But know this (Good News Translation “you can be sure that”) appears in an emphatic position in the Greek sentence structure. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch adopts an idiomatic expression meaning “keep this clearly in mind”; New English Bible has “Remember,” and New Jerusalem Bible “You may be quite sure of this.”

Householder is also used in the parable of the weeds, 13.24-30 (see also Mark 13.34-35). The noun was earlier translated “master of the house” in 10.25 (see also its usage in 13.27, 52; 20.1, 11; 21.33). Here “the head of the household” or “the owner of the house” may be appropriate.

What part of the night is literally “what watch” (see comment at 14.25). Some translators say “when during the night” or “what time of night.”

Watched here means “kept watch” or “kept guard.” It can also be “stayed awake.”

Be broken into is literally “be dug through,” describing the way that a thief would dig though the sun-dried brick wall of a Palestinian house. For some cultures this imagery may be retained, but for others it will not be understood. This passive construction may have to be active, as in the sentence “he would not have let anyone (or, that thief) break into his house.” The expression does not necessarily mean that the thief actually breaks down the walls of the house, but it does refer to some kind of forced entry, as a thief would do.

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 .