We recommend combining these two verses also in order to rearrange them (see the model below).

Nicanor, wishing to exhibit the enmity which he had for the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him: Nicanor sent the soldiers to arrest Razis to show the Jews how much he detested them, how hostile he was to them.

For he thought that by arresting him he would do them an injury: As the Revised Standard Version footnote indicates, the Greek text is not certain here. In some manuscripts the verb rendered arresting is dropped in favor of another verb, and in other manuscripts both verbs occur. Moreover, that other verb can be interpreted in two different ways. The other verb basically means “speak ill of, mistreat.” Goldstein opts for both verbs, and translates “arresting him and showing him disrespect.” Tedesche translates “humiliating him,” choosing only the other verb (but in his Greek text using the verb for arresting). New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Abel also choose the other verb, but interpret it as a euphemism meaning “kill.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “eliminated this man.” Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and New English Bible choose only the verb meaning “arrest,” and Revised English Bible implies it. We find it difficult to account for the presence of both verbs in the Greek manuscripts if they both were not original. Consequently we choose to read both, but to interpret the second one as do New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Abel.

Here is a model that combines verse 39 and 40:

• Nicanor wanted to show the Jews just how much he despised them, and he thought that he could really hurt them by capturing Razis and putting him out of the way [or, killing him]. So he sent more than 500 soldiers to capture the man.

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.