Then the king’s anger was turned to pity and tears because of the things that he had devised beforehand: The meaning of this verse is not completely clear. Did King Philopator feel pity for his soldiers, now being killed by the elephants? Apparently the author wants us to think that his pity was directed toward the Jews, for whom he had planned the fate that the soldiers were now undergoing. He was stricken with sorrow and regret because of what he had planned to do. An alternative model for this verse is:

• The king’s [or, King Philopator’s] anger disappeared, and he became so sorrowful about what he had planned to do to the Jews that he wept.

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.