In Greek heard has no object, though an object is clearly implied. Revised Standard Version has supplied this and Good News Translation “about this” to make more natural English structures. Heard this is sometimes more naturally rendered “When people told these things to King Herod.” Some languages need an object of “heard” more specific than “this” and say “heard what the wise men were saying” or “heard about the wise men.”

He was troubled (Good News Translation “he was very upset”) translates the same Greek verb used of the disciples in 14.26, its only other occurrence in Matthew’s Gospel. Phillips translates “deeply perturbed”; New English Bible “greatly perturbed”; New American Bible “greatly disturbed”; and Barclay “alarmed.” Many languages have expressions such as “his peace left him” or “his heart became troubled.”

He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him translates a Semitic Greek construction. The adjective all is used here, as frequently in the Old Testament, in the sense of “a large portion of,” and the reference is specifically to people. One may then translate “He was upset, and many people in Jerusalem were also upset.” In many languages the exaggeration of Matthew’s style is quite normal, as in phrases such as “and everyone in Jerusalem was also upset” or “and the people who lived in Jerusalem were upset as well as he was.” But other languages will find “many people” more natural.

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 .