How is the mighty fallen, the savior of Israel!: The line How is the mighty fallen recalls 2~Sam 1.19, 25, 27. This is probably why some translations, such as Revised Standard Version, choose to set up this short verse as two poetic lines. One may do this, but it is hardly necessary. The Greek text of this verse can be read as a question or a statement, but in either case it is an exclamation, an expression of grief. “It can’t be!” in Good News Bible is an attempt to convey this; otherwise the rest of the verse could be read as a simple recital of information. For some languages it may be better to avoid the use of a word like savior if it automatically suggests Jesus Christ. One way to do this is to use a verb; for example, the savior of Israel may be rendered “He saved our nation.” A modern term for a hero who delivers a nation from oppression is “liberator.” Alternative models for this verse “He is dead! Israel’s hero and liberator is dead!” and “The one who saved Israel is dead! Our hero is dead!” Contemporary English Version conveys the same information by restructuring the verse as follows:

• “Judas was a mighty warrior
who saved our nation.
Why did he have to die?”

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.