Thus the sword ceased from Israel: As in 1Macc 8.23, the sword refers to “War” (Good News Bible). Models that give the full sense of this clause are “And so Israel no longer lived under the threat of war” and “Now there was peace in Israel” (Contemporary English Version).

And Jonathan dwelt in Michmash: Michmash was a fortified town 14 kilometers (9 miles) north of Jerusalem. It was located among the towns that Bacchides fortified against Jonathan (see verse 50). It was a commanding position from which he could control a large territory. At the very beginning of the Israelite kingdom, King Saul had settled there (1~Sam 13.2). Saul’s son Jonathan won a victory over the Philistines there (1~Sam 14.1-30). This is a short sentence, and most translators will want to follow Good News Bible in connecting it with the following sentence.

And Jonathan began to judge the people, and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israel: This verse tells us that Jonathan became the effective ruler of Judea, although the area was still part of the Syrian Empire. His leadership may have been informal at first, but in the next chapter King Demetrius recognizes his leadership by formally granting him certain authority. The verb judge means “govern” (Good News Bible) in this context (see the comments on 1Macc 2.55). The Greek does not exactly say that he destroyed the Hellenizers. Rather, he forced them to go underground—to go into hiding and cease any open activity against Jonathan and his sympathizers. For the ungodly (Good News Bible “the renegade Jews”), see the comments on 1Macc 3.8. The last two sentences of this verse may be rendered “Jonathan settled in Michmash, and began to govern the people. He forced the renegade Jews into hiding.”

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.