Commentaria in II Machabaeorum
This kind of punishment was devised by Darius Ochus, king of the Persians, to punish authors of conspiracy whom he had sworn he would not kill with the sword. For as Valerius Maximus says, Book IX, chapter ii: “He filled a place fenced with high walls with ashes, and with wood laid under, a kindly food and drink being put forward, he placed those he had received in it, from which, lulled by sleep, they fell into that treacherous heap.” Ovid teaches the same in the Ibis.
And as the ashes of those slain by the fraud of Darius the Second, so may the ash, kindling, devour thine own bones.
6. FROM THENCE HE COMMANDED THE SACRILEGIOUS WRETCH TO BE THROWN DOWN INTO THE ASHES.—See here the just and fitting punishment of retaliation inflicted on Menelaus by God the avenger: for he made him be buried and entombed in profane ashes, because he himself had scattered the ashes of the altar of God and defiled them by his sacrileges, as is expressly said in verse 8.
9. NOW THE KING (Antiochus Eupator) WITH A BARBAROUS MIND (indignant and raging against the Jews rebelling against him) CAME ON, TO SHEW HIMSELF WORSE (more savage) TO THE JEWS THAN HIS FATHER (Antiochus Epiphanes, most cruel) HAD BEEN.
10. WHICH WHEN JUDAS UNDERSTOOD, HE COMMANDED THE PEOPLE TO CALL UPON THE LORD DAY AND NIGHT;—for three days as follows. Behold here the prelude and as it were origin of the public litany, or continual prayer, by night as well as by day, for 40, nay 72 hours. These were the spiritual arms of Judas, with which he always triumphed over his enemies.
14. SO COMMITTING ALL TO GOD,—as if to say, Judas committing himself and his men and resigning them to the good pleasure of God as Lord of all, invaded by night the camp of Antiochus, to conquer or to fall for God and country, as God should will.
15. AND HAVING GIVEN THE SIGNAL TO HIS MEN, THE VICTORY OF GOD,—as if to say, Judas gave his men this military signal, or watchword, namely “God the victor,” or “the victory of God,” or “God the helper.” For this sign he was wont to give his men as an omen of victory, as is clear from chapter viii, verse 23. Whence Judas, with God as leader, soon slew four thousand of the enemy, and struck the rest so that they thought of death.
18. BUT THE KING HAVING TAKEN A TASTE OF THE BOLDNESS OF THE JEWS, (namely when he had tasted, that is felt and actually experienced, the boldness of Judas, who with few men had dared to burst into his camp and slaughter four thousand, fearing that he might dare more and greater things, turning from force to craft) ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE STRONG PLACES BY POLICY,—that is, by cunning, guile and treachery he tried to seize the places of Judea harder to storm. Wherefore,
19. HE MARCHED WITH HIS ARMY TO BETHSURA, etc., BUT HE WAS PUT TO FLIGHT, HE FAILED, HE LOST HIS MEN.—Vatablus: he was worn down, both by hunger and diseases and by the arms of the besieged, as well as of Judas rushing on him unexpectedly. Bethsura was a very strong citadel set on a rock and crag (for Bethsur in Hebrew is the same as house of rock); whence Josephus, Book XIII, chapter ix, says that Bethsura was the strongest place of all Juda. It was to the south of Jerusalem, distant from it five furlongs, that is 624 paces, to defend it against the inroads of the Idumeans and other enemies. Wherefore Antiochus could not take Bethsura by force, especially since Judas was at hand and constantly sent provisions and supplies to the besieged, as follows.
21. BUT RHODOCUS DISCLOSED THE SECRETS (that is, the hidden things) TO THE ENEMIES:—Salian probably opines that these secrets were certain hidden ways and methods by which provisions were supplied to the people of Bethsura, which the perfidious Rhodocus revealed to the enemies, intending to desert to them; but the thing being discovered, he was sought out, found, and thrown into prison. That it was so is gathered from the following verse.
22. THE KING TREATED WITH THEM THAT WERE IN BETHSURA: GAVE HIS HAND, TOOK THEIRS, AND WENT OFF,—as if to say, the king first addressed the soldiers of Bethsura to surrender, and was repulsed by them, because Judas supplied provisions to the besieged by secret ways. But when Antiochus learned these ways through the traitor Rhodocus, and blocked them, addressing the soldiers again he bent them, now suffering from hunger, to surrender.
23. HE FOUGHT (a battle) WITH JUDAS, AND WAS WORSTED.—As if to say, Antiochus, Bethsura being taken, went on to nearby Jerusalem; but there he was repulsed and worsted by Judas; see what is said in Book I, chapter vi, verse 51. So Sanchez, although Salian refers this to the four thousand slain in the camp of Antiochus by Judas, verse 15, before Bethsura was taken.
AND WHEN HE UNDERSTOOD THAT PHILIP HAD REBELLED,—to whom Antiochus Epiphanes dying had given his ring and diadem, and had committed his son Eupator with the kingdom. He, hearing that Lysias was guardian of Eupator and administered the kingdom, rebelled against both, and seized Antioch. Wherefore Lysias, that he might besiege Antioch, take it and slay him, asked and obtained peace with Judas and the Jews. See
ENTREATING THE JEWS, AND YIELDING TO THEM.—Vatablus, exaggerating the matter more freely, thus renders: “Disturbed, he submitted himself suppliantly to the Jews, swore to any conditions, made peace, offered sacrifice, paid honour to the temple, treated the place with kindness, and embraced Maccabeus,” etc.
24. AND MADE HIM (JUDAS) GOVERNOR AND PRINCE FROM PTOLEMAIS TO THE GERRENIANS (that is, Gerasenes).—The Greek: He left Judas as leader of war from Ptolemais as far as the principate of the Gerrhenians, so that in Antiochus’ name, as viceroy, he might administer those regions.
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.—The Greek: They were indignant because they had wished to make the covenants void; which some expound thus: that the people of Ptolemais took it ill that certain things were conceded by Antiochus to the Jews, on account of which the people of Ptolemais themselves had wished to make the covenants of peace void. But this sense does not agree with the Latin Vulgate, which plainly attributes to the Jews the fear of breaking the covenant, as if to say, the people of Ptolemais were indignant at this treaty entered into by Antiochus with the Jews, and especially with Judas Maccabeus, as if they had been made subject by him to a viceroy, because they feared that Judas and the Jews, now become more powerful, would grow insolent, and would compel them also and the neighbouring regions, as now subject to Judas, to rebel with them against the same king, the treaty entered into with the king being broken. For the people of Ptolemais were enemies of the Jews, as is clear from their having by treachery taken Jonathan, brother of Judas, and slain him with his men, as was said in Book I, chapter xii.
26. THEN LYSIAS WENT UP TO THE JUDGMENT-SEAT (as a high and raised platform from which he could be seen and heard by all), AND MADE THE BEST DEFENCE HE COULD (why this treaty had been made, namely that it was expedient both for the king and for them to cultivate peace with Judas and the Jews, as most brave, most fortunate, most just and most faithful men, and so) PACIFIED THE PEOPLE (who were in tumult).
SYNOPSIS. Demetrius, Lysias and Antiochus Eupator having been slain, at the persuasion of the traitor Alcimus, sends Nicanor with a great army against Judas and the Jews; but he makes a treaty with Judas. Demetrius takes this ill, and orders him to send Judas to him in chains. Judas, perceiving this beforehand, retires to a safe place: meanwhile Nicanor vents the wrath conceived against Judas on Razias, a man of great name. But Razias, in a threefold manner, inflicts a violent death on himself, lest he fall into his hands.