He sent spies to their camp, and they returned and reported to him that the enemy were being drawn up in formation to fall upon the Jews by night: The Greek is remarkably unclear here, as the Revised Standard Version footnotes reveal. Both the enemy and the Jews translate Greek pronouns. Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible make the referents for these pronouns clear. Good News Bible even does it for the pronoun He by specifying “Jonathan.” The spies were men secretly sent to the enemy camp to observe what was happening and to report back. They could be called “scouts.” He sent spies to their camp may be translated “Jonathan sent out spies to enter the place where the enemy had set up their tents [or, encamped].” In many languages translators will prefer to use direct speech for the report of the spies. A model for this verse that does this is:

• Jonathan sent spies into the enemy camp, who came back and reported, “The king’s soldiers are getting ready to attack us [or, the Jews] tonight.”

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.