He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion’s cub roaring for prey: These two parallel lines have almost the same meaning, although the second line describes sound rather than action. Young lions might roar when they are hungry, but lions on the hunt do not roar as they attack (as in Good News Bible), although soldiers in ancient times sometimes did. The translator’s goal here is to convey a general idea that Judas was fierce like a lion. In English the lion is known as “the king of beasts” and Goldstein uses this to good advantage by rendering this verse as “He was like a lion in his deeds and like the king of beasts roaring over his prey.” Roaring over prey is a better description of what lions do than roaring for prey, but the Greek really doesn’t say that. Good News Bible combines the lines, which is certainly possible, but not necessary. Here are two alternative models:

• He went into battle with a terrifying yell,
and he fought with the fury of a lion.

• As he went to fight the enemy, he gave a terrifying yell,
and he fought with the fury of a lion.

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.