For our brothers after enduring a brief suffering have drunk of everflowing life under God’s covenant is literally “For our brothers, having endured a brief suffering, have fallen of everflowing life under God’s covenant.” The grammar of the Greek text for “have fallen of everflowing life” is difficult. New Jerusalem Bible says it is “unintelligible.” Scholars are guessing that drunk is the right word instead of “fallen”; no Greek manuscript has that, but the difference between the word for drunk and the one for “fallen” is only one letter. We prefer not to accept the term drunk, since the Greek manuscripts do not indicate that the scribes had any difficulty with the word “fallen.” Drunk may have been suggested by the adjective “everflowing” to describe life; while its literal meaning in Greek is “everflowing,” it can simply be taken as meaning “everlasting/eternal.” The metaphor of flowing water is not necessarily in view here, especially not if the verb is really “fallen.” The problem is with the genitive case of the Greek phrase rendered everflowing life. There are basically two approaches to this:

1. The meaning is “for the sake of everlasting life.” This is the interpretation seen in some Latin manuscripts, and is accepted by New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Abel. This can give the following sense for the first sentence of the verse: “Our brothers, having endured a brief suffering in order to achieve [for the sake of] eternal life, have fallen [that is, died] under God’s covenant [that is, as the provisions of the covenant would indicate that they should die].”
2. “Fallen” is used in the sense of “fall to one’s lot,” and the genitive phrase everflowing life indicates that which fell to their lot. This is Goldstein’s understanding, and is reflected in the translation in Good News Bible‘s footnote. It yields the following sense: “Our brothers, having endured a brief suffering, have fallen to eternal life [that is, have obtained eternal life] under God’s covenant [that is, as God’s covenant promises].”

We suggest that translators take option two above, which Goldstein reflects by saying “My brothers, having borne pain for a short while, now have inherited eternal life under the terms of God’s covenant” (see also the model below). This understanding best fits with the next sentence. A contrast is made between the fate of the brothers and the fate of the king.

Good News Bible‘s translation of this sentence is difficult to defend, especially the phrase “because of our faithfulness to God’s covenant.” The author would not disagree with this, but it does not appear to be what he said.

The logical connector For may be left implied (so Good News Bible). Our brothers may be translated “My brothers” (Good News Bible). God’s covenant refers to God’s agreement with his people, which is the substance of the Law (see the comments on 1Macc 1.57).

An alternative model for the first sentence of this verse is:

• My brothers suffered, but only briefly [or, for a short time]. But now, they have eternal life, as God promised his people.*
* But now … his people; Greek unclear.

But you, by the judgment of God, will receive just punishment for your arrogance: This sentence contrasts with the previous one. It may be rendered “But God will judge you for your arrogance, and you will get the punishment you deserve.”

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.