Wars and rumors of wars is the well-known and traditional rendering. But the noun translated rumors may also mean “noise” (of battle), which is the grounds for “the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away” (Good News Translation). Both Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“when wars break out near and far”) and New English Bible (“the noise of battle near at hand and the news of battles far away”) reflect this same exegesis. The word rumors in English is usually used for news about things that may or may not have happened, but it is important to note that the sense here is that there will be wars everywhere. The Good News Bible rendering is thus a good model to follow.

Are … alarmed translates a verb which also appears in the Marcan parallel (13.7); elsewhere in the New Testament it is used only in 2 Thessalonians 2.2. Translators may render the sentence as “Don’t let yourself become frightened” or “Be sure that you don’t panic.”

This must take place states a basic assumption of apocalyptic literature: history is under the control of God, and so the course of human events is determined by divine decree (see Dan 2.28). This belief, which developed among the Jews during a period of extreme persecution, is now used to encourage Christian believers to remain calm, even when earth-shaking events are taking place. Nothing can take place that contradicts the divine will.

Note that this refers to the wars that will go on, not to the panic or fear the disciples might experience. In some languages the pronoun used will make this clear, but other translators will say “these things (or, events)” or even “these wars.”

But the end is not yet receives fuller explanation in Good News Translation: “but they do not mean that the end has come.” New English Bible prefers a positive reformulation: “but the end is still to come.” Verse 8 repeats the affirmation that the end is not signaled by historical happenings.

The end refers to the end of the age, the same as “the close of the age” in Matthew 24.3, and translators can render it with a similar expression.

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 .