Judith — Chapter 12

Ne veniat super me offensio Graece

The Greek has \"skandalon\" (stumbling block). That is: lest, by eating the food of the Gentiles forbidden by the Law of the Jews, I offend God and acquire punishment and a stumbling block — that is, an obstacle — so that God may not through me accomplish what He has decreed to do for the common good.

Et petiit ut daretur ei copia

She requested this both to prepare and arm herself through prayer and fasting for the heroic courage needed for the great deed she had planned; and to receive from God the spirit, manner, and means of executing it; and finally, once the deed was accomplished, to be given free return to Bethulia, since the guards would think she was going out as usual to prayer.

Et baptizabat se abluebat manus

It was the custom of the Jews to wash hands, feet, and sometimes the whole body before prayer — both to approach God with a pure body and soul (for bodily purity reminded them of purity of soul), and to expiate any legal uncleanness they might have contracted by touching something impure. The spring near Bethulia is said still to exist in Adrichomus's day and to be visited by pilgrims.

Usque dum acciperet escam suam

Judith fasted from morning until evening, taking food in the evening, and after it going out at night to pray, spending the night in prayer. With these weapons she armed herself for her heroic work. St. Ambrose (De viduis): \"What shall I say of sobriety? Temperance is a virtue of women. While the men were drunk with wine and buried in sleep, the widow grasped the sword, extended her hand, cut off the warrior's head, passed through the middle of the enemy's ranks untouched. See how much intemperance can harm women, when wine so undoes men that they are conquered by a woman.\"

Dixit ad Vagao eunuchum suum

Vagao or \"Bagao\" is not so much a proper name (as Serarius holds) as a common Persian word meaning \"eunuch.\" Pagninus (Nomina Hebraica): \"Vagao means 'inner' or 'intimate' — i.e., eunuch or chamberlain.\" Eunuchs were the foremost at court among kings, their chamber attendants and confidants of their secrets, and the procurers of their mistresses' lecheries — bringing beautiful women to serve their pleasures, as Vagao does here. Pliny (lib. XIII, ch. 4) confirms: eunuchs among the Persians are called \"Bagou.\" Ovid (lib. II Amorum): \"He in whose care is the mistress Bagoas...\" Also Esther 2:3: Egeus (Vagao) was the king's eunuch, overseer of the harem. Curtius (lib. X) mentions Bagoas, the vile eunuch of Alexander the Great.

Foedum est enim apud Assyrios

See here the utterly corrupt and impure morals of the Assyrians and Persians, among whom lust was so esteemed as to range over all women, so that it was considered base to leave any woman unmolested. Ammianus Marcellinus (lib. XXIII, on the Persians): \"Most are accustomed to dissolve themselves extravagantly in Venus, barely content with a multitude of boy-slaves... hence among them love is scattered through various lusts and grows dull.\" Theodoret (Quest. XXIV in Lev.) says: \"The Persians to this very day mingle lawfully with not only sisters but also mothers and daughters.\" St. Jerome (lib. II Contra Jovin.) says the same of the Medes, Indians, and Ethiopians.

Quidquid autem illi placuerit hoc

Whatever pleases him (understand: if it be lawful and not forbidden by my God) this will be best for me — as if to say, if he wants me as a wife, I will not refuse a husband who I know to be so great a prince that from his marriage-bed I would be elevated to Duchess and Princess. [Judith gives hope of marriage to deceive him and kill him as the enemy of her people. Note: in Eastern fashion she responds with the most gracious and submissive words, intending only the invitation to dine with Holofernes. Such promises are not to be taken strictly and always contain a hidden sense and condition.]

Bibam Domine ex vino non tuo

I will drink, Lord — from wine not yours, but mine, which I brought from Bethulia for this purpose, lest I be defiled by the wine and food of the pagans. Hence it follows: \"she ate and drank before him from what her maid had prepared.\" She appears to have reclined at a separate table near Holofernes's table, so as to eat and drink before him; for it was not fitting for her to recline at the table of so great a prince. The Greek says her maidservant spread skins on the ground before Holofernes for her to recline on. She drank before Holofernes to remove all suspicion of enmity and hatred from him, to provoke him to drink more freely, and to draw spirit, courage, and strength from the wine for so arduous a deed — since she was fasting and weak from her fast.

Bibitque vinum multum nimis quantum

As much as he had never drunk in his whole life (Greek: \"from the day he was born\"). This was God's providence: that he, stupefied by wine, would not touch Judith, but she, remaining sober and chaste, would kill him. See how near to sorrow is joy, and how feasts and carousing end in funeral and death. Behold Holofernes fattened with delights, plunged in wine, exulting in the music of musicians, drunk with love — and soon beheaded by Judith and hurled to hell to digest his debauch in eternal flames. St. Ambrose (De Elia et jejunio): \"The powerful who hastened to give themselves to Holofernes drank wine in their drunkenness; but the woman Judith, fasting all the days of her widowhood except on feast-day solemnities, did not drink. Armed with these weapons she went forth and encompassed the whole Assyrian army. Sober by the vigor of her counsel she took off Holofernes's head, preserved her chastity, and won the victory.\"