Lo (Good News Translation “Look”) translates a Greek particle traditionally rendered “Behold.” Its function is to serve as an attention-getter. Since the pronoun we is emphatic in the Greek text, Jerusalem Bible translates particle plus pronoun as “What about us?” Other translations (New English Bible, Barclay) do not render the particle by a specific word, assuming that the context itself will convey the intended impact. In Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch the word is represented by “You know.”

Have left everything and followed you is also the translation of a number of other English versions (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Phillips). New English Bible and Barclay translate “have left everything to become your followers,” thereby specifically indicating that the verb “follow” is used here of discipleship. See further comment at 4.20.

What then shall we have? means “What will we get for this?” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This question in not found in either Mark (10.28) or Luke (18.28), but for Matthew it serves as a transition to Jesus’ answer of verse 28 (also absent from Mark and Luke). Peter is asking what reward they will receive for their sacrifice, and the question can be rendered “What will God give us?” or “What reward will we receive?”

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 .