Truly, I say to you translates the same emphatic formula used in 5.26 (singular “you”) and 6.2 (plural “you,” as here); see comment at 5.18.

All this (literally “all these things”) is translated “the punishment for all these murders” by Good News Translation and “for all these shameful deeds” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. In Greek the reference is unclear; it may be limited to the murders mentioned in verse 35 or expanded to incorporate all the evil deeds of verses 29-35, including the murders.

This generation (Good News Translation “the people of this day”) may have the wider meaning of “all Israel,” who from this moment on reject Jesus (see 27.25).

All this will come upon this generation is a Hebrew way of saying “This generation will be punished for all this” or “God will punish all of you because of these evil things that you and your ancestors have done.”

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 .