The King is translated “the Judge” by Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition. This may not be the best model, since the King does no more than pronounce a judgment made by his Father (O blessed of my Father), who stands behind the scene as the real judge.

Come translates an adverb which is often used as a verb of exhortation. Here it has the force of an invitation to share in the benefits of God’s Kingdom.

The phrase O blessed of my Father often needs to be expressed with a verbal phrase; for example, “you people whom my Father has blessed,” “you who have earned the blessing of my Father,” or even as a separate sentence, “You are people my Father has blessed.” Other expressions are “you people who have received so much good from my Father” and “you are people my Father has done so much good for.” As elsewhere, Father may be “God my Father.”

Inherit is a typical Semitic figure of speech for the way in which one freely receives something from God. It is translated “Come and possess” by Good News Translation and “enter and possess” by New English Bible. See comment at 5.5.

In discussions of the kingdom we have suggested expressions such as “God’s reign (or, rule)” and “God’s New World.” However, in conjunction with inherit or “possess,” this same expression may prove awkward and unnatural. Translators may try “Come and receive the blessings (or, benefits) of God’s rule,” or they may use an active sentence with God as the agent: “Come and God will give you the blessings of his Kingdom.” See 3.2 and 5.3.

In the text, Come and inherit are separated by the vocative O blessed of my Father. In most languages it is more natural to move the vocative to the beginning of the sentence and put the two invitations together: “come and possess.”

Prepared for you from the foundation of the world presupposes God as subject of two actions: God has prepared (something) for you, and he created the world. Therefore one may translate “which God prepared for you before (or, at the time that) he created the world.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the King’s pronouncement as “Come here, you whom my Father has blessed! Receive God’s new world, which he has had ready for you from the beginning.”

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 .