But the men in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents: The connector But is wrong here. Translators may begin this verse with no connector, as in Good News Bible. If translators have referred to Syrian soldiers in verse 8, the men in the citadel may be rendered simply as “they.” In the same way Jonathan may be expressed as “him” (Good News Bible).

The Syrian soldiers in the fort did not give up control of the fort; they only handed over the hostages. The Syrians abandoned other fortifications in Judea (verses 12-14), but they continued to occupy the fort in 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.