And to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans …: The order here is odd, and a further complication is that Sampsames is unknown. Sampsames could be the name of a ruler (so New English Bible) or a place (so Good News Bible). New English Bible rearranges the order, saying “Sampsakes [a spelling variation found in the manuscripts], and the Spartans, and also to the following places:….” This works well, but Good News Bible is probably easier with “and to all the following countries: Sampsames, Sparta….” Instead of countries, we prefer “places” (New English Bible), since in English the word “country” suggests a rather large territory, which none of the following places were. Some were cities. For Spartans see 1Macc 12.2. Another possible model for the beginning of this verse is “and to the governments of Sampsames, Sparta….” In some languages it will be helpful to begin a new sentence here; for example, “He also sent the letter to the following places: Sampsames, Sparta….”

And to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus and Gortyna and Cnidus and Cyprus and Cyrene: All of these names refer to places, mostly independent states, in the eastern Mediterranean. They were mainly in the Greek islands or what is now western Turkey. Delos was a small island in the Aegean Sea. Myndos was a small city on the west coast of Asia Minor. Sicyon was a city on the south shore of the Gulf of Corinth in Greece. Caria was a region on the southwest coast of Asia Minor. Samos was an island in the Aegean Sea (see Acts 20.15). Pamphylia was a region about midway along the southern coast of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia (see Acts 2.10). Lycia was a territory in western Asia Minor (see Acts 27.5). Halicarnassus was large city in Caria, in southwest Asia Minor. Rhodes was an island off the southwest coast of Asia Minor (see Ezek 27.15; Acts 21.1). Phaselis was a city on the coast of Lycia, in southwest Asia Minor. Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea (see Acts 21.1). Side was a city on the coast of Pamphylia in southern Asia Minor. Side is simply a Greek placename; it is not English word that can be translated. Aradus was a small island off the coast of Syria. In the Old Testament it is known as Arvad (see Gen 10.18; 1~Chr 1.16; Ezek 27.8, 11). Gortyna was a city on the Mediterranean island of Crete. Cnidus was a coastal city of Caria, in southwest Asia Minor (see Acts 27.7). Cyprus was a large island in the northeast Mediterranean, between Asia Minor and Syria (see Isa 23.1; Acts 4.36). Cyrene was a city on the north coast of Africa, in what is now Libya (see Matt 27.32).

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.