And Hermon, keeper of the elephants, proceeded faithfully to carry out the orders: This verse refers only to Hermon beginning to carry out the king’s orders by drugging the elephants. He apparently did not wait until the next day to start doing it (see verse 10). Contemporary English Version introduces this verse with the connector “Meanwhile,” which helps the reader see that Hermon drugged the elephants while the king’s party was going on. A possible model for this verse is:

• Meanwhile Hermon, the elephant keeper, went out and began doing exactly what he had been told [or, what the king had ordered him to do].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.