And at Gerizim, Andronicus: Mount Gerizim was the religious center for the Samaritans; it was near the city of Shechem. Andronicus is otherwise unknown; this is not the same Andronicus of 2Macc 4.31-38. Good News Bible inserts “he placed” to make this clause a separate sentence.

And besides these Menelaus, who lorded it over his fellow citizens worse than the others did: And besides these may be rendered “Besides these two men.” For lorded it over, Good News Bible has “mistreated,” which is not quite correct. Menelaus did mistreat his fellow Jews, but the emphasis in Greek here is on the arrogant attitude with which he did it. Overall, Good News Bible‘s wording of this whole clause reflects its own way out of the problem presented by “governors” discussed in verse 22. We prefer the following model: “He also left Menelaus in office, and this man treated his fellow Jews with more arrogance than the other two did.”

In his malice toward the Jewish citizens: The alternative translation given in the Revised Standard Version footnote is possible but unlikely. Translators should follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible in taking this phrase with verse 24. Good News Bible‘s translation may be used as a model. We also suggest beginning a new paragraph here.

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.