And Jonah, wasting away in the belly of a huge, sea-born monster … : See Jonah 1.17 and 2.10. Jonah is the direct object of the main verbs watched over and restored, which occur later in the verse. Wasting away means “slowly dying.” The Greek has no specific word for huge here. The Greek word translated sea-born monster is the same one translated “whale” in Matt 12.40, but it could be used of any sea creature the author considered monstrous (compare Sir 43.25). Sea-born simply means this was a creature of the sea rather than land. Here is a possible model for the beginning of this verse: “Then there was Jonah. When he was dying inside a huge sea monster….”

You, Father, watched over and restored unharmed to all his family may be rendered “You cared for [watched over] him, Father, and brought him back safely [restored unharmed] to his whole family.” The book of Jonah says nothing about Jonah’s family. Revised Standard Version has a textual footnote here giving readings of some other Greek manuscripts that differ slightly from the text given in Hanhart and Rahlfs. We think the variations are not important enough for translators to insert a textual footnote.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then there was Jonah. When he was dying inside a huge sea monster, you cared for him, Father, and brought him back safe to his whole family.

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.