But when: this may be “However, when…” or “But he heard that Archelaus reigned … Therefore he was afraid.”

The pronominal subject he is once again identified by Good News Translation: “Joseph.”

Reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod is restructured by Good News Translation to read “succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea.” After Herod’s death the land of Israel was divided into several provinces and placed under the authority of Herod’s sons. Archelaus was given the title of king and ruled over the provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Perea from 4 B.C. to A.D. 6. He was a cruel and despotic ruler.

Reigned over may be expressed by a phrase such as “was king of Judea in place of” or “had become king of Judea after his father Herod died.”

It may be necessary to specify that Judea was a province, as in “the region (or, territory) of Judea.”

And being warned in a dream, a participial construction in Greek, is rendered “was given more instructions in a dream” by Good News Translation. The agent of the passive structure being warned would be either the Lord or an angel of the Lord. In light of verses 13, 19, and 20, the meaning most likely intended is “an angel of the Lord gave Joseph more instructions.” Warned translates the same verb used in verse 12. Being warned in a dream can be translated by a passive in some languages, as Good News Translation has done. Another example is “He had a dream and was told what to do.” Other translators will prefer an active construction, as in the above paragraph, where “an angel” is stated explicitly. Perhaps “an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to go there.”

Withdrew is generally translated as “went” or “moved.”

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 .