The Greek in Matthew 18:15 that is translated with some rendering of “in private” in English versions is translated in most German versions with the idiom unter vier Augen (“under four eyes”) which means “privately” or “confidentially.” (See also the Hebrew equivalent in 2 Samuel 3:27.)
magi, wise men
The Greek magoi originally referred to Persian Zoroastrian “priests who were experts in astrology and in the interpretation of dreams. But the word may also be used in a derogatory sense of ‘magician’ or ‘charlatan,’ a meaning which it has in its only other New Testament occurrences outside Matthew’s nativity narrative (Acts 13:6,8). Matthew most likely has Babylonian astrologers in mind.” (Source: Newman / Stine; see also this interview .)
While most English translations either transliterate this as “magi” or translate it as “wise men,” most German versions (with the exceptions of Luther and Menge [publ. 1909]) use Sterndeuter, an old-fashioned term for astrologer. The Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) uses Sternegugger, also an old-fashioned term for astrologer with the verbatim meaning of “star watchers.” In Luxembourgish, it is translated as weis Astronomen or “wise astronomers.” (Source: Zetzsche)
In Kwakum it is translated as “guardians of religious rites who look up at the starts to see the things to come” or “guardians of religions rites.” (Source: Stacey Hare in this post )
In Cherokee it is translated as aniktani or “knowledgeable ones.” Aniktani (ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) “appear in Cherokee oral history as a former priestly society.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)
See also complete verse (Matthew 2:1) and who know the laws.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Magi .
sound a trumpet before you
The Greek in Matthew 6:2 that is often translated in English as “sound a trumpet before you” is translated in Kayaw as “blow flutes beat drums.” “Flutes and drums are always played at Kayaw festivals and special occasions; flute and drum bands normally accompany visiting dignitaries in a procession as they arrive at a festival.” (Source: Anonymous)
In the English Good News Version (publ. 1966) it is translated non-figuratively as do not make a big show of it and the German equivalent, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (publ. 1968) uses an existing German figure of speech with nicht an die große Glocke hängen (literally: “don’t hang it on the great bell”), meaning “don’t make a big fuss about it” or “don’t broadcast it all around.” (Source: Newman / Stine) See also expose to public disgrace.
The newly-created expression that Luther used in 1522 in the German New Testament translation, ausposaunen, has become a widely used idiom with the meaning of “broadcast (new information)” (literally “to trumpet out”). (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
Translation commentary on Matthew 11:20
Notice that, since this does begin a new paragraph, the pronoun he is usually replaced by “Jesus.”
Upbraid (Good News Translation “reproached”) translates the verb rendered “revile” by Revised Standard Version and “insult” by Good News Translation in 5.11. Here it can be expressed as “say they were wrong,” “condemn,” or “accuse of being wrong.” In some languages it is possible to say Jesus is condemning the cities, but often “people of the cities” will be better.
Cities, as in the other places we have seen, is more naturally “towns,” to contrast them with the really large places like Jerusalem.
Where most of his mighty works had been done is altered to an active by Good News Translation: “where Jesus had performed most of his miracles.” For comments on mighty works, see 7.22.
The cities … because they did not repent: in many languages it will not be possible to speak of cities repenting; instead one must say “the people of the cities.” Repent here means “turn from their sins” or “turn to God” (see comments on 3.2). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this part of the verse “Then Jesus began to say harsh things about the places … and still the people there had not changed.”
Then marks a transition and may be rendered “At that time” or “After that.” However, since there is a clause introduced by because at the end of the verse, translators must find a good way to handle Then and because naturally in the same sentence. One way is “At that time, Jesus began to condemn the people in the cities where he had performed most of his miracles. He did that because those people refused to turn from their sins.” However, many languages find it more natural to reverse the order of the verse in a manner similar to Good News Translation; for example, “In the towns where Jesus had performed most of his mighty actions, people did not change their lives. So Jesus began at that time to accuse those people of being wrong.”
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 .
Translation commentary on Matthew 12:22
Then points back to verse 15. Translators can also say “After that.”
A blind and dumb demoniac is translated “a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon” by Good News Translation. The causal relation is clearly indicated in the Greek sentence structure, and it should be made equally clear in translation. Demon possession is not a third illness, to be distinguished from the other two; it is in fact the cause of the man’s blindness and of his inability to speak. As in 9.32, Good News Translation avoids the use of dumb, because in American English it often means “stupid.”
The Greek participle translated demoniac was first used in 4.24; see also 8.16, 28, 33; 9.32; 15.22. The idea may be expressed in a number of ways. New English Bible has “a man who was possessed,” and New American Bible renders “A possessed man.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “an evil spirit ruled him.”
Good News Translation provides an excellent model for a blind and dumb demoniac: “a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon.” The phrase can also be restructured, as in “a man who had an evil spirit (in him) that made him so he was blind and could not speak.”
Was brought to him, a passive formation in Greek, is translated “some people brought to Jesus” by Good News Translation. Several other translations also shift to the active: “they brought to him” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “they brought him” (New English Bible). Him, of course, is Jesus.
And he healed him: the healing of the man is narrated briefly and without detail. Good News Translation says “Jesus healed the man.” Matthew’s primary concern is not with the miracle but with the accusation which the Pharisees level against Jesus (verse 24).
So that the dumb man spoke and saw sounds inconsistent to English speakers. If the man is dumb (unable to talk), how could he speak? “So that he was able to talk and see” of Good News Translation resolves the difficulty. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is even better (“Jesus healed him, and he was able to speak and see again”). New English Bible resolves the problem in yet another way: “Jesus cured him, restoring both speech and sight.” A slightly different way avoids “again”: “Jesus healed him, and he was thus able to speak and see.”
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 .
Translation commentary on Matthew 13:5
The reference to rocky ground can mean either ground full of rocks or a thin layer of soil on top of a rock ledge. The second of these two interpretations is more probable (Barclay “on ground where there was only a thin skin of earth over the rock”). The sun would have heated the rocks immediately beneath the rocky ground, causing the seed on it to sprout more quickly than the seed on the remaining ground.
The text uses they referring to the seeds three times in this verse. For the phrase they had not much soil, it may be better to say “there was not much soil (for the seeds to grow in)” or “they did not have enough soil to grow in.” Similarly they had no depth of soil can be “the soil wasn’t deep enough for them” or “they didn’t have soil there that was deep enough.”
Immediately can be “quickly” or “soon” (Good News Translation).
Whatever is the usual word for “sprouted” in a language can be used for sprang up.
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 .
Translation commentary on Matthew 13:38
The field is the world may also be changed to a simile (“The field stands for [or, represents] the world”), as may the other figures in the parable. Revised Standard Version in fact does this in one place: the good seed means the sons of the kingdom.
The sons of the kingdom (Good News Translation “the people who belong to the Kingdom”) is also used in 8.12. In the earlier passage it refers to the Jews, who by right should have belonged to God’s Kingdom but had disqualified themselves because of their rejection of Jesus. Here it refers to the people who in truth do belong to God’s Kingdom. The idea of “belonging to the Kingdom” may be difficult and unclear, and so one may translate “the people who have submitted themselves to the rule of God” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). INCL translates “those who have become the people of God.” Another expression is “the people who are under the rule of God.”
The sons of the evil one is translated “the people who belong to the Evil One” by Good News Translation. Here also sons is a Semitic idiom used to describe people who either belong to or are characterized by the “of” phrase that follows it. In other contexts it may be possible to interpret the evil one to mean “evil” in an impersonal sense (see 6.13), but in verse 39 he is explicitly identified as both “the enemy” and “the devil.” Therefore Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the evil one as “the enemy of God” and then in verse 39 says of him “the enemy who planted the weeds is Satan.” In translation it should be made clear that Jesus is referring to the same being, not to three separate beings (“the evil one,” “the enemy,” “the devil”). It may then be helpful to translate “The weeds represent the people who belong to God’s enemy, the devil. He is the evil one who sowed the weeds….” Instead of “belong to,” translators may have “are ruled over by” or “who serve.”
For “the devil,” see comments on 4.1 and verse 39 below.
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 .
Translation commentary on Matthew 14:12
And indicates that the discourse is continuing. In some languages it can be dropped, and in others it can be rendered “After that.”
His disciples are obviously “John’s disciples,” and a number of modern translations are explicit. Here again, the many pronouns of the Greek text will prove confusing if sufficient caution is not taken.
Came may have to be “went” or even “went to the prison.”
The body may be translated “John’s body” or “his body.”
Both Mark and Matthew mention that John’s disciples carried away his body and buried it, but only Matthew indicates that they went and told Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate what they told Jesus, as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “then they went to Jesus and told him what had happened.” It is also possible to translate “… what had happened to John” or “… that Herod had had John beheaded.”
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 .