Commentaria in I Machabaeorum
Chapter the Third. Synopsis of the Chapter
Judas, succeeding his father, fights like a lion against Antiochus, and routs his generals, namely Apollonius, verse 10, and Seron, verse 13. Wherefore Antiochus sends a third leader, Lysias, against whom Judas drew up his battle line, imploring the help of God with fasting and ardent prayer.
1. And his son Judas, who was called Machabeus, rose up in his stead. 2. And all his brethren helped him, and all that had joined themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel. 3. And he got his people great glory, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girded his warlike armour about him, and protected the camp with his sword. 4. In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion’s whelp roaring for his prey. 5. And he pursued the wicked, seeking them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with flames. 6. And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand. 7. And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever. 8. And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel. 9. And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were ready to perish. 10. And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a great and numerous army from Samaria to fight against Israel. 11. And Judas understood it, and went out to meet him: and he defeated him and slew him: and many fell down wounded, and the rest fled. 12. And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his life. 13. And Seron the commander of the army of Syria heard that Judas had gathered together a company of the faithful and a congregation with him, 14. And he said: I will get me a name and will be glorified in the kingdom, and I will overcome Judas, and them that are with him, who despise the word of the king. 15. And he made himself ready, and there went up with him a strong army of the wicked to help him, and to be revenged on the children of Israel. 16. And they came as far as Bethoron, and Judas went out to meet him with a few. 17. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being so few, be able to fight against so great a multitude, and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today? 18. And Judas said: It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands of a few, and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company: 19. For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven. 20. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils: 21. But we will fight for our lives and our laws: 22. And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: but as for you, fear them not.
23. Now when he had left off speaking, he leaped suddenly upon them, and Seron and his army was overthrown before him. 24. And he pursued him by the descent of Bethoron, as far as the plain: and there fell of them eight hundred men, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines. 25. And the fear of Judas and his brethren, and the dread of them fell upon all the nations round about them. 26. And his name was spread abroad to the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas. 27. Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his heart: and he sent and gathered together all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army. 28. And he opened his treasury, and gave pay to the soldiers for a year, commanding them to be ready for all things. 29. And he saw that the money of his treasures failed, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land, that he might take away the laws which had been of old: 30. And he feared that he should not be able to bear the charges, and to give gifts as before, for he had abounded before the kings that were before him. 31. And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and determined to go into Persia, and there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money. 32. And he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king, from the river Euphrates to the river of Egypt: 33. And to bring up his son Antiochus, till he came again. 34. And he delivered to him half of the army, and the elephants, and charged him concerning all that he would have done: 35. that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from the place: 36. And that he should place strangers to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot. 37. So the king took the half of the army that remained, and departed from Antioch, the chief city of his kingdom, in the hundred and forty-seventh year: and he passed over the Euphrates, and went through the high countries. 38. And Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends: 39. And he sent with them forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it according to the king’s word. 40. And they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country. 41. And the merchants of the country, hearing of their fame, took silver and gold in great abundance, and servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were added to them the army of Syria, and of the land of strangers. 42. And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the king’s orders which he had given to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them. 43. And they said every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people and our holy places. 44. And the assembly was gathered together, that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. 45. Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert: there was none of her children that went in or out: and the sanctuary was trodden down, and aliens were in the castle, there was the habitation of the Gentiles: and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and harp ceased there. 46. And they assembled together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel. 47. And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments. 48. And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols. 49. And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the first-fruits, and the tithes: and they stirred up the Nazarites that had accomplished their days: 50. And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them? 51. For thy holy places are trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and in distress. 52. And behold the nations are assembled together against us to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us. 53. How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us? 54. And they sounded with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice. 55. And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens. 56. And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return, every man to his house, according to the law. 57. So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus. 58. And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations, that are assembled against us to destroy us and our holy places: 59. For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of our holy places. 60. Nevertheless as it shall be the will of God in heaven, so be it done.
1. AND JUDAS AROSE.—Josippus ben Gorion asserts that Judas was anointed with oil as Leader by his father Mattathias. For so he says: “Mattathias brought forth a horn with oil, and pouring it on his head anointed him for the battles, and all the people shouted and said: Long live the anointed.” Josephus adds that he was anointed at Jerusalem in the temple; but this seems false; for Jerusalem with the temple was held by the soldiers of Antiochus, as is plain from chap. 1.
MACHABEUS.—Gorionides asserts that this name was here first given to Judas by his father Mattathias, Machabeus, that is, the extinguisher of Antiochus and of the other enemies of Israel. Better do others judge that it had been given to Judas even before, from Machabi, which Judas inscribed on his standards; wherefore it was not so given to him by Mattathias, but being already given was confirmed, and the words themselves sufficiently suggest it. See what is said in the Preface.