Therefore he sent Posidonius and Theodotus and Mattathias to give and receive pledges of friendship: Nicanor appointed three men to go to Judas and negotiate peace terms. These three men are otherwise unknown. The name Mattathias indicates that this man was a Jew. Theodotus, although a Greek name, was often used by Jews. To give and receive pledges of friendship is literally “to give and receive right hands” (see 1Macc 6.58; 11.50, 62; 2Macc 4.34; 12.11-12; 13.22). An alternative model for this verse is:

• So he sent Posidonius, Theodotus, and Mattathias to make peace with the Jews.

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.