But he replied is more literally “But answering he said,” which is merely a traditional formula in Semitic Greek. It may be important to identify the speaker: “the bridegroom answered” (Good News Translation).

Truly, I say to you: see 5.18 and comments there.

The phrase I do not know you is similar to the one in 7.23, but here a rendering such as “I do not know who you are” (so Barclay) is the most usual.

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 .