Therefore represents three words of the Greek text: a prepositional phrase (“because of this”) followed by “behold” (see at 1.20). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the construction as a separate sentence: “Listen well!” Therefore I is translated “And so I tell you” by Good News Translation.

The use of the present tense I send quite probably reflects the situation of Matthew’s day in which prophets and wise men and teachers are actively working in the church. However, the verse is written from the time reference of Jesus’ own day, and the present tense may be used in Greek of a future event which is certain to take place. Good News Translation employs the future tense: “I will send.” One may render “I will surely send” to stress the certainty.

Prophets, as elsewhere, may be translated “people who will speak God’s message.”

Wise men translates the same noun used in 11.25; it occurs nowhere else in Matthew’s Gospel. They are probably to be understood as men whose wisdom enables them to make practical application of the Christian message to varied circumstances and situations.

Scribes: this is the only place in the Gospel (with the possible exception of 13.52) where the word is used of Christians as opposed to Jews. Probably the best way to translate it in this context is with “teachers” (Good News Translation) or possibly “teachers of God’s way.” Some New Testament scholars believe that “prophets” and “wise men” and “teachers” represent three classifications of leaders in the church to which Matthew is writing this Gospel.

It is possible that kill and crucify means “kill by nailing to a cross.” On the other hand, if more than one form of killing is thought to be in the mind of the author, then one may translate “you will kill some of them by nailing them to crosses, and you will kill some in other ways.” Among Jews crucifixion was never used as a legal form of punishment, but the reference does not necessarily imply legal execution.

Scourge in your synagogues refers specifically to punishment by beating with a whip. It was done in the synagogues according to the instructions of Deuteronomy 25.2. In 20.19 the same verb is used of the beating given persons immediately preceding execution.

For synagogues, see comments on 4.23.

Persecute (Good News Translation “chase”) translates the verb used in 5.10, 11, 12. New English Bible renders “hound”; Phillips, New Jerusalem Bible, and Barclay have “hunt” (New American Bible “hunt down”).

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 .