When morning came is translated “Early in the morning” by Good News Translation; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is even more specific with “Early the next morning.”

As in 21.23, so here also the elders is followed by the qualifying phrase of the people, which Good News Translation omits on the grounds that it is redundant.

Took counsel is used earlier in 12.14; see comments there. Took counsel against Jesus to put him to death is a fairly literal rendering of the Greek text; Barclay translates “laid their plans to make sure that Jesus would be put to death.” New International Version is even more precise: “came to the decision to put Jesus to death.” But a better example is “made plans on how they would have Jesus put to death.”

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 .