Then, because the city’s gates were closed, he withdrew: Leaving the area down by the docks, Judas led his men up to the city of Joppa itself, but the inhabitants had closed the city gates. Rather than lay siege to the city, Judas and his soldiers left. This first half of the verse may be expressed as “Then, because the inhabitants of Joppa had closed the city’s gates, Judas and his men left” or even “But when Judas found that the inhabitants of Joppa had closed the city’s gates, he and his men left.”

Intending to come again and root out the whole community of Joppa may be translated “but he planned to return later and wipe out [or, kill] everyone in Joppa.”

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.