If any one says anything to you: Good News Translation omits to you, since this information is clearly implicit. On the other hand, it is important that anything be understood as indicating more than a casual remark made to the disciples. The meaning is “If anyone objects,” or “If anyone says, ‘Why are you doing that?’ ” or “… ‘Don’t do that!’ ” Some have said “If anyone says anything to you about what you are doing.”

Lord or “Master” (used of Jesus) is the preference of the vast majority of translations, though the meaning may also be “Their owner” (TEV’s footnote). Traduction œcuménique de la Bible is so strongly convinced that Lord is the correct interpretation that the translators provide a footnote which states that this is the only place in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus specifically refers to himself by this title.

The text states he will send them, but if translators are not careful, it may not be clear that he refers to the person who raised objections about the disciples taking the donkeys. “Then that person will let them go at once” is clearer.

The text uses the word send, which Good News Translation has rendered as “let … go.” This latter expression does not imply quite as much willingness on the part of the owner of the donkeys, but since the idea is that he is giving permission to the disciples to take them, whichever expression is more natural can be used.

Immediately, though not the same form of the adverb used in verse 2, is its equivalent; that Matthew would use this adverb twice in such swift sequence suggests that he intends to emphasize the absolute authority with which Jesus gives the command.

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 .