Verse 25 [Mat. 11:25] opens with the words, “At that time.” This refers to the time the Lord was rebuking the cities. Verse 25 says, “At that time Jesus answered and said, I praise You, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth.” When the Lord was rebuking those leading cities, He answered and said, “I praise You, Father.” The word “answered” is very meaningful. Whom did the Lord answer? He answered the Father. While the Lord was rebuking the cities, He fellowshipped with the Father. At that time, answering the Father, He spoke praise to Him. (Life-Study of Matthew, Chapter 31, Section 5)
“Translating the Bible depends not only on an adequate comprehension of the original language but also on a proper understanding of the divine revelation in the holy Word...The consummation of this understanding forms the basis of this translation and its footnotes.” (A brief explanation, NT RcV Revised Edition 1991)
Translating the Bible requires more than adequate comprehension of the original language. Interpreting the Word requires more than a proper understanding of the original languages and their usage plus a more than proper understanding of the divine revelation in the holy Word. Without these things the translation and the interpretation could be just the mere exercise of the translator or preacher fantasy.
The sad thing is that this fantasy is passed on to followers who never bother to “examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” Act. 17:11, ASV
viii. Idiomatic Phrases
1. "Answered and said" was used by Hebrew idiom of whatever kind of speech is in question
It should therefore not be rendered literally, "Answered and said," but translated so as to express whatever may be the particular kind of speech referred to in the verb "said"; e.g.:
Matthew 11:25.-"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father," etc.
This should be, "At that time Jesus prayed and said," etc.
Mark 12:25.-"At that time Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ, etc."
Here it should be "Asked and said." So Mark 13:2, etc.
Mark 11:14.-"And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever."
It is clear that this cannot be literally meant, for the tree had said nothing. It should be "Jesus addressed the tree, and said to it."
Bullinger, E.W. - Figures of Speech Used in the Bible Explained and Illustrated, page 837
Answered and said, “an Hebrew way of speaking, used when nothing goes before, to which what is said can be an answer; see Job_3:2.”
John Gill's Exposition of the entire Bible
Redundant use of the verb apokrinomai. The expression “he answered and said” (apokritheis eipen) closely resembles a common Hebrew idiom. The use of the verb apokrinomai “I answer” in this sense is often purely redundant (see Matthew 11:25, 12:38, 17:4, 28:5, Mark 9:5, 11:14, 12:35). In cases in which no question has been asked, it may be misleading to translate the expression “he answered” (Compare Matthew 11:25 in KJV “Jesus answered and said” with NIV “Jesus said”). This idiom is extremely common in the synoptic Gospels, where the writers appear to have modelled themselves after the familiar language of the Septuagint.
http://www.bible-researcher.com/hebraisms.html