And Ptolemy promptly appointed Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of the king’s chief friends, and sent him, in command of no fewer than twenty thousand Gentiles of all nations: And Ptolemy promptly appointed Nicanor may be rendered “Immediately [or, Right away] Ptolemy appointed Nicanor.” For the title the king’s chief friends, see the comments on 1Macc 10.65. This title belongs to Nicanor, not to Patroclus. Gentiles of all nations may be rendered “troops of various nationalities” (Good News Bible) or even “soldiers from a number of Gentile countries.”

To wipe out the whole race of Judea means to kill all the Jews in Judea. The Greek reads literally the whole race of Judea, but Judea was a country, not a race of people. Good News Bible says “the entire Jewish race,” but that is not what the text says. Nicanor was sent to eliminate only the Jews in Judea, and nowhere else. It is better to say “every Jew in Judea.” In the next verse we learn that Nicanor planned to sell many of them as slaves.

He associated with him Gorgias, a general and a man of experience in military service: Ptolemy sent Gorgias along with Nicanor (see 1Macc 3.38). A man of experience in military service may be rendered “an expert in war” (Contemporary English Version) or “a person who had much experience in war.”

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• Ptolemy immediately appointed one of the Chief Friends of the King, Nicanor the son of Patroclus, to command an army of at least 20,000 men [or, soldiers] from many Gentile countries. He ordered them to eliminate the Jews from all over Judea. He also appointed Gorgias to go with Nicanor. Gorgias was a general who had much experience in war.

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.