So every one who acknowledges me before men: Barclay translates “If anyone publicly acknowledges his loyalty to me in front of his fellow men,” and Jerusalem Bible “So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men.” Since one’s acknowledgment of Jesus involves not only words but a direction of life, Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition translates, “Whoever holds to me in front of people.” The meaning may also be expressed “Whoever is willing to live his life for me in this world.” Other common renderings are “Whoever declares publicly that he is my follower” or “… that he belongs to me.”

I will also acknowledge (him) before my Father who is in heaven is in a balanced arrangement with the first half of the verse. Since this refers to the final judgment, when God sits on his throne to judge all people, the clause may be rendered “I will intercede for him on the day of final judgment, when my heavenly Father judges all people.”

Often translators try to make this second part of the verse use a similar form to that of the first: “I will also declare to my Father in heaven (on the Day of Judgment) that that person is my follower” or “… belongs to me.”

It may be better in some languages to use direct speech, as in “… declares ‘I follow Jesus’ ” and “… I will say to my Father, ‘That person follows 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 .