下列兩句的意思是否沒有分別？

The two sentences differ in meaning.

"We still had not got them by the week before the holiday" indicates

We still had not got them ON OR BEFORE the week before the holiday.

"We still had not got them before the week before the holiday" indicates

We still had not got them BEFORE the week before the holiday.

e.g "Consume by 20 Aug 2012" indicates one may consume the food ON OR BEFORE 20 Aug. 2012, it does indicates that one may consume the food only before the date.

意思想系一樣
但系兩句既grammar都系錯
應該寫成
We still had not got them the week before the holiday