But immediately (Good News Translation “at once”) translates an adverbial construction which indicates action in immediate sequence; the phrase is emphatic in Greek. For stylistic reasons Good News Translation has moved the phrase to the end of the sentence. Translators should do whatever is most natural.

The sentence with spoke … saying, two similar verbs, may be more naturally rendered “But immediately Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ ” Good News Translation uses two separate sentences, another possibility. Other translators will use indirect speech, as in “… spoke to them and told them not to be afraid.”

Take heart (so also New English Bible) is translated “Courage” by Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Barclay, and Moffatt; An American Translation and New International Version have “Take courage.” It is almost impossible to find a satisfactory expression at the proper English level; even “Get hold of yourselves” (New American Bible) falls somewhat short of a dynamic equivalent for English speakers. The function of the expression is to offer encouragement; the same verb is used here as in 9.2, 22. If there is a good, idiomatic expression in the receptor language, translators can certainly use it. “Be calm” or “Don’t be afraid” are common renderings.

It is I (so most all English translations) is rather high level, and it also sounds rather stiff and formal. In the Gospel of John this affirmation is frequently used of a divine revelation (6.35; 8.12, 58; 9.5; 10.9, 11; 11.25; 15.1), which may be the intention here as well. However, the high-level rendering does not in any way aid the reader in determining if this is indeed the meaning, and it may tend to draw more attention to the form than to the content. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch effectively utilizes a more colloquial expression; in English a similar colloquial expression is “It’s me.”

Have no fear is translated “Don’t be afraid” by Good News Translation; Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible choose “Do not be afraid.” Here again one should seek for a colloquial expression which conveys the meaning. In translation it may be necessary to rearrange the statements in an order which more naturally reflects the expectations of the receptor language; for example, “It’s me, Jesus! Don’t be afraid! There is nothing to worry about.”

In many languages it is not natural to use two such similar phrases so close together, Take heart and have no fear. Then translators can say simply “Don’t be afraid; it’s me.”

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 .