Now the men in the citadel kept sending envoys to Trypho urging him to come to them by way of the wilderness and to send them food: Now is better rendered “Meanwhile.” The men in the citadel are the Syrian soldiers stationed at the fort in Jerusalem (see 1Macc 1.33); it will be helpful to say “the enemy soldiers in the fort in Jerusalem.” According to 1Macc 12.36, Jonathan took measures to seal off the fort, to starve out the men stationed there. Evidently the blockade was effective enough to deprive the men inside of food, but not effective enough to prevent individuals from escaping and taking news of their situation to Trypho. Or perhaps sympathizers in Jerusalem, people hostile to the Maccabees, were taking the news and the requests. Envoys refers to “messengers” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). The suggestion that Trypho come by way of the wilderness probably means that he should stay away from the Jewish garrison at Bethzur, which Simon’s forces held (1Macc 11.65-66). Without more information we cannot be sure exactly which direction they had in mind. Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version say “by way of the desert,” which is acceptable. Another possibility is “from the south.”

We suggest the following model for this verse:

• Meanwhile, the enemy soldiers [blockaded] in the fort in Jerusalem were getting messages through to Trypho, urging him to come by the desert route and get food to them quickly.

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.