Evening marks the beginning of a new day for the Jewish people. In the context of the story in Mark’s Gospel, it serves the function of bringing the Sabbath to a close. Matthew does not indicate that it was a Sabbath on which Jesus performed these healings. Translators can use either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation as a model, or put “In the evening” as long as it meant that evening, not just any evening in general. It can also possibly be “After sunset.”

They brought is translated “people brought” in Good News Translation. Since no antecedent is indicated in the context, it is more natural in English to use a noun (“people”) than a pronoun (they). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes a similar alteration, employing a singular form (“one brought”) which is the natural German idiom for such a context. Some languages will need “some people brought.”

Similarly, many may be “many people.”

Possessed with demons translates a Greek participle. The meaning is “under the power of demons.” New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible translate “who were possessed by devils.” Possessed with demons should be translated in exactly the same way as the phrase in 4.24. Demons and “evil spirits” are generally translated in the same way. And “possessed by,” “under the power of,” or “had” are all ways of referring to the one phenomenon of spirit possession.

Cast out is the same verb used of the casting out of demons in 7.22; in its passive form it is used in 8.12, where Revised Standard Version translates “will be thrown.”

Spirits are qualified by Good News Translation as “evil spirits.” These are the same beings referred to earlier in the verse as demons, and it is important that the reader recognize this. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “As evening came, they brought Jesus many people who were possessed. Through the power of his word he cast out the evil spirits….”

With a word is translated “Through the power of his word” by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (see above paragraph). Other ways to handle this would be “he threw out the evil spirits by commanding them (to go),” “he commanded the spirits to leave and they did,” or “he threw the spirits out by telling them, ‘Go out.’ ”

In the ancient world illnesses were frequently attributed to the power of demons and evil spirits. But the people who were sick are here distinguished from those who were possessed by demons. Most translations are careful to mark them out as two separate and distinct groups.

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 .