Then they petitioned the king, asking for dismissal to their homes: After celebrating for seven days, the Jews asked the king for permission to return home. The king had ordered the Jews sent home in verses 27-29, but the Jews here asked permission as a matter of courtesy. A possible model for this verse is “Then they asked the king to allow them to go home.”

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.