self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 11:10

For I now regret that I gave him my daughter may be expressed as “I regret that I ever let Alexander marry her” or “It was a big mistake to let [or, I made a big mistake by letting] Alexander marry her.” The logical connector For may be left implied.

For he has tried to kill me: Our author tells us nothing about an attempt by Alexander to kill Ptolemy, but the Jewish historian Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 13.4.6) tells us that an officer of Alexander did try to kill Ptolemy during the ceremonies in Ptolemais (1Macc 10.57-65). Ptolemy protested, but when Alexander did nothing to punish the man, Ptolemy drew the conclusion that Alexander was behind the plot all along. Alexander wouldn’t have tried to kill Ptolemy himself, but would have ordered his men to do it. So we may translate “for he has even had them [or, his people] try to kill me.”

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.