Lord, Lord, king of the heavens, and sovereign of all creation, holy among the holy ones, the only ruler, almighty: The repetition of Lord is unusual, and indicates, along with the piling up of different addresses to God in this verse, the intensity of Simon’s prayer. We may vary this repetition, as does Contemporary English Version, by saying “Lord God.” But it may be better to translate it literally, if in the translator’s language, this repetition conveys the same sense of earnest pleading with God. King of the heavens may be rendered “King of heaven” (Contemporary English Version), understanding “heaven” as the place where God reigns as king. The heavens often means “the sky,” but that is not quite appropriate here. Sovereign of all creation describes God as the absolute ruler over everything in the universe. The holy ones probably refers to the angels, and holy among the holy ones describes God as surpassing the angels in holiness. Holy here indicates a quality that can describe both God and angels; they are awesome, they are pure, they deserve deep respect, they are different in quality from beings on earth. God is more holy (has greater taboo) than the angels because he deserves worship as well as awe and wonder. In this part of the verse God is addressed seven times, in six different ways (Lord being repeated). If these phrases seem strange in the translator’s language, they may be rendered as a statement or statements, for example, “Lord, Lord, you are king of heaven and the only ruler of the whole world. You are more holy [or, have greater taboo] than all the angels. Your power has no limits.”

Give attention to us asks God to hear the prayer of Simon and his fellow Jews and to grant them what they request. This clause may be rendered “Consider our situation,” “Look at our situation,” “Look at what we are enduring,” or even “Look at us!”

Who are suffering grievously does not imply a long state of suffering; it refers only to the desperate situation in which the Jews find themselves at this moment. This clause may be translated “We are in a terrible [or, desperate] situation.”

From an impious and profane man: The Greek words for impious and profane say substantially the same thing—Philopator cares nothing about what is holy.

Puffed up in his audacity and power: The Greek word translated puffed up pictures a horse snorting in defiance. Some translators may render this whole expression as “a man who is as arrogant as a horse snorting in defiance.” Many translators will prefer to render the relative clause who … power as an independent sentence, for example, “We are in a terrible situation because of a man who cares nothing about our religion, who is absolutely determined to do what he wants to do.”

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• “Lord! Lord! King of heaven! Ruler alone of all the world! You are more holy than the angels and your power has no limits. Look at us! We are in a terrible situation! This man cares nothing about our religion! He is absolutely determined to do what he wants [to do]!

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.

When the impious king comprehended this situation: Translators will do well to name King Philopator at the beginning of this new section. Contemporary English Version is good with “As soon as the evil King Philopator….” This clause refers to the king realizing that his wishes (3 Macc 2.28-30) are not being carried out. While some Jews are deserting Judaism, others are remaining loyal, and finding some way to avoid punishment. So this situation may be rendered “what the Jews were doing to avoid being punished” (Contemporary English Version).

He became so infuriated that not only was he enraged against those Jews who lived in Alexandria: He became so infuriated may be rendered “he became terribly angry” (Contemporary English Version) or “his heart/liver became very hot.”

But was still more bitterly hostile toward those in the countryside: Perhaps Philopator had reason to believe that the Jews outside of Alexandria were more easily able to escape the demands he had made. In the countryside refers to those living in rural areas.

And he ordered that all should promptly be gathered into one place, and put to death by the most cruel means: The connector and may be rendered “so,” since it introduces the result of the king’s anger. He intends that all Jews in Egypt should be brought in one place, so that he can be sure they are all killed cruelly. Contemporary English Version takes the adverb promptly with the verb ordered, but we believe it goes with the verb be gathered. Still, we may rely on Contemporary English Version for the framework of a model for this verse as follows:

• As soon as the evil King Philopator learned what the Jews were doing to avoid being punished, he became terribly angry at the Jews in Alexandria and even more furious at those living in the countryside. So he ordered his men [or, soldiers] to quickly [or, immediately] bring all the Jews together and kill them all violently [or, in some violent way].

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.

What district or city, or what habitable place at all, or what streets were not filled with mourning and wailing for them?: This is a rhetorical question; a question asked for effect, not for information. It equals a strong statement. The implied answer is “nowhere.” Translators may render it as a statement if a rhetorical question is not possible or clear (see the model below). Mourning and wailing for them is not quite clear; it sounds like other people were mourning for the fate of the Jews. This seems to conflict with verse 1 but not with verse 4. In verse 18 we learn that not all the Jews were taken captive; most, in fact, were not. Perhaps Jews were mourning for family and friends being taken away. It is easier to believe that Jews were wailing. Sympathetic Gentiles may have been horrified, but were probably not making a lot of noise about it. We think it does not overload the translation to specify that it is Jews mourning here. Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• In every district and town in the country—everywhere people lived—Jews mourned with loud wailing [or, loud cries] for those who were taken captive [or, whom the Gentiles had taken captive].

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.

The king, after considering this, returned to his drinking: Contemporary English Version translates The king, after considering this as “Philopator was still confused.” The idea of confusion is not explicit in the Greek text, but it simply says that it took some time for Philopator to clearly realize what was happening. A more accurate rendering is “The king thought this over.”

And ordered those present for the banquet to recline opposite him: Those present for the banquet refers to the guests mentioned in verse 14. To recline indicates the posture usually taken for a meal—lying down. If this posture is too strange, translators can follow Contemporary English Version by saying “to sit down.”

A possible model for this verse is:

• The king thought this over, then started drinking again. He told his guests to come in and join him.

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.

And when the Jews saw the dust raised by the elephants going out at the gate and by the following armed forces, as well as by the trampling of the crowd, and heard the loud and tumultuous noise: The Jews, huddled together in the stadium, could see what was going on. But they saw the dust raised by all the elephants and people, and heard the noise. They knew what was coming. But they would not actually see the king and the elephants until 3 Macc 6.16. The gate is not identified, but it probably was the gate of the enclosure where the elephants were kept. Contemporary English Version seems to identify it as the gate of stadium, which is incorrect. Armed forces refers to the soldiers. The following model of this verse joins the last clause to the next verse:

• The elephants were now coming out of their pens [or, the places where they were kept], soldiers were coming with them, and crowds of people were coming also. All this raised a lot of dust and made a lot of noise. When the Jews saw all the dust and heard the loud noises….

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.

These then were the things he said sounds odd and unnecessary in English, but may be adequately rendered “When Philopator had finished speaking” or “As soon as Philopator had said these things” (Contemporary English Version).

And the Jews, immediately released may be expressed as “the Jews were quickly released” or even “the soldiers immediately released the Jews.”

Praised their holy God and Savior, since they now had escaped death: For holy God, see the comments on 3 Macc 2.2. Savior refers to God rescuing them from death, so this word can be combined with the clause since they now had escaped death by saying “who had rescued them from death.”

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• When Philopator had finished speaking, the Jews were quickly released. They praised their holy God for saving [or, rescuing] them from death.

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.

They also possessed greater prestige among their enemies, being held in honor and awe: They also possessed greater prestige among their enemies is literally “And greater prestige than before among the enemies.” Revised Standard Version does not translate part of the meaning here. Since King Ptolemy Philopator had shown such favorable treatment of the Jews, people elsewhere in the world came to have a higher respect for them. Honor and awe may be taken as having the same meaning. We may render this whole sentence as “From then on, the enemies of the Jews had a greater respect for them than they had ever had before, and actually gave them honor.”

And they were not subject at all to confiscation of their belongings by any one: The king’s previous order that Jewish belongings could be seized was taken back (3 Macc 3.28). The next verse clarifies this. This clause may be expressed as “None of their enemies were able to take any of their belongings anymore.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• From then on the enemies of the Jews had a greater respect for them than they had ever had before, and actually gave them honor. No one was able to take any of their belongings anymore.

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.

He marveled at the good order of the temple: Philopator was apparently impressed by the care with which things were done at the Temple. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do and when to do it. This is good order. This clause may be rendered “He admired the orderly manner in which things were done [or, the priests did things] at the Temple.”

And conceived a desire to enter the holy of holies: Conceived a desire may be rendered “got the idea” or “the idea struck him.” The holy of holies (literally “the sanctuary”) refers to the Temple building inside the courtyard. Contemporary English Version renders this clause as “he wanted to see what it looked like inside,” which is not wrong, but it omits the important idea that the inside of the Temple was considered an especially sacred space. At this point the narrative jumps ahead to the Jews’ reaction to Philopator’s wish, without ever having Philopator express that wish. It is implied, and translators may wish to help the reader bridge the gap between this verse and the next one by translating this clause as a reference to Philopator expressing his wish. To do this it is necessary to specify to whom Philopator was speaking. Verse 11 says only that “they” respond. It is not clear who is in view with the pronoun “they”; it is not specifically said that these people are priests. They would certainly be Jews of sufficient importance that they would be escorting the king on this visit. Contemporary English Version begins verse 11 with “The Jews who walked with Philopator” to specify the referents for this pronoun. This is not wrong at all, but the verb “walked” is unnecessary. So a possible addition at the end of verse 10 is “He then told the Jewish leaders who were with him that he wanted to look inside the sanctuary itself [or, the holy building].”

Models for this verse are:

• He admired the orderly manner in which things were done [or, the priests did things] at the Temple, and wanted to see what the holy [or, sacred] sanctuary looked like inside. So he told the Jewish leaders who were with him that he wanted to look inside.

• … So he said to the Jewish leaders who were with him, “I want to go and look inside.”

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.