And when he could not prevail over Onias may be rendered “When Simon lost his argument with Onias” or “When Simon could not convince Onias that he was correct.” Good News Bible places the idea of Simon losing his argument with Onias in the previous verse, but translators should have it here.

He went to Apollonius of Tarsus, who at that time was governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia: The phrase Apollonius of Tarsus involves a serious textual problem. Some Greek manuscripts have the same text as Revised Standard Version, while others have “Apollonius son of Tharseus.” (Good News Bible uses the more common spelling “Thraseus.”) A choice cannot be made here without studying a greater problem at 2Macc 4.4, 21, where Apollonius, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, is identified as the son of Menestheus. The question is whether the Apollonius here is the same man as in chapter 4. Versions that have Appollonius of Tarsus (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Abel, Tedesche) evidently believe they are the same, while those who have here “Apollonius son of Thraseus” (Good News Bible; similarly New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Goldstein) take these two people to be different. Goldstein remarks that the phrase at that time was intended to help the reader distinguish the two men by the same name who held the same office. Translators may certainly choose either option; we prefer to follow Good News Bible with “Apollonius son of Thraseus.” For Coelesyria see the comments on 1Macc 10.69. Phoenicia was a coastal territory north of Palestine and south of Syria. Sidon and Tyre were its principal cities. It consisted of what is now the modern state of Lebanon. Good News Bible combines Coelesyria and Phoenicia into “Greater Syria,” but it is better to keep them as separate regions. For the spelling of Phoenicia, see Oba 1.20 or Acts 11.19.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• When Onias refused to allow Simon to have his way, Simon went to Apollonius son of Thraseus, who at that time was the governor of Greater Syria and Phoenicia.

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.