Would have prevented translates one word in Greek, literally “was preventing,” which is followed by the object him. However, in the present context the verb indicates action attempted but not achieved (technically a connotative imperfect), which may be rendered “wanted to prevent, tried to prevent” (Good News Translation “tried to make him change his mind”). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “tried to dissuade him” (so also New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible); New American Bible “tried to refuse him with the protest”; Phillips “tried to prevent him”; and Barclay “tried to stop him.” This could even be expressed in direct speech if necessary, as in “John said, ‘You should not do this.’ ”

Translators can express saying with “by saying” or “He said.”

I need to be baptized by you: John felt that the more important one, Jesus, should not be baptized by the lesser, himself. This may be rendered “It is I who should be baptized by you,” “I am the one who should be asking you to baptize me,” or “You should baptize me.”

John then continues with a rhetorical question, and do you come to me? This is transformed into a statement by Good News Translation: “and yet you have come to me.” New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible also change the question to a statement. Although retaining the question form, Translator’s New Testament structures in such a way as to help its readers: “Why do you come to me?” Many translators can retain the form of a question: “Why ask me to baptize you?” or “How can you ask me to baptize you?” Good News Bible has shown the thrust of the question by changing it into a statement. A similar example is “But you are the one asking me to do this.”

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 .