And since the crowds were becoming aroused and filled with anger means the crowds were angry and getting out of control. Contemporary English Version combines these two clauses, saying “But since this crowd was turning into an angry mob.” We suggest changing the order of the two clauses, and combining them with the end of the previous verse, as follows: “39 … Crowds were gathering against Lysimachus in Jerusalem to protest this, 40 and they were becoming very angry and getting out of control.”
Lysimachus armed about three thousand men: Good News Bible has “Lysimachus sent 3,000 armed men,” which is not quite accurate. The men sent by Lysimachus were not necessarily soldiers, who already had weapons. They may well have been drawn from the young men associated with the stadium (verse 9). Lysimachus provided the weapons, and that needs to be said (see the model below).
And launched an unjust attack: Good News Bible lacks the important idea of an unjustattack, which refers to an unjustified attack. Lysimachus was not defending himself; he had not been attacked. So we may say “and he ordered them to attack the crowds without any cause.”
Under the leadership of a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less advanced in folly: Auranus is otherwise unknown. Good News Bible renders a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less advanced in folly as “Auranus, a man as stupid as he was old,” which is good, but some translators may find it a difficult model. Another possibility is “an old man named Auranus, who was just as stupid [or, foolish] as he was old.” A simpler model is “a stupid old man named Auranus.”
As a model for the last part of this verse we suggest:
• Lysimachus gave weapons to about 3,000 men and put them under the command of a foolish [or, stupid] old man named Auranus. Then, without any cause, he had them attack [the crowds].
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.