Commentaria in II Machabaeorum
1. But after the space of three years, Judas and his company understood that Demetrius the son of Seleucus, was come up with a great power and a fleet by the haven of Tripolis, to places proper for his purpose, 2. And that he had made himself master of the country against Antiochus, and his general Lysias. 3. Now one Alcimus, who had been high priest, but had wilfully defiled himself in the time of mingling with the Gentiles, seeing that there was no safety for him, nor access to the altar, 4. Came to king Demetrius in the hundred and fiftieth year, presenting to him a crown of gold and a palm, and besides these, boughs which were thought to belong to the temple: and that day he held his peace. 5. But having gotten a convenient time to further his madness, being called by Demetrius to a council, and asked how the Jews stood affected, and what they intended, 6. He answered: Those of the Jews that are called Assideans, of whom Judas Maccabeus is captain, nourish wars, and raise seditions, and will not suffer the realm to be in peace. 7. For I also being deprived of the glory of my ancestors (I mean of the high priesthood) am now come hither: 8. First, indeed, out of a sincere care for the king’s interests: and secondly, also, consulting the good of my countrymen: for all our nation suffers not a little from the unadvisedness of these men. 9. But, O king, when thou hast learned all these particulars, provide for the country, and for our nation, which is oppressed on every side, according to thy clemency, which is known to all men. 10. For as long as Judas liveth, it is impossible that the state be at peace. 11. Now when he had said these things, the rest also of the king’s friends, who were enemies to Judas, inflamed Demetrius against him. 12. And forthwith he sent Nicanor, the master of the elephants, governor into Judea: 13. And gave him orders to take Judas himself, and to scatter them that were with him, and to make Alcimus the high priest of the greatest temple. 14. Then the Gentiles, who had fled out of Judea from Judas, came to Nicanor in flocks, thinking the miseries and calamities of the Jews to be their welfare. 15. Now when the Jews heard of Nicanor’s coming, and that the nations were assembled against them, they cast earth upon their heads, and made supplication to him who established his people for ever, and who always protecteth his portion with evident signs. 16. Then at the command of the leader, they forthwith removed from the place where they were, and came to the town of Dessau. 17. And Simon, the brother of Judas, had engaged with Nicanor, but was somewhat terrified with the sudden coming of his adversaries. 18. Nevertheless Nicanor, hearing of the valour of Judas’ companions, and the greatness of courage with which they fought for their country, was afraid to try the matter by the sword. 19. Wherefore he sent Posidonius, and Theodotius, and Matthias, to give and to receive right hands. 20. And when there had been a long consultation thereupon, and the captain had acquainted the multitude, and it appeared that they were all of one mind, they consented to the covenants. 21. And they appointed a day to meet together by themselves: and a chair was brought for each of them, and set down. 22. And Judas ordered armed men to be ready in convenient places, lest some mischief should suddenly be practised by the enemies: and they held a convenient conference. 23. And Nicanor abode in Jerusalem, and did no harm, and sent away the flocks of people that had gathered to him. 24. And he had Judas always in his sight: and he was inclined in his heart to the man. 25. And he desired him to marry a wife, and to beget children: he married, he lived quietly, and they lived in common. 26. But Alcimus, seeing the love that was between them, and the covenants, came to Demetrius, and told him that Nicanor favoured the designs of strangers, and that he meant to give Judas, who was a traitor to the realm, for his successor. 27. Then the king being in a rage, and provoked with the wicked accusations of this most wicked man, wrote to Nicanor, saying that he was much displeased at the covenant of friendship; and that, nevertheless, he commanded that Maccabeus should be sent in haste prisoner to Antioch. 28. When this was known, Nicanor was in a consternation, and took it grievously that he should make void the articles that were agreed upon, having received no injury from the man. 29. But because there was no opposing the king, he watched an opportunity to accomplish this by policy. 30. But Maccabeus seeing that Nicanor was more rough with him, and that he came to their usual meeting with a more fierce countenance, understanding that this sourness did not come of good, gathered together not a few of his men, and hid himself from Nicanor. 31. But he, when he perceived that he was bravely prevented by the man, came to the greatest and holiest temple: and commanded the priests that were offering the accustomed sacrifices, to deliver him the man. 32. And when they swore that they knew not where the man was whom he sought, 33. He stretched out his hand toward the temple, and swore, saying: Unless you deliver Judas to me prisoner, I will lay this temple of God even with the ground, and I will break down the altar, and I will dedicate this temple to Bacchus. 34. And when he had said this, he went his way. But the priests stretched forth their hands towards heaven, and called upon him that was ever the defender of their nation, saying in this manner: 35. Thou, O Lord of all things, who wantest nothing, wast pleased that the temple of thy habitation should be among us. 36. Therefore now, O holy Lord of all holiness, keep this house ever undefiled, which was lately cleansed. 37. Now there was accused to Nicanor one Razias, a senator of Jerusalem, a lover of his countrymen, and a man of very good fame, who for his affection was called the father of the Jews. 38. For a long time he had held fast his purpose of keeping himself pure in the Jews’ religion, ready to expose his body and life, that he might persevere therein. 39. And Nicanor being willing to declare the hatred that he had for the Jews, sent five hundred soldiers to take him. 40. For he thought by taking him to do the Jews a mischief. 41. Now when the multitude would have rushed into his house, and broken open the door, and were bidding to set fire to it, he being ready to be taken, struck himself with his sword: 42. Choosing to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of the wicked, and to suffer abuses unbecoming his noble birth. 43. But whereas through haste he missed of giving himself a sure wound, and the crowd was breaking into the doors, he ran boldly to the wall, and manfully threw himself down headlong among the thickest of them. 44. But they quickly making space for his fall, he fell upon the middle of the neck. 45. And as he had yet some breath of life, being inflamed in mind, he arose: and whereas his blood ran down with a great stream, and he was grievously wounded, he ran through the crowd: 46. And standing upon a steep rock, and now almost without blood, grasping his bowels with both hands, he cast them upon the throng, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore them to him again: and so he departed this life.
This chapter and the next are connected with chapter vii of Book I.
1. BUT AFTER THE SPACE OF THREE YEARS,—that is, the third year from the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, namely the year 150 of the Greeks, as is said in verse 4. For the author of this Book II supposes Antiochus Epiphanes to have died in the year 148 of the Greeks; for although he died in the year 149 by the Jewish reckoning, yet this year 149 was 148 by the Antiochene reckoning, as I said above; and consequently this year 150 of the Greeks by the Antiochene reckoning was 151 by the Jewish reckoning.
DEMETRIUS THE SON OF SELEUCUS.—This Seleucus was the elder son of Antiochus the Great; the younger son was Antiochus Epiphanes. Wherefore the kingdom of Asia and Syria was due to Demetrius, as son of the elder brother. Demetrius, then, a hostage at Rome, hearing that his uncle Antiochus Epiphanes had died, asked of the Romans leave to return to his own and to seize the kingdom due to him by right. But the Romans refused it to him, because they feared him more than Eupator, son of Epiphanes, as being a boy. Wherefore Demetrius, secretly fleeing from Rome, came into Syria, where, crowned king by his own, Eupator and Lysias being slain, he took the kingdom, as I said in Book I, chapter vii.
3. NOW ONE ALCIMUS (of this Alcimus the pseudo-pontiff and traitor I spoke in Book I, chapter vii, 7) WHO HAD BEEN HIGH PRIEST, BUT HAD WILFULLY DEFILED HIMSELF IN THE TIME OF MINGLING WITH THE GENTILES (namely when Antiochus Epiphanes commanded the Jews to mingle with the Gentiles and to apostatize from Judaism to Gentilism, then Alcimus also apostatized: wherefore) SEEING THAT THERE WAS NO SAFETY FOR HIM, NOR ACCESS TO THE ALTAR,—both because the Jews had shut him out of the temple as an apostate, and because Judas Maccabeus, now holding the Pontificate and principate, would by no means have suffered Alcimus as a rival; wherefore Alcimus asked Demetrius to send Nicanor against Judas, and so confer the Pontificate on himself.
4. PRESENTING TO HIM A CROWN OF GOLD (with which he congratulated the new king Demetrius on his new kingdom) AND A PALM (with which he wished him victory over Judas and the other enemies), AND BESIDES THESE, BOUGHS (that is, branches of the olive tree, with which he sued for peace: for the olive is a symbol of peace, but the sacrilegious man had taken these from the temple. Whence follows:) WHICH WERE THOUGHT TO BELONG TO THE TEMPLE.—Moreover these branches and palms, as also the crown, were wrought of gold.
6. THOSE OF THE JEWS THAT ARE CALLED ASSIDEANS (who these were I said in Book I, chapter vii, 13), OF WHOM JUDAS MACCABEUS IS CAPTAIN.—Hence it is clear that Judas was in religion and piety an Assidean, nay the chief and prince of the Assideans.
18. NEVERTHELESS NICANOR, HEARING OF THE VALOUR OF THE COMPANIONS OF JUDAS, etc., WAS AFRAID TO TRY THE MATTER BY THE SWORD,—that is, was afraid to fight it out in battle and decide the quarrel by arms; for he feared to be conquered and cut down by Judas; wherefore he sent envoys to him for peace and made peace with him.
24. AND HE HAD JUDAS ALWAYS IN HIS SIGHT—he always kept Judas before his eyes as a friend and familiar.
AND HE WAS INCLINED IN HIS HEART TO THE MAN,—that is, inclined and well-disposed toward Judas. Some explain it the contrary way, “in the face,” as if to say, Nicanor outwardly pretended to be a friend of Judas, but inwardly hated him as a most valiant war leader to whom he could not be equal, and therefore persuaded him to marry, that through the wife he might be made effeminate and lay aside his warlike spirit, as Samson was made effeminate by his Dalila and stripped of strength. But this sense is repugnant to the Vulgate, which says: “He had Judas dear from his heart.”
25. AND HE DESIRED HIM (JUDAS) TO MARRY A WIFE, AND TO BEGET CHILDREN,—that he might beget offspring like himself, and pour into them his fortitude and warlike virtue; for as the Lyric poet says:
“The brave are begotten of the brave and good. In steers, in horses, is their sires’ worth, nor do fierce eagles beget the unwarlike dove.”
So Horace, Book IV, ode iv. Gorionides adds that Judas begot a male son by his wife; but he seems to have died soon, as did Judas, who fell in battle the following year; for no mention of his son is made in Scripture.