of you here on earth agree to ask God to do something,” or “If here on earth two of you agree on something and ask God to do it.”
It will be done for them by my Father in heaven may require restatement in an active form: “my Father in heaven will do it for you.”
For comments on my Father in heaven, see 5.16.
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 .