So the king and the commanders gave them their oath: The Syrians swore that they would allow the Jews to live by their own customs. Good News Bible is better than Revised Standard Version with “When the king and his officers solemnly agreed to abide by these terms.” Another model is “When the king and his officers promised solemnly that they would let the Jews live by their own customs.”

On these conditions the Jews evacuated the stronghold: The Jews then came out of the fort, submitting to royal authority. The rebellion had indeed begun, as Lysias said in verse 59, because of restrictions on Jewish freedom of worship, not because the Jews were willing to fight for political independence. Once they had freedom of worship, most had no further interest in pursuing the contest. In the deal, each side got what it most wanted: the Jews got freedom to follow Jewish traditions, and the Syrians got uncontested political control. For evacuated (literally “came out”), see the comments on verse 49.

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.