Now while Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and Simon his brother was in Galilee before Ptolemais: And Simon his brother was in Galilee before Ptolemais refers back to verse 22, where it is not said that Simon actually attacked the city (so Good News Bible), but defeated the Gentiles at the gates. Good News Bible should say simply “and their brother Simon was at the city of Ptolemais in Galilee.” “Their brother” is better than his brother, since both Judas and Jonathan were brothers of Simon.

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.