At the suggestion of Ptolemy a decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities: The Greek text is uncertain here, as the footnote in Good News Bible shows. Some manuscripts read Ptolemy; this would presumably be Ptolemy son of Dorymenes (1Macc 3.38; 2Macc 4.45). Other manuscripts read “the people of Ptolemais” (New Revised Standard Version), who were hostile to the Jews (1Macc 5.15). We recommend following New Revised Standard Version (also New English Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel, Goldstein) on this, principally on the grounds that the Greek word translated decree usually refers to taking a vote (compare its use in 2Macc 10.8; 12.4; and 15.36, where it is rendered “vote”), not the action of a single person. However, any order would have to be issued by the king, so the agent of the verb was issued has to be King Antiochus. The neighboring Greek cities were cities outside Judea, which were composed primarily of Gentile citizens. They were cities near Ptolemais, not Jerusalem. An alternative model for the beginning of this verse is “About this time the people of Ptolemais suggested that King Antiochus order the nearby Greek cities” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

That they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews and make them partake of the sacrifices: The people of Ptolemais wanted to make sure that the Jews near them were also forced to participate in Greek religion. The same policy refers to the policy in the previous verse. Partake of the sacrifices here translates a single Greek word, a verb, but the meaning is the same as the phrase in the previous verse.

For models of this verse see the comments on the next verse.

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.