And he said to her: Good News Translation translates “Jesus asked her” and places these words after the speaker’s words. But this is purely a stylistic maneuver, and each language will have its own preference of form.

You is singular; Jesus is addressing only the mother.

Command that (An American Translation, Moffatt “Give orders that”) is literally “Say that.” Good News Translation and New American Bible each have “Promise me that,” which is similar to “Promise that” of New Jerusalem Bible; New English Bible has “I want you … to give orders that.” On the basis of the Greek text, any of these solutions are valid. However, if either Command that or “Give orders that” is used, then some languages may require explicit mention of the person or persons to whom the order is given. Since the woman is actually making a request of Jesus, it is possible to translate either as Barclay (“I want my two sons … to sit”) or New International Version (“Grant that”).

One at your right hand and one at your left may be clear enough for some readers, but others may require a footnote (as in Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) indicating that these two places represented positions of authority and power. Some translators have made this information explicit in the text, with a phrase such as “at the important (or, honored) positions to your right and to your left.”

At your right hand may more naturally be “at your right side” or even “at your right.” At your left is similar.

In your kingdom will be clearer if translated in the fashion of Phillips and Good News Translation: “when you are King.” For the meaning of kingdom see comments at 3.2. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “when you assume your rulership”; and other languages may be more natural if the clause order is reversed: “Promise me that when you are king, you will let one of my two sons sit at your right and one sit at your left.”

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 .