But he, upon receiving the report may be rendered “But when the king heard Hermon’s words.”

And being struck by the unusual invitation to come out may be expressed as “he didn’t understand what he was talking about.”

Since he had been completely overcome by incomprehension: This clause repeats what has already been said in the previous clause. God caused Philopator to forget about his orders to destroy the Jews, so the king was confused when Hermon told him that everything was ready and invited him to come to the stadium. The translator should not reveal in this verse that God caused Philopator to forget; this will come out in the next verse.

Inquired what the matter was for which this had been so zealously completed for him: The model below suggests simplifying the verse by using direct speech here as follows:

• But Philopator did not understand at all what Hermon was talking about. He asked, “Why should I go to the stadium [or, race track]? What is ready?”

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 Jonah, wasting away in the belly of a huge, sea-born monster … : See Jonah 1.17 and 2.10. Jonah is the direct object of the main verbs watched over and restored, which occur later in the verse. Wasting away means “slowly dying.” The Greek has no specific word for huge here. The Greek word translated sea-born monster is the same one translated “whale” in Matt 12.40, but it could be used of any sea creature the author considered monstrous (compare Sir 43.25). Sea-born simply means this was a creature of the sea rather than land. Here is a possible model for the beginning of this verse: “Then there was Jonah. When he was dying inside a huge sea monster….”

You, Father, watched over and restored unharmed to all his family may be rendered “You cared for [watched over] him, Father, and brought him back safely [restored unharmed] to his whole family.” The book of Jonah says nothing about Jonah’s family. Revised Standard Version has a textual footnote here giving readings of some other Greek manuscripts that differ slightly from the text given in Hanhart and Rahlfs. We think the variations are not important enough for translators to insert a textual footnote.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then there was Jonah. When he was dying inside a huge sea monster, you cared for him, Father, and brought him back safe to his whole family.

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.

Then they feasted, provided with everything by the king, until the fourteenth day: Provided with everything by the king refers to the wine and food that the king provided (see verse 30). The fourteenth day of Epeiph would be August 25. Translators may render until the fourteenth day as “for seven days [after the seventh of Epeiph].”

On which also they made the petition for their dismissal brings us back to the narrative in verse 37. We may say “At the end of those days, they asked the king to allow them to return home.”

Here are alternative models for verses 38-40:

• (38 Philopator’s officials had spent forty days in midsummer taking down the names of the Jews, and had been planning to spend the next three days killing them. 39 But on each of these three days the Lord of all [or, the world] revealed in a glorious [or, wonderful] way how merciful he is. He saved all the Jews; not one of them was harmed. 40 Then the king provided for them to have a celebration lasting seven days. At the end of those days, they asked the king to allow them to return home.)

• 38 Here is a summary of what happened to the Jews in Alexandria: Philopator’s officials had begun registering [or, writing down the names] of the Jews from the twenty-fifth day of the month Pachon till the fourth day of the month Epeiph, altogether forty days. Then he planned to kill the Jews from the fifth through the seventh day of Epeiph. 39 But on each of these three days the Lord of all the world revealed in a wonderful way how merciful he is….

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.

Various were the supplications of those gathered there: The Greek word translated Various is used to describe things that are composed of different materials or of different colors. Here the apparent meaning is people were praying individually, each person in a different way, creating an overall picture of confusion. A possible model for this clause is “At the Temple people were making desperate prayers to God [or, desperately pleading with God].”

Because of what the king was profanely plotting refers, of course, to his plan to go into the sanctuary of the Temple, which would be considered a profane, or unholy, act, and it may be so specified here by saying “because of the unholy [or, bad/taboo] thing that Philopator was planning 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.

After a while he recovered, and though he had been punished, he by no means repented, but went away uttering bitter threats: If Philopator interpreted what happened to him as God’s punishment, he learned nothing. He did not repent, express sorrow for what he had done. He went away, that is, left Jerusalem, using harsh language to threaten the Jews as he left the city. Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• Philopator recovered a while later. But even though he had felt God’s punishment [or, God had punished him], he did not change his mind at all. He left Jerusalem, making angry threats against the Jews.

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 not only spurn the priceless citizenship: The Jews reject the offer of equal citizenship if it means they have to worship a Greek god. So we may say “they refuse the valuable status of citizenship [or, becoming citizens]” or “they reject the wonderful opportunity of becoming citizens of Alexandria.”

But also both by speech and by silence they abominate those few among them who are sincerely disposed toward us: See 3 Macc 2.31-33. The faithful Jews showed active hostility (they abominate) to the faithless Jews (those few among them who are sincerely disposed toward us) by what they said to them (by speech), and by refusing to have anything to do with them (by silence). We may alternatively say “They also speak harshly to the few Jews who are in favor of our ways, or else refuse to say any thing to them at all.”

In every situation, in accordance with their infamous way of life may be rendered “This shows what terrible [or, disgraceful] people they really are.”

They secretly suspect that we may soon alter our policy: The king says that the Jews are secretly hoping that he is not going to insist on their worshiping Dionysus, and that is just what one would expect of people who have such a disgraceful (infamous) way of life, or religion, themselves. Secretly suspect does not mean that they are doing anything in secret, but simply that deep down, they really seem to think the king will change his policy.

Here is an alternative model for this verse and the last clause of the previous verse:

• 22 … Since they seem always to do what is evil, 23 they refuse the valuable status of citizens [or, they reject the wonderful opportunity of becoming citizens of Alexandria]. They also speak harshly to the few Jews who are in favor of our ways, or else refuse to say anything at all to them. They seem to think that I am soon going to change my policy toward them, but that simply shows what shameful [or, disgraceful] people they really are.

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.

For to the Gentiles it appeared that the Jews were left without any aid: For the Gentiles, see 3 Macc 4.1. This short verse should be joined closely with the next verse by saying “The Gentiles felt that the Jews were completely helpless, 7 …” or “The Gentiles were convinced that nothing could save the Jews, 7 …” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

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.

Equip the elephants now once more for the destruction of the Jews tomorrow!: For the problem regarding the Greek verb rendered Equip (literally “Arm”), see the comments on verse 23. A possible model for this verse is “Get those elephants ready again! We are going to kill those Jews tomorrow!”

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.