1 Maccabees — Chapter 11

Et rex Aegypti congregavit exercitum

VERSE 1. ET REX AEGYPTI CONGREGAVIT EXERCITUM SICUT ARENA QUAE EST CIRCA ORAM MARIS ET NAVES MULTAS ET QUAEREBAT OBTINERE REGNUM ALEXANDRI DOLO. — The king of Egypt gathered great forces, like the sand by the seashore, and many ships; and he tried to get possession of Alexander's kingdom by treachery and add it to his own kingdom. Lapide opens his commentary on chapter 11 with a moral observation on ambition: Ptolemy Philometor moved against his own son-in-law Alexander with \"words of peace in deceit\" (verse 2), betrayed him, and then died himself three days after Alexander's death — a perfect instance of divine retributive justice. \"See how ambition is inhuman and cruel, not sparing even a son-in-law.\"

Et rex Ptolemaeus mortuus est in die tertia

VERSE 18. ET REX PTOLEMAEUS MORTUUS EST IN DIE TERTIA. — King Ptolemy died on the third day. Lapide sees in Ptolemy Philometor's sudden death a striking example of divine justice: he had invaded the kingdom of his son-in-law Alexander, seized two crowns (Egypt and Syria), and died within three days of Alexander's death. He discusses whether Philometor deserved his nickname (\"Philometor\" = \"mother-loving\") noting that some say he actually killed his mother — making the name ironic. Lapide follows Josephus on the circumstances of his death from battle wounds sustained against Alexander.

In diebus illis congregavit Jonathas eos qui erant

VERSE 20. IN DIEBUS ILLIS CONGREGAVIT JONATHAS EOS QUI ERANT IN JUDAEA UT EXPUGNARENT ARCEM QUAE EST IN JERUSALEM. — In those days Jonathan gathered the forces in Judaea to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and he built many siege engines against it. Lapide explains that Jonathan finally had the opportunity to besiege the Akra (the Seleucid citadel in Jerusalem), which had been in enemy hands since the days of Antiochus Epiphanes. Despite pressure from Demetrius II to lift the siege, Jonathan maintained it, coming to Ptolemais personally to negotiate with the king. His diplomatic skill prevented punishment and actually won him additional concessions.

Et misit ei Jonathas tria millia virorum fortium

VERSE 44. ET MISIT EI JONATHAS TRI MILLIA VIRORUM FORTIUM ANTIOCHIAM ET VENERUNT AD REGEM. — So Jonathan sent him three thousand valiant men to Antioch, and they came to the king. Lapide discusses this remarkable episode: Jonathan sent Jewish soldiers to Antioch to help Demetrius II suppress a popular revolt in his own capital city. The Jewish soldiers killed 100,000 Antiochenes in a single day — an extraordinary statistic that Lapide treats with some skepticism, noting that \"round numbers\" in ancient warfare were often approximations. The key point is that Jonathan's soldiers saved Demetrius's life and throne, for which they were honored throughout the kingdom.

Et mentitus est omnia quaecumque dixit

VERSE 53. ET MENTITUS EST OMNIA QUAECUMQUE DIXIT ET ABALIENAVIT SE A JONATHA. — But Demetrius broke his word to Jonathan and became estranged from him, and he did not repay him according to the benefits with which Jonathan had treated him, but he harassed him greatly. Lapide uses Demetrius's ingratitude as a moral lesson on royal faithlessness: those who rely on the promises of kings are often disappointed. He connects this with the classical maxim \"Nusquam est qui ubique est\" (He who trusts everyone trusts no one) and the warning of Scripture not to trust in princes (Psalm 146:3).