One of these little ones is described by the phrase because he is a disciple (literally “in the name of a disciple”). Good News Translation combines these two phrases and renders “one of the least of these my followers.” Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition is similar to Good News Translation; New American Bible has “one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple”; New English Bible “one of these little ones, because he is a disciple of mine.” It is important in translation that little ones be understood of status rather than of age. Therefore it may be translated as “least important ones.” The phrase can then be “one of these least important of my followers because he is my follower.”

A cup of cold water reflects the show of hospitality in first-century Palestine. It may be necessary to add “to drink” or to say “a drink of cold water,” as in Good News Translation.

For comments on truly, I say to you, see 5.18.

The translation of this verse may be complicated, because Jesus is addressing his disciples (see verse 40), yet he is referring to them in the third person as one of these little ones … because he is a disciple. This results from the double orientation of Matthew’s Gospel, by which Matthew relates Jesus’ words to the actual church situation of his own day. So then Matthew will freely shift from the second person to the third person, if this better suits the needs of his congregation.

Good News Translation has rendered the negative shall not lose his reward as a positive sentence, “will certainly receive….” It may be necessary to make this passive an active, as in “God will certainly reward him” or “God will not fail to reward him.”

See verse 41 for comments on reward.

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 .

And Peter said to Jesus (Good News Translation “So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus”) is more literally “But answering Peter said to Jesus.” Here again stylistic considerations will determine what should be done in the receptor language.

See 8.2 for a discussion of Lord. Most translators understand it in the Christian sense here, although Barclay has “Master.”

It is well that we are here (Good News Translation, An American Translation “how good it is that we are here”): this statement may be taken to indicate either that the disciples were overjoyed at being there with Jesus (New Jerusalem Bible, Phillips “it is wonderful for us to be here”; Barclay “it is a wonderful thing for us to be here”), or that the disciples felt the need to serve Jesus together with his two visitors (Moffatt “it is a good thing we are here”). Revised Standard Version seems to accept this second interpretation, though its rendering is somewhat ambiguous.

In many languages it is not possible to be ambiguous, however, since there are different ways of saying we, depending on whether Peter was speaking of himself and the other two disciples only, or of the three plus Jesus, or of all six who were there. Most translators seem to have felt that in this context Peter was probably referring to all of them, and they have rendered the phrase as “It is really wonderful that we (all) are here.” However, a translation like Moffatt (cited above), which is narrower, or Revised Standard Version, is certainly acceptable.

If you wish can be “If you want me to” or even “Would you like me to?”

Three booths (Phillips, Barclay “three shelters”) refer to temporary shelters in which Jesus and his companions could spend the night. For Matthew these words were doubtless intended to recall the Festival of Shelters, during which time the Jewish people constructed rough shelters to live in as a commemoration of the years when their ancestors wandered through the wilderness. On the festival see Leviticus 23.33-44.

Most cultures are familiar with some type of temporary shelter that can be used to translate booths. “Tents,” “field huts,” or even “temporary shelters” have all been used by translators.

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 .

See that you do not despise one of these little ones may be translated “Be careful not to look down on one of these little ones” or “Make sure you never consider one of these little ones as unimportant.”

Despise is also used in 6.24; see comments there. Although some translators have wanted to render it as “hate,” most translators have something similar to Barclay: “think of one of these little ones as of no importance.”

For comments on one of these little ones, see Matthew 18.6 and 10.42.

In heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven emphasizes the importance that God attaches to those who believe in him. The Jews believed in guardian angels (see Dan 10.10-14; Acts 12.15; Rev 1.20; 12.7), but Jewish teachers taught that only the highest category of angels had access to the presence of God. Jesus is thereby affirming that these little ones are of such significance to God that the most powerful angels represent them in his presence.

In heaven … in heaven will be unnecessarily repetitious in many languages. Moreover, the meaning of behold the face of my Father is not very clear. The meaning is well expressed by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “Their angels always have access to my Father in heaven.” Except for the repetition of “in heaven,” Barclay is excellent: “I tell you that in heaven their guardian angels always have the right of access to the presence of my Father who is in heaven.”

For angels, see comment on 1.20. The use of their sometimes is a problem for translators, since the expression they might use in the receptor languages may give the idea that these little ones owned the angels. “Guardian angels” of Barclay is a helpful model, and some translators have said “the angels assigned to take care of them” or “the angels who look after them.”

Again, as we suggest above, “right of access” of Barclay is a helpful model for translating behold the face of my father. This can also be expressed as “always can approach” or “always have the right to speak with God.” In some West African languages “can always take the case of these little ones to God” is natural.

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 .

They said to him: Good News Translation, together with Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Bible en français courant, identifies the speakers as “The Pharisees” on the basis of verse 3. The Greek verb “say” covers a wide area of meaning in English, and the translations vary; for example, “they objected” (New English Bible), “they asked” (New International Version), and “they retorted” (Phillips).

Why then did Moses command one … and to put her away is once again a literal representation of the Greek text, except for the inclusion of the pronouns one and her. Both of these pronominal forms are necessary in English, though one is entirely absent from the Greek text, and her is found only in some Greek manuscripts. In the UBS Greek text, the pronoun her is placed in brackets in order to indicate that its position in the text is doubtful. Since the Greek text is very concise, it is quite possible that her was introduced by some later scribe for the sake of clarification (other Greek manuscripts have “his wife,” which is surely a scribal clarification). On the other hand, her may have been dropped from the text so as to make the passage read like its parallel in Mark 10.4. In either case most languages will require not only the specification of the object but of the subject. New English Bible (similarly Good News Translation) indicates both subject and object of the divorce procedure: “Why then … did Moses lay it down that a man might divorce his wife by note of dismissal?” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is slightly different in its restructuring: “Why is it then, that according to the Law of Moses a man may send his wife away by means of a written notice of divorce?” On the other hand, New Jerusalem Bible translates without indicating either subject or object of the transaction: “Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?”

The Revised Standard Version text is a little awkward and may give the impression that Moses commanded people to get a divorce. The correct meaning is that Moses allowed a man to get a divorce if he wished to, and he provided a way to do it. So the sentence can be translated “But Moses provided (or, gave) a law that says a man may divorce his wife by giving her a divorce notice and sending her away. Why did he do that?” or “Why, then, did Moses give a commandment about how a man can divorce his wife by giving her a divorce notice and sending her away?”

The phrase put her away is better rendered as “send her away” (Good News Translation) or “have her leave his house.”

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 .

Eleventh hour should be translated the same as it was in verse 6, although if translators used “about” in the translation, as in “about five o’clock,” then that word will probably be inappropriate in this verse.

Many translators will follow Good News Translation and expand came to “came to be paid” or “came to receive their wages.”

For denarius see comment at Matthew 20.2. Barclay has “a normal full day’s wage.”

Received is formulated as a passive in Good News Translation: “were paid.” Some languages will require a complete restructuring of the sentence; for example, “So the foreman paid a silver coin to each of the men who had begun to work at five o’clock in the afternoon” or “… paid the full day’s wages to each of the men….”

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 .