1 Maccabees — Chapter 14

Et siluit omnis terra Judae omnibus diebus Simonis

VERSE 4. ET SILUIT OMNIS TERRA JUDAE OMNIBUS DIEBUS SIMONIS ET QUAESIVIT BONA GENTI SUAE. — The land had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation; his rule was pleasing to them, as was the honor shown him, all his days. Lapide provides a lyrical commentary on Simon's golden age (verses 4-15), calling it the fulfillment of Isaiah's vision of peace under the Messiah. He compares Simon's reign to the reign of Solomon (peace, prosperity, justice) and argues that this brief golden age was a foretaste of the messianic kingdom that would be established definitively by Christ, the true and eternal Maccabee and King of Israel.

Et cum omni gloria sua accepit Joppen in portum

VERSE 5. ET CUM OMNI GLORIA SUA ACCEPIT JOPPEN IN PORTUM ET FECIT INTROITUM IN INSULIS MARIS. — To crown all his glory he took Joppa for a harbor, and opened a way to the isles of the sea. Lapide praises Simon's acquisition of Joppa (modern Jaffa) as his greatest political achievement: it gave Judea its first seaport, opening the country to maritime trade and allowing direct communication with the Mediterranean world. Lapide notes that Joppa remained the main port of entry to Jerusalem throughout the entire period until the building of Caesarea Maritima by Herod the Great.

Et unusquisque colebat terram suam cum pace

VERSE 8. ET UNUSQUISQUE COLEBAT TERRAM SUAM CUM PACE ET TERRA JUDAE DABAT FRUCTUS SUOS ET LIGNA CAMPORUM FRUCTUM SUUM. — They tilled their land in peace; the ground gave its increase, and the trees of the plains their fruit. Lapide draws an extended parallel between Simon's peaceful Israel and the prophetic descriptions of the messianic age of peace in Micah 4:4 (\"they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree\") and Zechariah 3:10 (same imagery). He argues that the Maccabean golden age was a genuine partial fulfillment of these prophecies, pointing toward their complete fulfillment in Christ's kingdom.

Seniores in plateis sedebant omnes

VERSE 9. SENIORES IN PLATEIS SEDEBANT OMNES ET DE BONIS TERRAE TRACTABANT ET JUVENES INDUEBANT SE GLORIAM ET STOLAS BELLI. — Old men sat in the streets; they all talked together of good things; and the young men put on glorious and warlike attire. Lapide connects this image of elders deliberating in the city squares with the prophecy of Zechariah 8:4-5, which describes old men and women sitting in the streets of Jerusalem and children playing — a classic image of civilized peace. He notes that the combination of the wisdom of age (the elders) and the vigor of youth (the young men in martial attire) is the ideal composition of a well-ordered commonwealth.

Et sedit unusquisque sub vite sua et sub ficulnea sua

VERSE 12. ET SEDIT UNUSQUISQUE SUB VITE SUA ET SUB FICULNEA SUA ET NON ERAT QUI EOS TERRERET. — Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to make them afraid. Lapide identifies this as the fulfillment of Micah 4:4: \"But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid.\" He argues that the complete fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the peace of Christ's kingdom in the Church, of which Simon's reign was a type. The vine and fig tree are both symbols of Israel (Psalm 80:8; Hosea 9:10; Mark 11:12-14) and of the messianic abundance.

Et confirmavit omnes humiles populi sui

VERSE 14. ET CONFIRMAVIT OMNES HUMILES POPULI SUI ET LEGEM EXQUISIVIT ET ABSTULIT OMNEM INIQUUM ET MALUM. — He strengthened all the humble of his people; he sought out the Law, and did away with all the renegades and evil-doers. Lapide provides a detailed commentary on Simon as an ideal ruler, applying the principles of good governance enumerated by Aristotle, Cicero, and above all the Bible. He notes four characteristics of Simon's government: (1) defense of the poor and humble; (2) promotion of the divine Law; (3) removal of the wicked from positions of influence; (4) glorification of the Temple and its worship. These are the four marks of the ideal theocratic ruler.

Sancta glorificavit et multiplicavit vasa sanctorum

VERSE 15. SANCTA GLORIFICAVIT ET MULTIPLICAVIT VASA SANCTORUM. — He glorified the sanctuary, and added to the vessels of the sanctuary. Lapide reflects that Simon understood what every great ruler must understand: that the proper foundation of civil society is the worship of God. By glorifying the Temple and providing it with abundant sacred vessels, Simon was expressing the proper ordering of political life under God. Lapide draws an analogy with the practice of Catholic Christian rulers who endowed churches and monasteries.

Et hoc est exemplum scripturae

VERSE 27. ET HOC EST EXEMPLUM SCRIPTURAE OCTAVA DECIMA DIE MENSIS ELUL ANNO CENTESIMO SEPTUAGESIMO SECUNDO ANNO TERTIO SUB SIMONE SACERDOTE MAGNO IN ASARAMEL. — This is a copy of the letter that they sent: \"On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the year 172, being the third year of Simon the great high priest, in Asaramel.\" Lapide discusses the puzzling phrase \"in Asaramel\": various interpretations include: (1) Vatablus says the word is corrupt and should be read as \"in the prince God\" (Hebrew: Sar-am-El = prince of the people of God); (2) Syrus reads it as \"Israel\" (i.e., in the assembly of Israel); (3) others take it as the name of a place, possibly a hall in the Temple precincts. The context suggests a solemn public assembly at which the decree about Simon's hereditary leadership was proclaimed.

Et quia Judaei et sacerdotes eorum consenserunt

VERSE 41. ET QUIA JUDAEI ET SACERDOTES EORUM CONSENSERUNT EUM ESSE DUCEM SUUM ET SUMMUM SACERDOTEM IN AETERNUM DONEC SURGAT PROPHETA FIDELIS. — The Jews and their priests have resolved that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise. Lapide interprets \"until a trustworthy prophet arises\" (donec surgat propheta fidelis) as referring to Christ — the supreme and faithful Prophet foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15. The Hasmonean dynasty was to hold the dual priestly and political authority until the Messiah came to assume both permanently. Lapide notes that this prophecy was approximately fulfilled: the Hasmonean dynasty continued until the time of Herod and the birth of Christ, when both the scepter and the priesthood were removed from Judah (cf. Genesis 49:10).

Et ut scribantur in nomine ejus omnes conscriptiones

VERSE 43. ET UT SCRIBANTUR IN NOMINE EJUS OMNES CONSCRIPTIONES IN REGIONE. — That all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold. Lapide comments on the full constitutional status granted to Simon by the public decree: he held combined priestly, military, and civil authority; documents were to be dated by his years; he was to wear the royal purple and gold (the marks of sovereignty in the Hellenistic world). This was as close as Israel came to a constitutional monarchy between David and Herod.

Et scripturam istam dixerunt ponere in tabulis aereis

VERSE 48. ET SCRIPTURAM ISTAM DIXERUNT PONERE IN TABULIS AEREIS ET PONERE EAS IN PERIBOLO SANCTORUM. — And they gave orders to inscribe this on bronze tablets, to put them in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary, and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them. Lapide reflects on the use of bronze tablets for permanent public records: this was the standard practice in the ancient world for laws and treaties of lasting importance. The Roman Twelve Tables, the bronze tablets of the Hittites, the tablets of the covenant — all represent the same instinct to give divine sanction and permanence to constitutive documents by inscribing them on imperishable metal.