Came … touched … saying translates three verb forms in Greek; came and saying are actually third-person singular forms, while touched is a participle. Good News Translation restructures somewhat differently, using three third-person verb forms: “came … touched … said.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, as other standard English translations, merely reflect stylistic variations, and either one is valid. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Luther 1984 have “But Jesus came to them, touched them and said….” The touching of the disciples, as with the command Rise (Good News Translation “Get up”), is reminiscent of the manner in which Jesus touched the sick and dead (8.15; 9.25, 29) and commanded the daughter of Jairus to get up from her sickbed (Luke 8.54).

Came is often more naturally “went to them” or “approached them.”

The text does not specify how Jesus touched the disciples, nor will most translations. However, if the language does require more detail, then “touched them with his hand” can be used.

Some translators have rendered have no fear as “You don’t have to be afraid” or “Don’t be afraid anymore,” but “Don’t be afraid” of Good News Translation is usually 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 .