The men in the city, with their wives and children, went up on the wall with their clothes rent: The men in the city, with their wives and children refers to the Jewish citizens of Gezer, separating themselves from the Syrian soldiers, if indeed there were any Syrians present. Whether Simon was now inside the town, or still outside is not said. Went up on the wall is better rendered “climbed up on the top of the town wall” (Good News Bible), “climbed to the top of the town wall” (Contemporary English Version), or “climbed onto the walls that defended the town.” They would have gotten to the top of the wall by stairs or perhaps ladders. For with their clothes rent, see the comments on 1Macc 3.47. Here the people tore their garments as a sign of distress.

And they cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to make peace with them: Cried out may be expressed as “pleaded loudly” (Good News Bible) or simply “shouted” (Contemporary English Version). For to make peace with them, Good News Bible has “for a truce,” which is wrong. A truce is a temporary halt in a battle. The townspeople were asking for a permanent halt. So the last half of this verse may be rendered “and they shouted, pleading with Simon to make peace with them.”

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.