To defile the sanctuary and the priests: For defile the sanctuary, see the comments on verse 37. Priests were the Jewish religious leaders who conducted worship in the Temple, making offerings and prayers to God on behalf of the people. This term will be difficult to translate in some languages. Possible renderings for priests are “those who present the people’s sacrifices to God” and “spokesmen of the people to God.” However, the Greek word for priests can also be rendered “holy things” (Good News Bible), which is the sense we prefer. This whole clause may be rendered “Things had to be done that would defile the Temple and the objects in it [or, priests],” “… that would make the Temple and the things in it [ritually] unclean,” or even “You must do things that will defile the Temple and the objects in it.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.