And he inquired why, when he entered every other temple, no one there had stopped him: As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, the Greek phrase for when he entered every other temple can be understood to mean “when he entered the outer area of the Temple.” In this case, he would be asking why, since they allowed him to come this far, he could not go all the way and go inside. Hadas translates the verse in this way. But the grammar of the text definitely favors the interpretation in Revised Standard Version, and we think a footnote is unnecessary. If a translator has translated the quotation in verse 12 as direct speech, it may be continued here, as in Contemporary English Version, which may serve as a model: “No one has ever refused to let me enter a temple before.” Another possible model for this verse is:

• “Why?” he asked. “No one has ever refused to let me enter a temple anywhere else.”

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.