1 Maccabees — Chapter 9

Interea ut audivit Demetrius quia cecidit Nicanor

VERSE 1. INTEREA UT AUDIVIT DEMETRIUS QUIA CECIDIT NICANOR ET EXERCITUS EJUS IN PRAELIO APPOSUIT BACCHIDEM ET ALCIMUM RURSUM MITTERE. — When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he again sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah. Lapide explains the strategic response of Demetrius: the destruction of Nicanor's army had been a catastrophic Seleucid defeat, and Demetrius needed to reassert control of Judea. He sent Bacchides — one of his most capable generals — with a much larger force than before.

Et viderunt multitudinem exercitus quia multi sunt

VERSE 6. ET VIDERUNT MULTITUDINEM EXERCITUS QUIA MULTI SUNT ET TIMUERUNT VALDE ET MULTI SUBTRAXERUNT SE DE CASTRIS. — When they saw the huge army, they were greatly frightened; and many slipped away from the camp, until only eight hundred remained. Lapide notes with sorrow the desertion of most of Judas's army in the face of overwhelming odds. He attributes this to a combination of natural fear, the weakness of human nature, and specifically the bad conscience of soldiers who had been engaged in looting and other crimes — sin makes men cowardly. He quotes the principle: \"Sequitur superbos ultor a tergo Deus\" (God the avenger follows the proud from behind).

Et vidit Judas quod defluxit exercitus suus

VERSE 7. ET VIDIT JUDAS QUOD DEFLUXIT EXERCITUS SUUS ET BELLUM PERURGEBAT EUM ET CONFRACTUS EST CORDE. — When Judas saw that his army had melted away and that the battle was closing in on him, he was deeply grieved because he had no time to gather them. Lapide comments on Judas's interior state: \"confractus est corde\" (his heart was broken). He argues this was not a failure of faith but a natural human response to an impossible situation, comparable to Christ's agony in Gethsemane (\"He began to be very sorrowful and troubled,\" Matthew 26:37). The comparison of Judas to Christ (as a type of Christ) is one of Lapide's most frequent allegorical moves.

Et ait Judas absit istam rem facere ut fugiamus

VERSE 10. ET AIT JUDAS ABSIT ISTAM REM FACERE UT FUGIAMUS AB EIS; ET SI APPROPIAVIT TEMPUS NOSTRUM MORIAMUR IN VIRTUTE. — Judas said: \"Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brothers, and leave no cause to question our honor.\" Lapide quotes St. Ambrose (De Officiis I.41) at length on Judas's decision to fight rather than flee: \"Judas, when those who wished to surrender urged him not to be overwhelmed by numbers, persuaded them that a glorious death was better than a shameful flight: 'Let us not leave a blemish on our glory.'\" Lapide then provides an extended collection of parallel examples from ancient history of heroic leaders who chose death over flight: Leonidas at Thermopylae, Codrus of Athens, Epaminondas at Leuktra, and others.

Et cecidit Judas et ceteri fugerunt

VERSE 18. ET CECIDIT JUDAS ET CETERI FUGERUNT. — And Judas fell, and the rest fled. Lapide meditates at length on Judas's death — one of the most discussed passages in his whole commentary on 1 Maccabees. He poses the question: how could this invincible champion of God be defeated? He gives seven reasons, including: the desertion of his troops; human frailty even in the best warriors; the danger inherent in battle; Judas's own decision not to flee even when flight would have been prudent; God's desire to humble him lest he become proud; the lesson that all earthly things are vain; and God's will to transfer him to eternal glory. He draws consoling parallels: the martyrdom of Sts. Peter and Paul by Nero, the death of Bl. Jordan of the Order of Preachers at sea.

Et cetera verba bellorum Judae et virtutum

VERSE 22. ET CETERA VERBA BELLORUM JUDAE ET VIRTUTUM QUAS FECIT ET MAGNITUDINIS EJUS NON SUNT DESCRIPTA. — The rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars and the brave deeds that he did, and his greatness, have not been recorded, for they were very many. Lapide uses this passage to reflect on the incompleteness of all human records of heroic deeds — the greatest deeds are often unrecorded. He praises Judas as an incomparable warrior who, in six years of leadership, accomplished more than most rulers in fifty years. He quotes Peter of Natalis (Catalogue of Saints) who lists Judas Maccabeus among the saints.

Et facta est tribulatio magna in Israel

VERSE 27. ET FACTA EST TRIBULATIO MAGNA IN ISRAEL QUALIS NON FUIT EX DIE QUA NON EST VISUS PROPHETA IN ISRAEL. — Then there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them. Lapide draws attention to the remarkable phrase \"since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.\" This is a clear acknowledgment within 1 Maccabees of the post-prophetic period — the era after Malachi when the Spirit of prophecy fell silent. This silence was both a punishment for sin and a preparation for the coming of the Messiah, in whose time prophecy would be restored.

Et suscepit Jonathas in tempore illo principatum

VERSE 31. ET SUSCEPIT JONATHAS IN TEMPORE ILLO PRINCIPATUM ET SURREXIT LOCO JUDAE FRATRIS SUI. — Jonathan took command at that time and assumed the place of his brother Judas. Lapide discusses Jonathan's accession to both the political and priestly leadership of Israel. Jonathan held the high priesthood and leadership for nineteen years (152-143 BC Seleucid era), making him the longest-ruling of the Maccabean brothers. His primary achievement was the revival of the Maccabean cause after the disaster of Judas's death and the consolidation of the priestly-political dual role that would characterize the Hasmonean dynasty.

Et anno centesimo quinquagesimo tertio mense secundo

VERSE 54. ET ANNO CENTESIMO QUINQUAGESIMO TERTIO MENSE SECUNDO PRAECEPIT ALCIMUS DESTRUI MUROS DOMUS SANCTAE INTERIORIS. — In the year 153 (Seleucid era), in the second month, Alcimus gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary. Lapide explains what this wall was: the dividing wall between the court of the priests and the court of the laity (the \"soreg\"), erected to keep Gentiles and Israelites in their proper places. By ordering its destruction, Alcimus was attempting to abolish the distinction between the sacred and the profane, the consecrated and the common.

In tempore illo percussus est Alcimus

VERSE 55. IN TEMPORE ILLO PERCUSSUS EST ALCIMUS ET IMPEDITA SUNT OPERA ILLIUS. — At that time Alcimus was stricken, and his work was hindered; his mouth was stopped and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer say a word or give commands concerning his house. Lapide sees the immediate divine punishment of Alcimus as a vindication of the divine law governing the Temple. He who had ordered the destruction of the sacred wall was himself struck dumb and paralyzed at the very moment of his sacrilege. Lapide quotes: \"Sequitur superbos ultor a tergo Deus\" (God the avenger follows the proud from behind), and compares this to the punishment of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:23) and of Julian the Apostate.