While the holy city was inhabited in unbroken peace and the laws were very well observed: The holy city is Jerusalem, which Good News Bible identifies (see the comments on 2Macc 1.12). Was inhabited in unbroken peace means the people in Jerusalem always had peace. For peace see the comments on 2Macc 1.4. The laws were very well observed means the people kept very carefully the provisions of the Jewish Law, the Torah. This is in contrast to the threatened breakdown of Jewish culture that is described later in this book.

Because of the piety of the high priest Onias and his hatred of wickedness: The reason the people of Jerusalem lived in peace and keep the Law is because their leader Onias was such a spiritual-minded man. They saw his good works and followed him. Onias is Onias~III, who was High Priest in the years preceding 175 b.c. For high priest, see the comments on 1Macc 7.5. In order to make the meaning of this verse clearer, we may move the high priest Onias to the its beginning, as in Good News Bible: “When Onias was High Priest.” The Greek word for piety, which appears only a few times in the Scriptures, refers to a person who religiously and even zealously follows God’s laws.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• When Onias was High Priest in the holy [or, God’s] city of Jerusalem, the people who lived there enjoyed a time of peace, and they kept the commands of God’s Law. This was because Onias was a leader who obeyed God’s laws devoutly, and hated evil.

• The people of Jerusalem, the holy city, lived in complete peace and kept God’s Law during the time that Onias was their High Priest. He was a religious man [or, a man who carefully followed God’s laws] and hated evil.

• Onias, the High Priest, was a religious man who hated evil. Consequently, while he was High Priest, the people of Jerusalem, the holy city, lived in complete peace and kept the commands of God’s Law.

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.