And not against us alone have they stretched out their hands: The connector And may be rendered “But” (Good News Bible) or even “However.” Against us … have they stretched out their hands means the renegade Jews were attacked by their fellow Jews. An alternative model for this clause is “However, they have not only attacked us.”

But also against all the lands on their borders may be rendered “but they have attacked all the countries near [or, on the borders of] Judea as well.”

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.