Touched their eyes: the Greek text does not indicate whether Jesus reached out with both hands and touched the eyes of the two men at the same time, or whether he used only his right hand, touching their eyes in sequence. The combination of the aorist tense touched and the present tense saying may suggest simultaneous action. It also implies that Jesus was still touching their eyes as he spoke. Thus translators can say either “he touched their eyes and said” or “he touched their eyes, and as he did, he said.”

According to your faith be it done is plural in Greek; Good News Translation reverses the order: “Let it happen, then, just as you believe.” Some interpreters take According to your faith to mean “according to the degree of your faith” (Barclay “in proportion to your faith”). However, the context suggests the meaning “Because of your faith” (New American Bible). Be it done is an affirmation, not a request or command. Jesus’ response may then be translated “… and so I will give you your sight.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “What you trusted me to do will happen.” Another rendering is “You believed you would receive your sight, and so you will.”

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 .