We have commanded them to go also to you and greet you may be expressed as “We have also ordered them to go to you and give you our greetings” (similarly Good News Bible).

And deliver to you this letter from us concerning the renewal of our brotherhood: Here is where we learn that Numenius and Antipater are charged with delivering this letter to Sparta. Brotherhood is yet another reference to the supposed kinship of the Jews with the Spartans (see the comments on verse 1; see also verse 10). Concerning the renewal of our brotherhood may be rendered “because we want to make sure that you still consider that we are related to you.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• We have also ordered them to bring this letter to you along with our greetings, and to make sure that you still consider that we are related to you.

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.