Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position: Since Eleazar is introduced here for the first time, translators will do well to introduce this episode with a signal that this is a new character in the story. Good News Bible does this with “There was … by the name of Eleazar.” But this model may be too complicated for a number of translators. Another possible rendering is “There was a man named Eleazar.” Scribes here refers to men who were deeply involved in studying the Jewish Law, experts in the Jewish Law (see the comments on 1Macc 7.12). For one of the scribes in high position, Good News Bible has “highly respected teacher of the Law,” and New English Bible says “one of the leading teachers of the law.”
A man now advanced in age and of noble presence: Eleazar is further described here. He was not only advanced in age (Good News Bible “elderly”), but also of noble presence, which Good News Bible seems to omit. The meaning is that Eleazar was an impressive man to look at; he looked distinguished. Goldstein has “a very handsome man,” which says enough, although the reader must understand that Eleazar was good-looking in a way that old men may be said to be good-looking. In English we generally think of this as “distinguished looking.” The first half of this verse may be rendered “One of the leading teachers [or, scholars] of the Law [at that time] was an elderly and distinguished-looking man named Eleazar” or “There was an elderly and distinguished looking man named Eleazar. He was a respected teacher of the Law.”
Was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh means people were forcing Eleazar’s mouth open, and putting pork inside, trying to make him swallow it. Eating pork is forbidden in Jewish law (see Lev 11.7; Deut 14.8). Making Eleazar eat pork would be a way of forcing him to renounce his religion. Swine’s flesh refers to “pork” (Good News Bible). In languages that do not have a technical word for “pork,” translators may say “meat [or, flesh] of a pig.” Translators who cannot use a passive voice have a problem here, since it is not clear from the text who was forcing Eleazar to eat pork. It may not be the Syrians at all. It may be the Jewish renegades who were sympathizing and collaborating with the Syrians to change the Jewish way of life. For languages that do not have the passive voice, an alternative model for the last half of this verse is “One day, some wicked men [or, his tormentors] forced his mouth open to make him eat the meat of a pig.”
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.