The centurion is discussed at 8.5. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “the Roman officer,” and Barclay “the company commander.”

Those who were with him has been correctly rendered by Good News Translation as “the soldiers with him.” The reference is not to the spectators.

Keeping watch translates the same verb used in verse 36.

Were filled with awe (so also New English Bible) translates a verb (“were afraid”) plus adverb (“greatly”), which are rendered “were terrified” by Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and Phillips. Others, for example Barclay, have more the idea “were tremendously amazed” or “were filled with great wonder.”

Truly may be “in truth” or expressed as “this man really was the Son of God.”

The Son of God (so Good News Translation, New American Bible, New International Version) translates a phrase which in Greek does not have the definite article, and so a number of translations render “a Son of God” (Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Moffatt, An American Translation, Phillips, Barclay). The real question concerns the perspective from which Matthew writes. On the lips of the Roman soldiers the phrase may mean no more than “a divine being” (that is, “a son of God”), but in light of Matthew’s faith it must certainly be taken to mean “the Son of God.” It may be advisable in translation to place one reading in the text and the other in the margin, as Revised Standard Version has done.

Matthew again contrasts with Mark in having several soldiers make the confession, as opposed to the one soldier in Mark (15.39). But even more significant is the cause of the confession; in Matthew it is the sight of the miraculous events taking place, while in Mark it is nothing other than the death of Jesus itself which evokes this confession.

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 .