Commentaria in I Machabaeorum
But because the Latin Bibles corrected at Rome, and the Complutensian and Royal, likewise Pagninus, Lyranus and others constantly read “Roman,” and this aptly answers to the embassy of Simon to the Romans which immediately preceded, hence you may aptly explain it thus, that the author of this book wished briefly to subjoin to the embassy of Simon to the Romans the answer and congratulation of the Romans, to relate it more fully afterwards chap. xv, ver. 16. For what follows: “For he hath restored his brethren,” and the rest that follow, are not the words of the Roman people, as is clear to one looking, but of the author of this book. For the author wished to subjoin the reasons why the Roman people gave thanks to Simon; namely for his heroic deeds and immense merits toward Jerusalem and the other neighbours subject to the Romans, as those to whom Simon by his prudence and fortitude had procured common peace and tranquillity, and so had freed both himself and his neighbours as well as the Romans from wars. So Lyranus, Sanchez, Tornielli and others.
26. FOR HE HATH RESTORED HIS BRETHREN,—as if to say: Simon restored the Israelites and his tribesmen, fallen in spirit and strength and as it were reduced to slavery because of Tryphon, Demetrius and other enemies assailing them, to their former magnanimity, fortitude, opulence and liberty. Whence the Greek has: He established or made firm, himself and his brethren and the house of his father (Israel) and they drove away the enemies of Israel from them: namely by expelling and repelling their enemies from the Israelites.
AND THEY DECREED HIM LIBERTY,—namely, they decreed that Simon on account of his merits should be free from all tribute, burden and subjection, and that all the rest should be subject to him as to their Prince. Some Greek copies read in the singular: “He decreed him liberty,” and explain it of Simon thus, as if to say: Simon by his wisdom, fortitude and victories brought forth liberty, and exempted it from the yoke of the Greeks, as was said chap. xiii, ver. 41.
27. AND THIS IS A COPY OF THE WRITING (which the people, not Roman, but Jewish, as is clear, wrote for the eulogy of Simon on tablets of brass hung in the temple) THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH ELUL, (which is the sixth, and corresponds to our August), IN THE YEAR 172 (of the Greeks), BEING THE THIRD YEAR UNDER SIMON THE HIGH PRIEST (the supreme Pontiff) AT ASARAMEL.—For the first year of Simon was 170 of the Greeks; wherefore the third year of Simon was 172 of the Greeks. As to “at Asaramel,” or, as the Greek has, Saramel, Vatablus thinks the word corrupt, and that we should read: at Jerusalem. Serarius says the Hebrew word is retained, by which is signified “in the prince of God,” so that Simon is called great priest in the Lord God, or of the Lord God. The Syriac for “at Asaramel” renders Israel, and by it understands not a place, but the elders, or seniors and senators of Israel, who gave and wrote this eulogy to Simon. Perhaps “Asaramel” was the name of the place of the synedrium, or hall of the great council, in which this decree was issued.
29. THAT THEIR HOLY THINGS MIGHT BE UPHELD,—namely the holy temple, the holy religion, holy victims, and the holy worship of God, which had been overthrown by the impious Antiochus Epiphanes and his followers, these Simon and his brethren raised up.
31. TO TREAD DOWN.—In Greek patesai, that is, to invade, penetrate, overrun, destroy.
34. AND FURNISHED THEM WITH ALL THINGS CONVENIENT FOR THEIR REPARATION, that is, restoration; for this the Greek epanorthomata signifies. So Vatablus, Sa, Salianus and others.
36. AND DID MUCH EVIL TO ITS PURITY,—that is, to the cleanness and purity of the temple, profaning, polluting and violating it with their idols, filth and lusts. He speaks of the citadel of Sion, from which the soldiers of the Seleucids ran out into Jerusalem and against the Jews, plundering, beating, wounding, slaying them, and violating their women; for a gymnasium of luxury had been established under the citadel, now removed by Judas purging the temple, as was said
41. TILL THERE SHOULD ARISE A FAITHFUL PROPHET,—namely Christ, the supreme Leader and Pontiff of Israel. They decree therefore that Simon and his posterity in continuous succession be the Leaders and Pontiffs of Israel, until Christ, and so it nearly happened. For the progeny of Simon ruled Israel until Herod, under whom Christ was born.
42. AND THAT HE SHOULD BE CHIEF OVER THEM, AND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE THE CHARGE OF THE HOLY PLACES.—The supreme power given to Simon by the people is here declared, and it is twofold, namely that in civil and military matters he be Leader of the people, and in sacred and ecclesiastical matters he be Pontiff; for to him “charge” belongs “of the holy places,” namely of the Holy and the Holy of Holies, and of the holy victims, rites, ceremonies, etc. of the holy God;
You will ask why the Author in this whole chapter so earnestly and magnificently praises Simon, when he did not so praise Judas and Jonathan, who were before Simon, and as it seems braver? I answer, the first cause is that Simon by his prudence and valour conferred full peace on Judea; which Judas and Jonathan could not provide, and therefore he introduced as it were a golden age, and hence a new Era among the Jews.
The second, that Simon laboured longer: for he assiduously helped Judas and Jonathan, and they being dead, he alone surviving bore the weight of the war and of the commonwealth, and by all battles put an end with the peace desired by all.
The third, that under Simon and with Simon he praises Judas and Jonathan, who gave the beginning of this happiness and peace through continual wars, by whose virtue Simon put so happy an end to them through public quiet. Whence the Greek, ver. 26, has: For he made firm, himself and his brethren, and the house of his father (the Israelites), and warred down the enemies of the Israelites.
The fourth, that the Author of this book, as I said in the Proem, seems to have been John Hyrcanus, the son of Simon; who therefore with filial affection fitly weaves this crowning of eulogies for his father, and so pays him funeral honours, because he had secured to himself and his posterity until Christ the Principate and Pontificate of Israel.
43. AND THAT ALL THE WRITINGS IN THE COUNTRY SHOULD BE MADE IN HIS NAME.—In Greek all syngraphas, that is, all instruments of edicts, pacts, contracts, treaties, marriages and all acts, so that each of these be dated according to the years of the Principate and Pontificate of Simon, as indeed was here begun ver. 47 and chap. xiii,
48. AND THEY COMMANDED THAT THIS WRITING (namely the decrees of the people on the Leadership and Pontificate of Simon to be handed down to posterity until Christ, written on tables of brass) BE PUT (engraved) IN TABLES OF BRASS (that it may be indelible and eternal:) AND SET THEM (the brass tables with this writing) WITHIN THE COMPASS OF THE SANCTUARY,—that is, in the …of the temple, which surrounded the temple on every side, and in the porches of the temple public instruments were kept, as in an Archive), THAT SIMON AND HIS SONS MAY HAVE IT,
49. AND THAT A COPY THEREOF BE LAID UP IN THE TREASURY,—(that is, in the Gazophylacium of the temple, in which among the treasure) that if ever they need it, they may be able to take it thence.