When these men had been brought to the place called Schedia, and the voyage was concluded as the king had decreed: These men refers to the Jewish captives. The Greek does not specify men; both men and women are in view. Schedia was a harbor area about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Alexandria. We may render these two clauses as “As King Philopator had commanded, the soldiers brought the Jews by boat to Schedia outside of Alexandria, and docked there” or “The boats brought the Jews to Schedia outside of Alexandria, and docked there, as King Philopator had commanded.”

He commanded that they should be enclosed in the hippodrome which had been built with a monstrous perimeter wall in front of the city: The pronoun he refers to the king. A hippodrome is a place used for horse racing. The Greek word here may be rendered “large stadium” (Contemporary English Version); horse racing does not have to be mentioned. This stadium was just outside Alexandria on the east side. In front of the city simply means “just outside the city.” No wall is literally mentioned in the Greek text, and should not be mentioned, since the rest of the verse seems to imply that the Jewish prisoners could be seen from the road as people went in and out of the city. The Greek simply says that the race track was round and very large. Here is an alternative model for this clause: “The king then ordered that the Jews be confined in the huge race track in front of the city.”

And which was well suited to make them an obvious spectacle to all coming back into the city and to those from the city going out into the country: This clause indicates that the place where the captive Jews were confined was at a point where people going into and out of the city could see them. Anderson translates it as “eminently suitable for making the captives a public example to all who came down to the city and to those who left the city for a sojourn in the country.” We may also say “Here anyone going into Alexandria or coming out of that city would see them [or, could not help but see them].” Revised Standard Version‘s footnote here is unnecessary.

So that they could neither communicate with the king’s forces: Apparently the Jews were put in a place where they could not communicate with the king through any of his representatives, specifically the army.

Nor in any way claim to be inside the circuit of the city: The Greek text here is difficult to understand. Some manuscripts place the phrase in any way in the previous clause, before nor (so Hanhart), and some place it after nor (so Rahlfs). We suggest going with the former reading. Claim to be inside the circuit of the city renders two Greek words, whose meaning is simply not clear. The Revised Standard Version footnote gives the alternative rendering “claim protection of the walls.” These two words most likely mean the captives could not claim any exemptions or privileges allowed Jews inside the city of Alexandria, since they were confined outside of it. In verses 12-13 we learn that the king became so enraged at the city’s Jews that he decided to wipe them out also.

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• As King Philopator had commanded, the soldiers brought the Jews by boat to Schedia just outside of Alexandria, and docked there. The king then ordered that they confine the Jews in the huge race track that was just outside the city. Here anyone going into the city or coming out of it could not help but see them. The Jews could not convey any message at all to the king’s soldiers, and could not claim the legal rights of Jews living in the city.*
* claim the legal rights of Jews living in the city: Greek unclear.

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.