Judith — Chapter 11

Tunc Holofernes dixit ei aequo

Holofernes noticed that Judith was afraid and trembling — both because a woman accustomed to solitude now stood among tens of thousands of armed men and enemies, and because the consciousness of so great a deed struck her mind with fear lest it not succeed, but be discovered and she incur mortal danger. Even though God animated her spirit to be intrepid, her flesh was weak, and this weakened the lower part of her mind. No wonder — since Christ Himself, about to face His Passion, said: \"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak\" (Matt 26:41). \"I never harmed a man\" — even less a woman. He lies: as noted in ch. 3, he destroyed the cities of those who offered themselves as his servants and cut down their groves.

Perfectam rem faciet Dominus tecum

That is, God will give a perfect victory — not to you, as you think, O Holofernes, but to me and the Jews over you. This is a military stratagem whereby Judith makes sport of Holofernes with ambiguous words and leads him into a snare of death. As the poet says: \"Stratagem or valor — who asks which in an enemy?\" So the Delphic Apollo tricked Pyrrhus when he consulted about victory over the Romans, saying: \"I say that you, O Aeacid, can conquer the Romans\" — which Pyrrhus misapplied to himself, though Apollo meant the Romans would conquer Pyrrhus, as they indeed did.

Vivit enim Nabuchodonosor rex terrae

Judith swears by the life and power of Nebuchadnezzar, as Joseph swore by the health of Pharaoh (Gen 42:15). \"And the beasts of the field (horses, camels, oxen, donkeys, sheep, etc.) obey him.\"

Indicatum est omni saeculo praesenti

The Greek: \"to the whole present age,\" i.e., the whole world. \"You alone are good (gracious and beneficent)\" — as Christ says of rulers (Luke 22:25): \"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called Benefactors.\" Hence \"Optimus\" (most excellent) was an epithet of Roman governors.

Ut mandaverit per prophetas suos

God sent Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Hosea, Jeremiah, and the other Prophets who rebuked Israel's idolatry and crimes, and threatened and foretold destruction through the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and other enemies.

Fames invasit eos quia ubi

For where one suffers from thirst, hunger follows; food cannot be moistened and swallowed by one burning with thirst.

Et bibant sanguinem eorum pro aqua

To quench their extreme thirst in place of water, which they lacked. But the eating and drinking of blood was forbidden to the Jews by God under penalty of death (Lev 17).

Et sancta Domini haec cogitaverunt

The holy things of the Lord — those consecrated and dedicated to God — they planned to spend on relieving their extreme thirst and hunger. \"Therefore since they do these things, it is certain they will be given over to destruction\" — certain, if you consider natural causes and the ordinary course of events: famine and thirst will force them to destruction. So too their sins, by which they have merited the wrath and vengeance of God, will do the same — unless some holy person mitigates God's wrath, as I hope to mitigate it by my prayers.

Misit me Dominus haec ipsa nuntiare

God had sent Judith to Holofernes so that by reporting these things she might win his favor, and having won it, kill him off guard through pious stratagem.

Et orabo Deum et dicet mihi

Many think Judith cannot here be excused from lying. But she may be excused in two ways. First: she speaks according to natural causes and the common course of nature, whereby the Jews, reduced to extremity and standing in the offense and anger of God, would necessarily perish unless God aided them in some supernatural or extraordinary way. Second: her words are ambiguous — what Holofernes attributed to himself, Judith attributed to herself and the Jews. \"I will pray to God and He will tell me when to render their sin to them\" (i.e., when the punishment for their sins is to fall — on the Assyrians); \"and coming, I will announce to you\" (not victory, as you think, but your own doom); \"and I will lead you through the midst of Jerusalem\" (conquered and headless, as I carry your severed head into Bethulia and thence throughout Judea in triumph); \"and all the people of Israel will be like sheep without a shepherd\" (when you are slain, the Bethulians will break forth without order, without shepherd or leader, to pursue the Assyrians and plunder their camp); \"and then not one dog will bark against you\" (for dogs do not bark at the dead — which is what you will be). St. Augustine: \"It was not fitting for the modest woman to lie; she said to those who did not understand it, and accomplished in deeds what she promised.\"

Quoniam haec mihi dicta sunt per

God directed and guided Judith so that she said and did all that she said and did. Therefore she did not lie: for God cannot lie.

Non est talis mulier super terram

St. Augustine (serm. 229): \"While she flatters the king with lofty speech and imaginary words, the warrior's spirit is dissolved in the love of arms; the innumerable forces of soldiers grow torpid in regal luxury; the pomp of a wedding is being prepared though no one weds; all are dissolved in drunkenness. It was not a delicate matron who fought, but the slumber you prepared for yourself was the attacker.\"

Si fecerit mihi hoc Deus tuus erit

That is: I will become a proselyte and a Jew, and will worship the true God of Israel. See how powerful and effective was Judith's peroration before Holofernes.