village

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “village” or “town” in English is translated in Noongar as karlamaya or “fire (used for “home“) + houses” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Elhomwe it is typically translated as “place.” “Here in Malawi, villages very small, so changed to ‘places,’ since not sure whether biblical reference just to small villages or also to bigger towns. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

In Cherokee it is either translated as “the one(s) who reprimand(s) you” or “the one(s) feared.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 8:6

Coming without warning, he would set fire to towns and villages: The towns and villages were those where Jews lived who were forsaking the Law and cooperating with the Gentiles. Contemporary English Version has a good model for this sentence, saying “Judas burned towns and villages without warning.” It may also be rendered “Judas and his soldiers would attack towns and villages without warning and set them on fire.”

He captured strategic positions and put to flight not a few of the enemy: The strategic positions (New English Bible “key positions”) were places that gave those who held them a military advantage. These places were towns with strong walls that were easily defended. The two clauses in this sentence may be reversed to put things in proper chronological order; for example, “He defeated [or, put to flight] large numbers of enemy soldiers and captured places that had military importance [or, that would be useful as he fought the enemy].”

Good News Bible combines verses 6 and 7, but this is not necessary. See our model at the end of the discussion on verse 7.

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.