Although most of them were still in the country, some still residing in their homes, and some at the place: There is a textual problem here. Many Greek manuscripts read “according to custom” or “on the way” instead of at the place. “On the way” makes much more sense, and is followed by Contemporary English Version, Anderson, Emmet, and Hadas. We recommend this reading, so a possible model for the first two clause of this verse is “Boats were still arriving with Jews in them, and many of them were still in their own homes in the countryside.”

The task was impossible for all the generals in Egypt means all of Egypt’s military forces would be unable to round up all the Jews.

Here is one possible model for this verse:

• Many Jews were still on the way to Alexandria, and some were still living in their own homes in the countryside. Not even all the generals in the army could round them all up [or, arrest them all].

Many translators will find verses 17-18 easier to approach as Contemporary English Version has done, reporting the words of the scribes as direct speech. This alternate model, based on Contemporary English Version, may be tried:

• 17 But when the forty days were over, the scribes went to the king and told him, “There are too many Jews for us to register. 18 Boats are still arriving with Jews on them, and many of them are still in their own homes in the countryside. Not even all the generals in Egypt could round up [or, arrest] all these 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.