Jesus’ reply (You have said so) places the burden of decision upon the High Priest, in contrast to the openly affirmative “I am” of Mark (14.62). A number of translations retain Jesus’ answer in a form similar to that of the Greek text: “You say it” (Luther 1984), “It is you who say it” (New American Bible), and “The words are yours” (New English Bible; Jerusalem Bible “The words are your own”). Renderings such as these have the effect of saying “That’s your way of saying it, but I don’t necessarily agree (or, I may or may not say it that way myself).” Others take Jesus’ answer to be an absolute affirmative: “Yes” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “Yes, it is as you say” (New International Version), “It is true” (An American Translation), and “You have said so, Yes” (Phillips). Although either interpretation can be supported, we tend the prefer the former.
But I tell you is the same expression used in 11.22, 24; it is equivalent in emphasis to “For truly, I say to you” of 5.18 (see discussion there). The word translated But can mean “Moreover,” which would go better with the second interpretation of You have said so. Because you here is plural, contrasting with the singular You have said so of the previous sentence, Good News Translation translates “But I tell all of you.”
Hereafter of Revised Standard Version is somewhat ambiguous. Good News Translation‘s “from this time on” (New Jerusalem Bible “from this time onward”) or “from now on” (New English Bible, Barclay, Luther 1984, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) reflects more accurately the meaning of the Greek construction. Several translations depart from the obvious meaning and translate either “Soon” (New American Bible, An American Translation) or “in the future” (New International Version, Phillips; Moffatt “in future”) in order to make Jesus’ statement chronologically precise. However, as one scholar expresses it, “Matthew’s overall meaning is that ‘from this time on’ they will see only the triumphant Son of Man, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given (28.18), and who will return to judge the world (25.31).”
The Son of man … on the clouds of heaven, taken from Daniel 7.13, agrees very closely with the Marcan parallel. The one significant difference is the shift from “with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14.62) to on the clouds of heaven. Whereas both forms are represented in the two textual traditions of Daniel 7.13 in the Septuagint, the form chosen by Matthew probably lays greater stress upon the exalted position of the Son of Man.
The expression at the right hand is similar to the expression discussed at 22.44. Good News Translation has rendered Power as “the Almighty,” but for many translators “Almighty God” of Barclay is even better.
The Son of Man will be coming, with the understood destination of earth. Some translations will in fact say “coming to earth.” Since he will be coming on the clouds of heaven, translators may say “coming to earth, riding on the clouds of heaven” or even “riding to earth on the clouds of heaven.” Many translations feel that of heaven does not add anything to the meaning of the clouds and can easily be dropped.
A problem for translators is the fact that the Son of Man is both seated and coming. One way to handle this is to say “you will see the Son of Man, the one who sits at the right side of Almighty God, coming to earth on the clouds.”
Matthew clearly intends an identification of the speaker (Jesus) with the Son of Man, and the reply of the High Priest in the following verse makes it obvious that he too took it in that way. But translators should not use the first person “I.” See comments at 8.20.
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 .