Every place detected sheltering a Jew is to be made unapproachable and burned with fire, and shall become useless for all time to any mortal creature: This verse seems to contradict the statement in the previous verse that the informer shall receive the property of anyone sheltering a Jew, but translators must follow what the text says here. Unapproachable means such a place is to be made permanently off limits, a forbidden place. It is hard to believe that any mortal creature includes animals as well as humans, so translators may say “any human being.” Compare GrkEst 16.24.

Here is our suggested model for this verse:

• Any place where a Jew hides will be burned. It will be forbidden place, forever useless to any living creature.”

The letter ends at this point. If it has been indented, the next verse should go back to the normal margins.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.