Some scholars believe that Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread existed as separate festivals, perhaps even before the time of Moses. In Exodus the two are combined, with “Passover” usually referring to the first day of the festival, when the lamb was eaten, although both names have been used for the entire festival. In some contexts “Passover” refers to the sacrificial lamb that became the Passover meal.

Since the Jewish day was calculated from sunset, the first day of Unleavened Bread would strictly speaking mean the 15th of Nisan, which would have begun at sunset on the 14th. But it may well be that the morning of the 14th is meant, for that was the time when all leaven was removed from Jewish households. Preparation for the meal would have continued throughout the day. Then the meal itself would have begun toward evening on the 14th, and it would have continued into the night, thus ending on the 15th. The festival of Unleavened Bread lasted seven days (Nisan 15-22), and it also commemorated the safe rescue of the Jewish ancestors from Egypt. During these seven days the Jewish people ate unleavened bread (bread made without yeast), to recall the day on which they had departed from Egypt in haste.

The first day of Unleavened Bread has been rendered by Good News Translation as “the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.” It is not necessary in the translation to explain exactly what was involved in this festival, although the information can be put into a footnote or into the glossary. Unleavened Bread may not be known, and translators sometimes have “bread with no yeast.” For “yeast” or “leaven,” see comments on 13.33.

Came may have to be “went” or “went up to.”

Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the passover? is practically word-for-word the same as Mark 14.12 (“Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?”). Most translators expand passover to “the Passover meal” or “the meal that celebrates the deliverance,” using, of course, whatever translation of passover they have been using elsewhere.

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 he came up to Jesus at once and said is translated by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch so that he of the Greek text is clearly marked: “Judas went immediately to Jesus and said.” Compare also Good News Translation.

Hail (so also Moffatt, New English Bible) is definitely archaic for speakers of American English. Moreover, it has the disadvantage of sounding like “Hell!” which is frequently used as a swear word. More appropriate choices are “Greetings” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Barclay, Phillips), “Good evening” (An American Translation), “Peace” (New American Bible), or “Peace be with you” (Good News Translation). The word is used again in 27.29; 28.9.

Master (Good News Translation “Teacher”) is a translation of the Aramaic term transliterated “Rabbi” by New Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible. It is also the term by which Judas addresses Jesus during the course of the last meal (verse 25). See comment on “rabbi” at 23.7.

Two pronouns are used in And he kissed him. Normally translators find it is clear who does the kissing, but in some cases it is helpful to say “And Judas kissed him.”

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 .

Taking the pieces of silver may need to be expressed as “picked up (or, gathered) the pieces of silver.”

The treasury the priests referred to was the Temple treasury, the financial resources of the Temple. If there is no good direct translation, translators may have to use a short description, such as “put it with the money that belongs to the Temple.”

The them refers to the pieces of silver, but it is sometimes more natural to say “this money.”

Good News Translation inverts the order of the two clauses contained in the dialogue of the chief priests, thereby allowing the causative clause since they are blood money to come first. This results in a more logical and more easily understood arrangement.

Good News Translation retains the literal phrase blood money because of the anticipated play on words (see “Field of Blood” in Matthew 27.8). However, for many languages it will be impossible to speak meaningfully of blood money. One may then wish to translate the phrase otherwise (for example, “money received because a person was killed” or “the price of a man’s life,” as in Barclay) and follow it with a footnote, indicating the play on words. The principle referred to by the priests probably derives from Deuteronomy 23.18, which forbids that money earned through prostitution be accepted in the Temple treasury. Here the law is expanded to include any “unclean” money.

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 .

“Bandits” (Good News Translation, Phillips, New English Bible) is rendered robbers by most English translations. It is the same word used in 21.13; 26.55.

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 .

As Revised Standard Version intimates, for fear of him comes first in the Greek sentence, while the second element is the verb trembled (translated “was stirred” in 21.10 and “shook” in 27.51). These are the expected reactions to the sudden appearance of a divine being, and both are intended to emphasize the tremendous fear that came over the guards. Some translations will say “the guards were so afraid,” but others will have “… afraid of him,” as in the text.

Guards does not translate the same noun used in 27.65, 66; it is a noun made from the same stem as the verb “kept watch” in 27.36 and “keeping watch” in 27.54.

Became like dead men is perhaps an intended contrast to the “dead man” whose tomb they are guarding. He is alive, but they “lay there as dead men” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). One vivid expression is “fell to the ground paralyzed with fear like dead men.” It is almost essential in many languages to make it explicit that they fell to the ground, since otherwise it would seem they stood in fear without moving.

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 .