2 Maccabees — Chapter 8

Judas vero Machabaeus

But Judas Maccabeus and they that were with him, went privately into the towns, and called together their kinsmen, and taking unto them such as continued in the Jewish religion, assembled about six thousand men. With this verse the narrative transitions from the passive fortitude of the Maccabean martyrs to the active fortitude of the Maccabean warriors. Judas with these few forces overthrew the greatest armies of Antiochus Epiphanes: first, because these were men fighting like the desperate, contending for their hearths and altars; second, because they entered battle with great hope in God and invoking him — therefore God added courage and strength to them while taking it from their enemies.

Et vocem sanguinis ad se

And he would hear the voice of the blood of innocent Jews slain by Antiochus, crying to him as a mute voice, like Abel's cry against the fratricide Cain. The blood of the martyred innocents cries to God for justice, as Abel's blood cried from the ground (Genesis 4:10). This is not a cry of vengeance for its own sake, but an appeal to the justice of God who has promised to avenge the innocent.

At Machabaeus congregata multitudine

But Maccabeus, having gathered a multitude, became insupportable to the heathens; for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy. The Greek ἀνυπόστατος = \"one whose arms and strength no one could withstand.\" The wrath of God, which had been chastising the Jews for their sins through Antiochus, was now converted into mercy — so that through Judas he made those formerly vanquished victorious over Antiochus. This is what the last Maccabean martyr prophesied in chapter 7:38: \"In me and in my brethren the wrath of the Almighty will cease.\" The heroic patience of the martyrs had expiated the sins of the Jewish people and converted God's wrath into grace.

Et superveniens castellis

Charging upon the towns and cities unawares, he set fire to them, and took possession of advantageous places, and put to flight no small number of enemies. This is the strategic principle of great commanders: to fall upon the enemy unprepared and unexpectedly — especially by night upon those unarmed and buried in sleep — and cut them down. Hannibal employed this against the Romans, and the Romans against Hannibal, as Livy, Justin, Plutarch, and others attest.

Videns autem Philippus paulatim

But Philip, seeing that the man was advancing by degrees and prospering more frequently, wrote to Ptolemy the governor of Celosyria and Phenicia to bring aids to the king's affairs. This is the same Philip who had been appointed governor of Jerusalem by Antiochus (chapter 5:22), now growing afraid as Judas prospered daily in victories, courage, and forces.

At ille velociter misit

He quickly sent Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of his chief friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under arms. Later, many more were added, as appears from 1 Maccabees 3:38 and 42. Nicanor's force was more than sufficient to crush what he imagined to be a negligible Jewish uprising.

Constituit autem Nicanor

Nicanor purposed to make up the two thousand talents which were due to the Romans, out of the captivity of the Jews. Seleucus had been defeated by Scipio Asiaticus and forced to pay tribute to Rome; the total due was two thousand talents. Nicanor, elated by his large forces, determined to raise this sum from the sale of Jewish captives — treating the Jews as merchandise before he had even fought them.

Promittens se nonaginta

Promising to sell ninety Jews for one talent of silver. That is, 500 gold pieces — so each slave would cost only five and a half gold pieces, whereas Hyrcanus had earlier sold one young man for one talent (Josephus XII, iv). This contemptuous undervaluation of the Jews stung them and drove them to Judas's camp to fight to the death. So Nicanor acted imprudently in provoking the Jews, making them fight as if desperate — thus his own defeat.

Non credentes Dei justitiae

Not believing in the justice of God — not believing that God would be patron and avenger of the just and innocent cause of the Jews, and would overthrow the unjust Nicanor through them.

Alii vero si quid

But others sold all that they had remaining, and withal besought the Lord that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor. They sold whatever they had, used the proceeds to buy arms and provisions, and proceeded to Judas's camp to fight bravely unto death for country and faith.

Et si non propter eos

And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant and the oath which had been made with their fathers. They besought the Lord not for their own merits but for those of the Fathers — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob — with whom God had made a covenant promising to be their God, guardian, and protector.

Convocatis autem Machabaeus

Maccabeus called together seven thousand — in the Greek, six thousand, as in verses 1 and 22; the seventh thousand was led by Judas himself, while his four brothers commanded the remaining six thousand (fifteen hundred each — Salianus). He urged them never to make peace with the enemy but to wage irreconcilable and implacable war — such as Hannibal waged against the Romans, being bound by oath from boyhood.

Et de proelio quod eis

And of the battle that was fought in Babylonia against the Galatians, when eight thousand in all fought with four thousand Macedonians, and whereas the Macedonians were put to hard straits, the eight thousand destroyed a hundred and twenty thousand, by the help given them from heaven. This battle seems to have occurred under Antiochus I (Soter, son of Seleucus I), who repelled the Galatians invading Asia with the aid of the Jews; for which both he and his son Antiochus named \"the god\" conferred the greatest honours and privileges on the Jews (Josephus XII, ii; Justin XXIV–XXV; Plutarch, Life of Demetrius). Thus Serarius, Mariana, and others.

Constituit itaque fratres suos

He therefore appointed his brothers, each one over a separate company: Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan. The Greek adds that Eleazar, the fourth brother, was also appointed a commander with fifteen hundred soldiers, giving each of the four brothers fifteen hundred men out of the total six thousand.

Ad hoc etiam ab Esdra

Besides this, Esdras the priest reading to them all the holy book, and giving the watchword of divine aid, Maccabeus led the first company. This Esdras was not the famous scribe but a later priest or doctor of the law, who read from Deuteronomy 28:7 (where God promises triumph to those who duly worship him) to strengthen the soldiers' courage and hope of victory. The watchword given was \"God is the helper\" — the cause of all their victories, that Judas placed his hope not in his own but in God's strength.

Debilibus et orphanis et viduis

They gave part of the spoils to the maimed, the orphans and widows; and the rest they divided among themselves and their servants. Note the charity and liberality of Judas and his soldiers: in thanksgiving for the victory, they distributed spoils among the needy, and therefore obtained new victories from God who is more grateful to the grateful and more generous to the generous (at verse 30 they slew twenty thousand more of Timothy's forces). Let preachers hold up this example to Christian armies, that imitating it they may deserve similar divine blessings and victories. Even the Turks, when they obtain a notable victory, customarily build a hospital to feed the poor in thanksgiving.

Et communiter ab omnibus

And when they had done this, and had made common prayer, they besought the merciful Lord that he would be wholly reconciled to his servants. Let our soldiers imitate this common litany. They prayed that God, hitherto offended by the sins of the Jews and therefore chastising them through Antiochus, might be appeased by their common prayers and remove the scourge, liberating them fully from every enemy attack.

Et Philarchem qui cum

They slew also Philarches, who was with Timothy. Philarches (φυλάρχης) is not a proper name but a title of office: = tribune or prefect of a troop/cohort. Thus Salianus.

Et cum epinicia agerent

And they celebrated a public festival of victory at Jerusalem. At the same time, as a sign of triumph, they burned with fire the sacrilegious Callisthenes who had burned the temple gates, when he sought refuge in a house — a just penalty of retaliation.

Praedicabat nunc protectorem

He who had promised to raise tribute for the Romans by the captivity of the Jerusalemites, now published that the Jews had God as their protector, and therefore were invulnerable, because they followed the laws established by God. A great testimony from an enemy. Learn here, O Christian, that in any temptation, persecution, conflict, or tribulation, you will be invulnerable and unconquered if you keep the laws of God. For God will be your protector — either freeing you from the trial, or through patience and magnanimity enabling you to bear it bravely, so as to prepare for you who fight and conquer a greater crown in heaven.