When he had given these orders he returned to his feasting … : Feasting was mentioned in 3 Macc 4.16, but there it referred to various feasts that were held during the forty days when the scribes were recording names of the Jews. This is the first time we are told that the king was at a feast, so the translator will want to introduce this as new information.

Together with those of his friends and of the army who were especially hostile toward the Jews: As in 3 Macc 2.23, the king’s friends refers to his close advisers and officers, not simply to people who liked him (see Contemporary English Version‘s footnote|prj:CEVUS06.3 Macc 5.3).

A possible model for this verse is:

• After the king had given these orders, he went back to the party he was having with those of his advisers and soldiers who especially hated the Jews.

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.