Depart (Good News Translation “Get out”) translates a second person plural imperative form in Greek. Since English does not differentiate between the singular and plural imperative forms, Good News Translation has included “everybody” to help the reader understand that Jesus’ command included the crowd of mourners as well as the flute players. Depart can also be “All of you, leave” or “Everyone, leave now.” Barclay uses strong language, “Get out of here.”

Girl (so also New English Bible) translates a Greek noun form which suggests the meaning “little girl” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). Elsewhere the noun is used only in 9.25; 14.11; Mark 5.41, 42; 6.22, 28.

Before the verb sleeping Good News Translation adds the adverb “only” to strengthen the contrast between dead and sleeping. The imagery of death as sleep has its background in the Old Testament (Dan 12.2). Translators may make this two sentences, as in “The girl is not dead. She is only asleep.”

And they laughed at him (so also Jerusalem Bible) is translated similarly by New English Bible (“and they only laughed at him”). But the verb may also mean “ridicule” (New American Bible “At this they began to ridicule him”) or “making fun of” (Good News Translation).

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 .