Good News Translation places verses 9-10 together in order to effect a more logical sequence of events for the English reader. “When they saw it … what joy was theirs” of Good News Bible translates verse 10 of the Greek text. Good News Bible makes this restructuring in order to show an immediate connection between the seeing of the star and the joyful response of the men. Then Good News Bible picks up the information about the movement of the star to the place where the child was, which in Greek is the last part of verse 9. Other translators who follow this interpretation might say “When they saw the star again, they were very happy…” or “It made them very happy to see the star again.”

However, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch reflects naturally the joyful response of the men without reordering the information in verses 9-10. This is achieved through translating the first part of verse 10 “as they saw it there.” In other words, in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch their joyful response is occasioned by seeing the star stop over the place where the child was, not, as Good News Translation suggests, by the sight of the star after leaving King Herod. This seems more in keeping with the Greek text and with the movement of the story itself. Translators who follow this interpretation can use sentences such as “When they saw the star at that place, they became very happy,” or perhaps “When they saw where the star was, it gave them happiness.” See also the comments on verse 10.

When they had heard the king they went their way is restructured by Good News Translation to read “And so they left, and on their way….” New English Bible translates “They set out at the king’s bidding,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “after they had received these instructions, they set out on their way.” Other ways may be “After the king told them this…” or “When they heard what they king said, they left.”

And lo translates the same Greek construction discussed in 1.20 (see comments there under “behold”). As in that verse, translators may use an expression such as “and then” or “now then.” The meaning can also be included in a sentence such as “As they were going” or “As they were on the way.”

In the East translates the same construction discussed in Matthew 2.2. Here, depending on the flow of the discourse, the star can be referred to as “that star they had seen when it appeared (or, rose)” or as “the star they had seen in their country.”

In many languages it will be necessary to make explicit that the star appeared again. That is, it would sound strange to say the star went before them without first indicating that it appeared again and the wise men saw it. Thus, “They saw the same star … and it went…” or “The star appeared again … and it went….”

Before them. Some translators feel it would be hard for the wise men to perceive a star actually moving the short distance of eight kilometers (five miles) between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. As a result they translate “before” with the sense of “before in time.” But the text seems to describe a star moving in the sky “in front of them” or “leading their way.”

The star came to rest, that is, it “stopped moving” or “stood still.”

Over can be translated as “above” or “on top of,” although the translation should not make it seem the star was touching the house.

The place where the child was: some languages have to use something more specific than “place,” and say “house” or “building.” Also, some cannot say “was” and must say “was staying.”

Child is the same word used in Matthew 2.8.

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 .