And now you will not be able to withstand my cavalry and such an army in the plain may be rendered “What makes you think that you can defeat my cavalry and foot soldiers down here on the plain?”

Where there is no stone or pebble, or place to flee: Apollonius is referring to the traditional military tactics used in the hills, where hiding places are easy to find, where soldiers can make sudden unexpected attacks on the enemy or hide from a pursuing enemy. On the plains soldiers must face each other in the open, and either win or lose. Apollonius points out that he also has the advantage of cavalry, which would be of much less use in mountain fighting.

Good News Bible offers a good model for this verse. Another possibility is:

• You can’t stand up to my cavalry, or the kind of army I have here on the plain. There’s no place to hide down here! Not a single rock to hide behind—not even a pebble!”

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.