They opposed the forces of the enemy may be rendered “The angels attacked the enemy soldiers.”

And filled them with confusion and terror may be translated “leaving them completely shocked and terrified” (Contemporary English Version) or even “making them confused and panic-stricken.”

Binding them with immovable shackles should be taken as a figure of speech. The angels are not pictured as literally binding the arms and legs of the soldiers with shackles (iron chains) as Contemporary English Version translates, but making them unable to move. Compare 2 Macc 3.24-28.

We may express this verse as follows:

• The angels attacked the enemy soldiers, making them so confused and panic-stricken that they could not even move.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.