Verses 26-28 are without parallel in the Marcan discourse on the last things, nor do they appear elsewhere in his Gospel. Luke, on the other hand, does share this material in common with Matthew, though he includes it in an entirely different context (17.23-24, 37). Matthew utilizes that passage to intensify his warning for the believers of his day not to be led astray by false Messianic pretenders. When the true Messiah makes his sudden and final appearance on the scene, there will be no doubt. It will be as evident as a flash of lightning that lights up the entire sky.
If they say to you may require a singular form in some languages (“if someone says to you”), or it may be necessary to adopt an entirely different construction (for example, “if you should hear”).
Lo (Good News Translation “Look”): see verse 25.
The pronoun he may have to be “the Messiah.” However, in the following verse it is the Son of Man who is referred to (obviously equated here with the Messiah), and some have wanted to use that term in this verse. That is certainly acceptable.
It was believed among some of the Jewish people that the Messiah would make a sudden appearance in the wilderness, much as Moses did. For comments on wilderness, see 3.1.
He is in the inner rooms is translated rather differently by Good News Translation: (“he is hiding here”) and New Jerusalem Bible (“he is in some hiding place”). Inner rooms is the plural form of the noun used in 6.6 (see comments there). The meaning is not altogether certain, though it may reflect the Jewish belief that the Messiah would remain in hiding until he made his sudden appearance (see John 7.27). Some translators will have “he is indoors here.” Barclay has “he is in the secret rooms.”
Do not believe it may need to be translated either “don’t believe them” or “don’t believe what they say.”
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 .