Commentaria in II Machabaeorum
Hence let the faithful learn how bravely they ought to endure torments and death inflicted for faith and piety. For if Razias the Jew, having an obscure faith and hope of the resurrection, killed himself for it, why should not a Christian, after the examples of Christ and of others rising again, willingly embrace death inflicted for him, since he is certain that through it he is sent over to blessed and eternal life? For fixed is that oracle of Christ, and likewise promise: “He that shall lose his life for me shall find it,” Matthew x, 39. Again, why should he not mortify his concupiscence and flesh, which he believes will be quickened and delivered in heaven by mortification? For mortification is as it were a living kind of death, by which a man renounces and cuts off the carnal appetites living in him by a serious purpose of contrary will. Whence he feels this cutting-off to the quick, and grieves as if a tooth were being plucked out of him. Hear St. Ambrose, Book III On Virgins, celebrating with wonderful praises St. Pelagia, a virgin of fifteen years, who threw herself with her mother and sisters into a river, and drowned herself lest she be violated: “With hands joined, as if they were leading choirs, they advance into the middle of the stream, where the water is swifter, where the depth is, directing their steps thither. None drew back a foot, none checked her advance, none tried where to set her step; anxious when the earth met them, offended by the ford, glad in the deep. You would see the pious mother binding their hands with a knot, rejoicing in her pledges, fearing for their fall; lest the waves should take her daughters from her. These victims, she said, O Christ, I offer to thee, leaders of virginity, guides of chastity, companions of passion.” Moreover the Church honours these women, who killed themselves to guard chastity, as martyrs, because they were as it were compelled to this by the persecutors themselves. Whence since they did not sin in that deed according to moral estimation, they are reckoned slain by the persecutors themselves, and so are martyrs. If anyone wishes to say the same of Razias, I will not oppose.
SYNOPSIS. Nicanor, proudly despising God, attacks Judas and the Jews: Judas, encouraged by the vision of Onias and Jeremias giving him a sword, encourages his soldiers; wherefore he lays Nicanor low, and hangs his head and hand on the wall opposite the temple, and casts his dissected blaspheming tongue to the birds to be devoured. Finally, the Jews sing a song of victory to God, and institute a feast to be celebrated yearly in thanksgiving on the 13th day of Adar.
1. But Nicanor, when he understood that Judas was in the places of Samaria, purposed to set upon him with all violence on the sabbath day. 2. And when the Jews that were constrained to follow him, said: Do not act so fiercely and barbarously, but give honour to the day of sanctification, and reverence him that beholdeth all things: 3. That unhappy man asked if there were a mighty One in heaven that had commanded the sabbath-day to be kept. 4. And they answering, There is the living Lord himself in heaven, the mighty One, who commanded the seventh day to be kept: 5. Then he said: And I am mighty upon earth, and I command to take arms, and to do the king’s business. Nevertheless he prevailed not to accomplish his design. 6. So Nicanor being puffed up with exceeding great pride, thought to set up a public monument of his victory over Judas. 7. But Maccabeus ever trusted with all hope that God would help them. 8. And he exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the nations, but to remember the help they had received before from heaven, and now to hope for victory from the Almighty. 9. And speaking to them out of the law and the prophets, withal putting them in mind of the battles they had fought before, he made them more cheerful. 10. And when he had stirred up their minds, he declared withal the falseness of the Gentiles, and their breach of oaths. 11. So he armed every one of them, not with defence of shield and spear, but with very good speeches and exhortations, and told them a dream worthy to be believed, whereby he rejoiced them all. 12. Now the vision was in this manner: Onias, who had been high priest, a man modest and good, reverend in look, gentle in manners, and graceful in speech, and exercised from a child in all points of virtue, holding up his hands, prayed for all the people of the Jews: 13. After this there appeared also another man, admirable for age and glory, and environed with great beauty and majesty and a great and beautiful majesty about him; 14. And Onias answering said: This is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth much for the people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias the prophet of God. 15. Whereupon Jeremias stretching forth his right hand gave to Judas a sword of gold, saying: 16. Take this holy sword, a gift from God, wherewith thou shalt overthrow the adversaries of my people Israel. 17. Thus being exhorted by the words of Judas, which were very good, and proper to stir up the courage, and strengthen the hearts of the young men, they determined to fight, and to set upon them manfully: that valour might decide the matter, because the holy city and the temple were in danger. 18. For their concern was less for their wives and children, and for their brethren and kindred: but their greatest and first fear was for the holiness of the temple. 19. And they also that were in the city, had no little concern for them that were to be engaged in battle. 20. And now when all expected what judgment would be given, and the enemies were at hand, and the army was set in array, the beasts and the horsemen ranged in convenient places, 21. Maccabeus considering the coming of the multitude, and the divers preparations of armour, and the fierceness of the beasts, stretching out his hands to heaven, called upon the Lord that worketh wonders, who giveth victory to such as are worthy, not according to the power of their arms, but as it seemeth good to himself. 22. And in his prayer he said after this manner: Thou, O Lord, who didst send thy angel under Ezechias king of Juda, and didst kill a hundred and eighty-five thousand of the army of Sennacherib: 23. Send now also, O Lord of heaven, thy good angel before us, for the fear and dread of the greatness of thy arm, 24. That they may be afraid, who come with blasphemy against thy holy people. And thus he concluded his prayer. 25. Now Nicanor and they that were with him came forward with trumpets and songs. 26. But Judas and they that were with him, encountered them, calling upon God by prayers: 27. And fighting with their hands, but praying to the Lord with their hearts, they slew no less than five and thirty thousand, being greatly delighted with God’s presence. 28. And when the battle was over, and they were returning with joy, they understood that Nicanor was slain in his armour. 29. Then making a shout and a great noise, they blessed the Almighty Lord in their own language. 30. And Judas, who was ready in body and mind to die for his countrymen, commanded that Nicanor’s head and his hand with the shoulder should be cut off, and carried to Jerusalem. 31. And when he was come thither, having called together his countrymen, and the priests to the altar, he sent for them that were in the castle. 32. And showing them the head of Nicanor, and the wicked hand which he had stretched out against the holy house of the almighty God, with proud boasting,
33. He commanded also the tongue of the wicked Nicanor to be cut out and given by pieces to birds, and the hand of the furious man to be hung up over against the temple. 34. Then all blessed the Lord of heaven, saying: Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled. 35. And he hung up Nicanor’s head in the top of the castle, that it might be an evident and manifest sign of the help of God. 36. And they all ordained by a common decree, never to let that day pass without solemnity: 37. But to celebrate the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, which in the Syrian language is called the day before Mardochias’ day. 38. So these things were done with relation to Nicanor: and from that time the city was possessed by the Hebrews. And I also will here make an end of my narration. 39. Which if I have done well, and as it becometh the history, it is what I desired: but if not so perfectly, it must be pardoned me. 40. For as it is hurtful to drink always wine, or always water, but pleasant to use sometimes the one and sometimes the other, so if the speech be always nicely framed, it will not be grateful to the readers. But here it shall be ended.
1. NICANOR, etc., PURPOSED TO SET UPON HIM WITH ALL VIOLENCE ON THE SABBATH DAY,—because he presumed that the Jews, on account of the religious rest of the sabbath commanded by God, would not fight on that day, but would suffer themselves to be slain.
5. THEN HE SAID: AND I AM MIGHTY UPON EARTH, AND I COMMAND TO TAKE ARMS—on the sabbath. See here the blasphemous deed of Nicanor, by which he makes himself equal to God, as if to say, Let God command in his heaven; but I command on earth, and bid you, O Jews, whom I have compelled to follow my camp, to fight on the sabbath day against Judas and the Jews, your fellow tribesmen; which blasphemy kindled the anger of the Jews following him, so that they would not obey him, and brought down God’s indignation upon himself, so that he was cut down by Judas, mutilated and hung up. He seemed to have challenged God from heaven to a duel with himself on earth.
With like arrogance Mezentius the atheist in Virgil, Aeneid Book X, thunders:
Let my right hand be my god, and the spear which I hurl, be now at hand.
What Statius says of Capaneus, Thebaid Book II:
Valour is my god and the sword.
Be with me, right hand, alone: thou presiding in wars, and inevitable deity, thee I call, thee alone I worship, a despiser of the gods above.