The text says Peter followed him, a pronoun which Good News Translation has dropped. In many languages, however, it is necessary to retain the object. Further, it can be said that Matthew is emphasizing that it was Jesus whom Peter was following, so this is yet another reason to retain him.

At a distance sometimes needs to be a separate clause such as “but he stayed a little distance behind him.”

He followed as far as the courtyard, that is, until they reached the courtyard. Although courtyard is the same word translated “palace” in verse 3, it becomes clear from verse 69 (“Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard”) that the reference here is to the open area outside the buildings of the High Priest, perhaps partly surrounded by them.

Guards is the same word used in 5.25; these are the only two occurrences of this noun in the entire Gospel. Although the basic meaning of the word is “servants” or “attendants,” here the guards were probably members of the Temple guard, Jewish soldiers under the command of the High Priest. Where there is not a common word for “guards,” translators may say “soldiers from the Temple.”

The end (New American Bible “the outcome”) is rendered as a verb construction in Good News Translation, “how it would all come out.” To see the end is found only in Matthew’s Gospel; Mark has in its place “warming himself at the fire” (14.54).

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 .