Truly, I say to you (Good News Translation “Remember”): see discussion at 5.18.

This generation will not pass away is transformed into a positive statement by several translations: “all these events will happen within the lifetime of this generation” (Barclay), “the present generation will live to see it all” (New English Bible), and “this generation will experience all these things” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Differences of opinion exist with regard to the meaning of (1) this generation and (2) all these things take place. New International Version translates this generation literally but follows with a footnote, “Or race.” And one New Testament scholar believes that “Matthew means not just the first generation after Jesus but all the generations of Judaism that reject him.” However, there is no linguistic evidence to substantiate either of these conclusions, and they must be brushed aside as attempts to avoid the obvious meaning. In its original setting the reference was solely to Jesus’ own contemporaries, though in the context of Matthew’s Gospel it seems to have been expanded to include as well the generation of his readers. Good News Translation, “the people now living,” represents a widely accepted interpretation of this generation. Will not pass away then means “these people will not die.”

All these things take place is accompanied by a footnote in New Jerusalem Bible: “This statement refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and not to the end of the world.” Other scholars believe that the reference is to the final events of history, including the coming of the Son of Man. No final decision is possible, though the weight of evidence supports the judgment expressed in New Jerusalem Bible; if translations must be specific, this is the best alternative, but they should leave it general if at all possible.

Note that Good News Translation has reversed the order of the verse, which does change the focus of the verse somewhat. However, translators should follow whichever order seems most natural in their language.

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 .