Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared may be expressed as “Just as Judas finished speaking, they saw a group of enemy soldiers.”

Coming out of the hills: The Greek word translated coming out can also be rendered “looking out.” The latter sense fits the context somewhat better, so we recommend Good News Bible as a model to follow here. The phrase “on a scouting mission” in Good News Bible indicates why this patrol (detachment) is looking down from the hills; it corresponds to nothing specific in the Greek text. Good News Bible also adds the word “enemy” to make it clear that the patrol is not a detachment of Judas’ army.

Other possible models for this verse are:

• Judas had just finished speaking, when a group of enemy soldiers could be seen up in the hills, looking out over the plain.

• Just as Judas finished speaking, he and his men saw a group of enemy soldiers up in the hills, looking out over the plain.

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.