Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:17

So he invaded Egypt: Again Good News Bible omits the connector So, but both Revised Standard Version and Contemporary English Version keep it because Antiochus’ invasion of Egypt is the logical result of his decision to become the king of that country. He invaded Egypt may be connected with the verb “engaged” in verse 18 as “He landed in Egypt … 18~and attacked….”

With a strong force may be rendered “with a powerful army” (similarly Good News Bible) or “with a huge number of soldiers.”

With chariots and elephants and cavalry and with a large fleet: A chariot was a two-wheeled war vehicle (cart) normally pulled by two horses. Chariots in some languages is rendered “war carts pulled by horses” or “horse-drawn war carts.” Elephants trained in India were used in war by the Seleucid kings. African elephants trained by Indian trainers were used by the Ptolemies. They were usually used as a screen to protect cavalry, but occasionally were used to lead an attack (see 1Macc 6.32-47). A treaty that Antiochus’ father, Antiochus~III, had signed with Rome in 190 b.c. forbad the Seleucids from using war elephants or a big navy. By using both here, Antiochus was betting that Rome would not attempt to stop him. There is a textual problem with the words and cavalry. This phrase is omitted in some Greek manuscripts. Kappler omits it from his Greek text, but Rahlfs includes it. The New American Bible (New American Bible), Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel, and Goldstein omit the phrase. New Jerusalem Bible includes it in parentheses. This question cannot be decided with confidence; translators may include it or omit it as they see fit, with no textual note required. It is known from history that Antiochus’ army almost certainly included cavalry, but that does not mean that the author actually recorded it. Cavalry may be rendered “horses with riders,” “soldiers riding on horses,” or even “horse soldiers.” A large fleet means a large group of ships. Here this phrase may be rendered “a large number of warships.”

A model for this verse that follows Good News Bible‘s restructuring is:

• So he invaded Egypt with a large group of warships and a huge army, including chariots, elephants, and cavalry.

Another possible model is:

• So he gathered a large group of … and invaded the land of Egypt.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:18

He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle: When Antiochus attacked Egypt, Ptolemy~VI was no more than sixteen years old at the time. The battle took place near the Egyptian border on the coast, at Pelusium, just east of where the Suez Canal is today. For this clause Good News Bible has simply “When the attack came” to avoid naming the king of Egypt twice. Another possible rendering is “When he [or, he and his army/soldiers] attacked” or “When his army began attacking the army of King Ptolemy.”

And Ptolemy turned and fled before him means that Ptolemy and his soldiers fled as Antiochus’ army advanced. In some languages the verb turned may be left implied since someone must turn in order to flee.

And many were wounded and fell is literally “and many wounded men fell.” Fell probably means “died.” Many of the Egyptian soldiers died from their wounds in the battle. Good News Bible and Goldstein omit any reference to the wounded, since it is clear enough that men dying in battle die of wounds. Translators may certainly include it if it is not a problem, but it can be omitted with no loss. Good News Bible adds “his soldiers” to make it clear that the slaughter of Ptolemy’s soldiers is in view here.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:19

And they captured the fortified cities in the land of Egypt, and he plundered the land of Egypt: Antiochus and his army captured the Egyptian fortified cities of Pelusium and Memphis, and plundered the country. Fortified cities may be rendered “cities with high walls” (compare the comments on “strongholds” in verse 2). For plundered see the comments on verse 3.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:20

After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred and forty-third year: After subduing Egypt may be rendered “After the conquest of Egypt” or even “After Antiochus’ army had conquered Egypt.” Antiochus returned refers to Antiochus leaving Egypt, heading back to his capital at Antioch in Syria. On the way he would pass through Israel. The one hundred and forty-third year of the Seleucid kingdom in Syria is the year 169 b.c. We recommend following Good News Bible‘s wording, “In the year 143,” along with a footnote giving the equivalent date b.c.

He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force: Antiochus and his army went up from Egypt to Israel since Israel is on higher ground than Egypt. Since the writer was probably located in Israel when he wrote this book, some translators will need to say “came up.” The Greek expression translated went up against is also used for the commencement of a military expedition. Good News Bible says “marched … against,” which is a good choice of words. The words came to in Revised Standard Version translate the text in Rahlfs, but these words are absent from Kappler’s text. We recommend following Good News Bible, which uses only the verb “marched” in the last half of this verse. Good News Bible identifies Israel as a land and Jerusalem as a city. Translators should follow this example unless it can be assumed that the readers will know this.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• In the year 143, after Antiochus had conquered Egypt, he returned with a huge army [or, a large number of soldiers] and marched up against the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:21

He arrogantly entered the sanctuary: The sanctuary refers to the whole Temple complex in Jerusalem, not just the Temple building or the Most Holy Place within it. Good News Bible renders this whole clause as “In his arrogance, he entered the Temple,” and Contemporary English Version has “He walked arrogantly right into the Jerusalem temple.” Another possible model is “He showed great arrogance [or, pride] as he entered the Temple complex.”

And took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils: The Temple implements named here and in the next verse are mentioned in Exo 39.32-43 and 1~Kgs 7.48-50, so translators should look there for how these terms were rendered. The golden altar was the altar for offering incense (see Exo 30.1-6), and may be translated in some languages as “the golden table for offering incense.” The lampstand for the light is described in detail in Exo 25.31-39 and 37.17-24. It had seven branches with an oil lamp on the tip of each. The words for the light are unnecessary in English, and Good News Bible eliminates them, but in some languages it will be necessary to keep these words; for example, “the lampstand for giving light in the Temple.” All its utensils refers to the equipment used for lighting the lamps and tending the flames. Good News Bible has “all its equipment,” and Contemporary English Version says “everything that went with 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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:22

He took also the table for the bread of the Presence …: Revised Standard Version adds He took to resume the thought from the previous verse. In Greek this verse begins literally with “and the table….” The table for the bread of the Presence is described in detail in Exo 25.23-30 and 37.10-16. Good News Bible renders this Temple item as “the table for the bread offered to the Lord,” but Contemporary English Version is better with “the table for the sacred loaves of bread,” since it avoids a direct reference to the Lord.

The cups for drink offerings, the bowls is simply “and the cups and the bowls” in the Greek text. For drink offerings is only implied, but should be included in some languages; for example, Contemporary English Version has “as well as the special bowls, the cups for wine offerings.” The cups and the bowls were used for pouring out wine offerings (see Exo 25.29). Good News Bible says simply “the cups and bowls,” but the Revised English Bible (Revised English Bible) is more specific with “the libation cups and bowls” (similarly New English Bible).

The golden censers were small shovel-shaped implements used for carrying live coals and for burning incense. This phrase may be rendered “the gold pans for carrying live coals and for burning incense.”

The curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Temple (see Exo 26.31-33 and 36.35-36).

The crowns were probably gold decorations in the form of crowns that were placed on the front wall of the Temple (see 1Macc 4.57).

And the gold decoration on the front of the temple refers to the other gold ornamentation on the front wall of the Temple.

He stripped it all off: This final clause simply stresses that Antiochus stripped the Temple of everything of value, not just the gold from the front of the Temple as Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version suggest. So it may be rendered “He stripped the Temple of everything.”

The material in this verse could be arranged in the following way:

• … the table for the sacred bread [or, the bread offered to Heaven], the cups and bowls [for drink offerings], the gold firepans [or, gold pans for carrying live coals and burning incense], and the curtain. He also took the crowns and the other gold ornaments from the front of the Temple. He stripped the Temple of everything.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:23

He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures which he found: At first this verse seems to refer to the same objects listed in verses 21-22. Following Goldstein we suggest the following interpretation: “He also took the silver and gold coins and the precious [or, expensive] articles that he found had been deposited there.” The phrase he took also can just as easily be translated “that is, he took,” which enables us to see that the two clauses of this verse have essentially the same meaning. The Temple was used as a kind of bank, where money or articles of value could be stored for safekeeping (see 2Macc 3.10-11). The silver and the gold refers to coins, since any other silver or gold would be in the form of costly vessels. Hidden treasures means the money and expensive articles were deposited in the Temple for protection. An alternative model for this verse is:

• He also took all the money [or, the silver and gold coins] and all the valuable objects that people had left in the Temple for safekeeping—anything he could find.

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.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 1:24

Taking them all, he departed to his own land: Good News Bible is good here, and so is Contemporary English Version with “Then he returned to his own country with the things he had stolen.” Another possibility is to connect this sentence closely with verses 21-23 as Revised English Bible does with “and carried them all away when he left for his own country.”

In the middle of this verse Revised Standard Version shifts to poetry, marking the beginning of one of the poems that are found in 1Maccabees. Everyone agrees that such a poem is here, but there is disagreement concerning where it begins. Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version (New Revised Standard Version) begin the poem here, within verse 24. Contemporary English Version, New English Bible, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel, and Goldstein complete verse 24 in prose, and begin the poem with verse 25. Good News Bible and New Jerusalem Bible begin the poem with verse 26. An American Translation translates verses 24b-28 as prose, which is an option translators should consider. Our own preference is to follow Good News Bible in translating verses 24-25 as prose, and verses 26-28 as poetry, where imagery is first clearly used. Our discussion of the remainder of the subsection will follow this scheme, although translators should feel free to translate all the poems as prose, or in this case, to begin the poem earlier.

He committed deeds of murder, and spoke with great arrogance: Good News Bible interprets Antiochus’ speaking as boasting about his murderous deeds. This is valid, but as another possibility, translators may wish to consider reversing these two clauses to build up to the statement in verse 25; for example, “He spoke very arrogantly [or, boastfully], and murdered many people.”

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.