And sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. So they departed with their entire force: Infantry are “foot soldiers.” Cavalry may be expressed as “soldiers on horseback,” “soldiers riding on horses,” or “horse soldiers.” Alternative models for verses 39-40a are “Following the king’s command, they were to go [south] into Judah and destroy it. So they set out with an army of 40,000 [or, forty thousand] foot soldiers [or, infantry] and 7,000 [or, seven thousand] soldiers on horseback [or, cavalry]” and “He told those men that the king wanted them to go [south] into Judah and destroy it. They set out….”

And when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain: Emmaus was a town in Judah about 35 kilometers (22 miles) west-northwest of Jerusalem. For this clause Good News Bible has “and when they came to the plains near Emmaus, they made camp.” Another model is “When they arrived at the flat area near the town of Emmaus, they set up their tents there.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.