And after six days: this formal representation of the Greek text is replaced by the more natural English expression “Six days later” in Good News Translation, New English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible. Barclay has “About a week later.”

Took translates a present tense in Greek, a form often used in Greek narrative for the sake of vividness. In oral narration English speakers will also occasionally use the present tense for the same purpose, but it is generally not done in formal writing.

In some languages, instead of saying Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, it may be better to say “had Peter, James and John go with him” or “asked Peter, James and John to go with him.”

In place of the awkward Peter and James and John his brother, Mark has “Peter and James and John” (9.2), and Luke has “Peter and John and James” (9.28). It is thought that John may have been identified as the brother of James because he was not as well known to the readers of Matthew’s Gospel as was James, who was later put to death for his faith (Acts 12.2). And John his brother may prove difficult for contemporary readers, who may assume from the wording of Revised Standard Version that Peter and James compose one group, to be distinguished from John, the brother of Jesus. To avoid this confusion Good News Translation translates “… the brothers James and John,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “… the two brothers James and John.”

Led can be understood in a general sense of “took,” but most translators use a phrase such as “went ahead of” or “had them follow him.”

In Jewish thought a high mountain was a suitable place for a divine revelation; see 4.8; 5.1; 28.16. Christian tradition tends to identify the mountain with Mount Tabor (588 meters), though Mount Hermon (2,774 meters) is closer to Caesarea Philippi.

For some translators up a high mountain is quite natural, but for others “to the top of a high mountain” is better.

Apart translates the adverbial phrase first used in 14.13; it also occurs in verse 19 of this chapter and in 20.17; 24.3. Good News Translation and New English Bible have “where they were alone,” while New American Bible, Moffatt, and New International Version each have “by themselves.”

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 .