The beasts turned back upon the armed forces following them and began trampling and destroying them: The elephants turned on the soldiers, and trampled them to death instead of the Jews. We may render this verse as “The elephants turned on the soldiers who were behind them, and began trampling them to death” or “The elephants turned around and began trampling the soldiers behind them to death” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

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.