Two years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute: Good News Bible renders the king as “Antiochus,” which other languages may find helpful. We may also say “King Antiochus.” Where Revised Standard Version uses the name Judah, Good News Bible uses the name “Judea.” The two names refer to the same area. The phrase a chief collector of tribute is almost certainly a misunderstanding on the part of the Greek translator of the Hebrew for “a commander of the Mysians.” In Hebrew the two phrases would be almost identical, and in light of 2Macc 5.24-26, we strongly recommend that translators follow Good News Bible (also New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Abel, Goldstein) in making this correction. Some scholars think the Mysian commander in view here is the person named Apollonius in 1Macc 3.10-12. Mysia was an area in the northwestern part of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) that had a reputation for providing good mercenary soldiers.

He came to Jerusalem with a large force may be expressed as “Antiochus’ man [or, This man] brought a large army [or, a great number of soldiers] into Jerusalem.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Two years later King Antiochus ordered the Mysian commander [or, the commander/general of the Mysian army] to move against [or, attack] the cities of Judea. This man came marching into Jerusalem with a large army.

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.