Not only this, but may be rendered “In spite of this” or “Nevertheless” (Anderson, Hadas).

When they considered the help which they had received before from heaven refers to the two previous times that God had rescued them from the elephants. From heaven means “from God.”

They prostrated themselves with one accord on the ground: Prostrated themselves … on the ground refers to lying face down on the ground in prayer. With one accord implies that everyone did it.

Removing the babies from their breasts simply explains how the nursing mothers could lie flat on the ground; it does not mean all of the Jews were nursing children, as Revised Standard Version seems to imply.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• But still, when they thought how God had rescued [or, helped] them before [or, had already saved them twice], they lay down flat on the ground to pray. Mothers laid their nursing babies aside.

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.