And as they were eating: Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch transform the verb were eating into a noun, in the phrase “During the meal.” In place of the pronominal subject he, Good News Translation substitutes the proper name, “Jesus.” Barclay introduces an indirect object to indicate to whom Jesus addressed his remarks: “During the meal he said to them.”

Truly, I say to you was most recently used in verse 13; see comment at 5.18.

Betray is the same verb translated “delivered up” in verse 2; see comment at 4.12.

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 .