And he stationed a garrison there to hold it may be rendered “Judas stationed soldiers there to guard it [or, the Temple].”

He also fortifed Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea: For Beth-zur see verse 29; for Idumea see 1Macc 3.41. As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, the Greek text has the clause “to hold it” near the beginning of this sentence, but Revised Standard Version omits it as redundant. New Revised Standard Version keeps it by saying “he also fortified Beth-zur to guard it….” Good News Bible may be used as a model for this sentence, or translators may say “He also built a strong fort in Bethzur so that the people of Israel would be protected [or, safe] from attack from Idumea [or, from the south]” or even “… so that the Jews’ enemies in Idumea could not harm them.”

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.