Translation commentary on 3 Maccabees 4:21

But this was an act of the invincible providence of him who was aiding the Jews from heaven: The writer explains that God caused the Egyptian scribes to run out of writing material. Invincible providence means God’s guidance and will to act cannot be overcome. A possible model for this verse is:

• But God in heaven had done this. He was helping the Jews, and his help cannot be overcome.

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.