Commentaria in II Machabaeorum
45. WHO HAD FALLEN ASLEEP WITH GODLINESS (that is, in a state of grace, struggling and fighting for the true faith, piety and worship of God),—that is, had died. For death in Scripture is called sleep by analogy and likeness; for death is as it were a long sleep, and sleep as it were a short death; but death is chiefly called sleep on account of the hope of resurrection, in which we shall awake as from sleep to eternal life.
46. IT IS THEREFORE A HOLY AND WHOLESOME (in Greek hosia, that is, pious) THOUGHT TO PRAY FOR THE DEAD, THAT THEY MAY BE LOOSED FROM SINS (that is, from the punishments of sins).—This is the epiphonema of the canonical Writer, which clearly establishes the end of the ancient Synagogue concerning Purgatory and suffrages for the souls detained in it. This, then, was the faith of the Church, certain and undoubted from every age.
Holy, therefore, is the sacrifice for the dead, because it is holily offered to the holy God. The same is pious, both toward the souls, whom it frees from the dreadful torments and fires of Purgatory; and toward the heavenly and blessed, whose number, and thence joy and glory, it increases; and toward the Church, to which it procures new patrons and advocates with God; and toward the very one who offers the sacrifice, for the souls freed by him will repay him with vicarious grace, praying to God assiduously for his salvation. Wherefore it is very pious and useful to pray often for the dead, and this procures many goods for the one who prays: as our Martin de Roa learnedly shows in the booklet published on this matter.
“Although,” he says, “we read in the books of the Maccabees that a sacrifice was offered for the dead, yet even if it were nowhere read in the ancient Scriptures, the authority of the whole Church is not small, which shines forth in this custom, where in the prayers of the priest poured out to the Lord God at his altar, the commendation of the dead also has its place.” And Damascene, Oration for the Dead: “Observe,” he says, “what Scripture has handed down in memory of Judas Maccabeus; namely that he, in Sion, the city of the great king, when he saw the people over whom he ruled cut down and mangled by foreign enemies, and, shaking out their bosoms, found idols hidden in them, at once, to expiate this crime, the Lord being ready and inclined to mercy, offered gifts for each of them, and in that matter performed the office of the highest piety and charity. Whence it also came about that divine Scripture, as in all other titles, so in this also, raised him with the highest praises and wonderfully commended him.”
SYNOPSIS. Antiochus Eupator, under Lysias as leader, renews the war against Judas with 140 thousand footmen and 5 thousand horsemen, and hurls Menelaus the pseudo-pontiff from a height. Judas confronts Eupator, verse 10, and, having called upon God, entering his camp by night, slays many. Then, verse 18, Eupator besieges Bethsura and takes it by surrender. Finally, verse 22, fleeing with Judas he is conquered: whence hearing that Philip is rebelling he asked peace of Judas and obtained it.
1. In the year one hundred forty-nine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great multitude against Judea, 2. And with him Lysias the protector, and ruler of his affairs, having each of them a Grecian army, of footmen one hundred and ten thousand, and five thousand horsemen, and twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks. 3. Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the safety of his country, but in hopes to be made governor. 4. But the King of kings stirred up the mind of Antiochus against the wicked wretch: and Lysias having informed the king that this man was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the manner is with them) that he should be taken to the same place and put to death. 5. Now there was in that place a tower of fifty cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep down. 6. From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death. 7. By such a law it happened that Menelaus the transgressor of the law died, and was not given even to the earth for burial. 8. And indeed very justly: for inasmuch as he had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes whereof were holy, he was condemned to die in ashes. 9. Now the king with a barbarous mind came on, to shew himself worse to the Jews than his father had been. 10. Which when Judas understood, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had always done, so now also he would help them: 11. Seeing they were upon the point to be deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that he would not suffer the people, who had of late taken breath for a little while, to be again subject to blasphemous nations. 12. So when they had all done this together, and had begged mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to make ready. 13. And he with the ancients determined, before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of the city, to go out and commit the event of the thing to the Lord’s judgment. 14. So committing all to God the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his men to fight manfully, and to stand firm even unto death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and the citizens, he pitched his camp near Modin. 15. And having given the signal to his men, The victory of God, with the most valiant chosen young men, he went in by night to the king’s tent, and slew in the camp four thousand men, and the chief of the elephants with all that were upon him. 16. And having filled all the camp with exceeding great fear and tumult, they went off with good success. 17. Now this was done at the break of day, the protection of the Lord helping him. 18. But the king having taken a taste of the boldness of the Jews, attempted to take the strong places by policy, 19. And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews, but he was put to flight, he failed, he lost his men. 20. And Judas sent to them that were within necessaries. 21. But Rhodocus, one of the Jews’ army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies: he was sought for, and taken, and put in prison. 22. The king treated with them that were in Bethsura, gave his hand, took theirs, and went off. 23. He fought with Judas, and was worsted. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation, and entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and being reconciled, offered sacrifice, honoured the temple, and left gifts. 24. He embraced Maccabeus, and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais to the Gerrenians. 25. And when he was come to Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais were much grieved at the articles of the peace, being angry, lest they would break the covenant. 26. Then Lysias went up to the judgment-seat, and made the best defence he could, and persuaded them, and pacified them, and made them well affected, and returned to Antioch. And thus went the king’s coming and his return.
This chapter is to be placed in Book I, chapter vi, verse 28; for there, up to the end of the chapter, the same things are narrated at length as here. Whence you may gather that the author of this second book was different from the author of the first, as is clear from the difference of narration.
2. OF FOOTMEN ONE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND, FIVE THOUSAND HORSEMEN, AND TWENTY-TWO ELEPHANTS.—You will say: Book I, chapter vi, verse 30, numbers a hundred thousand footmen and 20 horsemen, and 32 elephants. I answer that on different days the number of forces was different; for others joined this army, and now veterans, sent elsewhere, departed.
who had been appointed by Antiochus Epiphanes pseudo-pontiff of the Jews, asking Eupator, son of Epiphanes, to confirm to him this Pontificate, and consequently the Principate (for then the Pontiff was at the same time prince). See what is said in chapter iv, verse 23 and the last.
4. BUT THE KING OF KINGS (God) STIRRED UP THE MIND OF ANTIOCHUS AGAINST THE WICKED WRETCH (the traitor to his country Menelaus, that in indignation he might chastise him as he deserved), AND LYSIAS HAVING INFORMED THE KING THAT THIS MAN WAS THE CAUSE OF ALL THE EVILS,—that is, of all the seditions and wars which the Jews raised against Antiochus, because they could not bear Menelaus the insolent and sacrilegious pseudo-pontiff. So Josephus.
HE COMMANDED (AS THE MANNER IS WITH THEM) THAT HE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE SAME PLACE AND PUT TO DEATH,—namely hurled from a high tower. For so the Syrians were wont to punish traitors, sacrilegious and criminals, of which more in the following verses.
5. NOW THERE WAS IN THAT PLACE A TOWER OF FIFTY CUBITS HIGH, HAVING A HEAP OF ASHES ON EVERY SIDE.—Our Interpreter seems to have had another Greek copy; for the modern one thus has: Now in that place was a tower of 50 cubits, full of ashes, having at the bottom a store of ashes heaped up. This had a circular engine, steep on every side toward the ashes; here they all thrust to destruction the man guilty of sacrilege, and a leader of certain other notable crimes, or one guilty of excess. The Zurich version thus: In that place was a tower of 50 cubits full of dust, which had a revolving engine, sloping on every side toward the dust. There they all thrust to destruction him who was condemned of sacrilege, or had committed any other notable wickedness.