But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem: He remembered his treatment of the Jews and thought it was the cause of his own present suffering. An alternative rendering is “But now I can’t forget the terrible things I did in Jerusalem.”

I seized all her vessels of silver and gold: See 1Macc 1.21-23.

And I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason: He sent orders for the Jews to be killed even though there was no justification for doing it (see 1Macc 1.41-61). Alternative models are “and I sent soldiers to destroy the people of Judea without any good reason” and “and I had no good reason when I sent soldiers to destroy the people of Judea.”

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.