Judith — Chapter 13

Festinaverunt servi illius ad hospitia

They hurried away lest, staggering drunkenly before the people, they be mocked; they would instead digest their wine and debauch at home in bed. \"For all were exhausted by the wine\" (v. 2; Vatablus: \"weary from prolonged carousing\"). God's providence arranged this, so that all stupefied by wine would depart and fall asleep, lest anyone remain awake to hear what Judith was devising.

Dixitque Judith puellae suae ut

The maidservant was to stand outside the chamber and watch lest anyone approach too close to the bedchamber and hear what Judith was doing inside as she slew Holofernes. The Greek adds more fully: \"And Judith said to her maid to stand outside the bedchamber and observe his going out as every day. And she told Bagoas according to these words. And all went away from before their lord, and no one remained in the bedchamber from the least to the greatest.\"

Orans cum lacrymis erat enim

She was undertaking an unheard-of deed full of danger, surpassing the strength and courage of a woman; therefore weeping she begged strength and boldness from God, saying: \"Strengthen me, O Lord God.\" The Greek has more fully: \"Lord God of all power, look in this hour upon the works of my hands for the exaltation of Jerusalem; for now is the time to take up your inheritance.\"

Et pugionem ejus id est acinacem

The Greek reads \"akinakes\" — the short curved Persian sword, like the Turkish scimitars of today. This confirms that Holofernes was a Persian, as Cedrenus records.

Apprehendit comam capitis ejus

She grasped his hair so as to strike him more certainly and firmly, preventing any bodily movement or shifting in sleep from deflecting or weakening the blow; her left hand held the hair to keep the head immobile to receive the blow of her striking right hand. Xenophon (Cyropaedia I) and Herodotus (lib. I) confirm that Persians customarily wore their hair long; Herodotus calls them \"komiton\" (long-haired).

Et percussit bis in cervicem

She struck not with a thrust but with a cut (caesim), so as to sever the head of one lying and snoring deeply: straining with all her strength she drove the sword into Holofernes's neck, and with a second blow severed the head from the shoulders. The Greek says: \"And she struck his neck twice with her strength.\" Note St. Augustine (serm. 228) reads \"three times\" instead of \"twice.\" Similarly, Attila king of the Huns — who called himself \"the scourge of God,\" led 700,000 armed men into battle, and compelled Emperor Theodosius to pay tribute — was killed by God Who humbles the proud through a woman. So also Abimelech king/tyrant of the Shechemites was killed by a woman who crushed his brain with a piece of millstone (Judg 9:53).

Et post pusillum exivit quia

She rested a little to catch her breath: she had spent all her strength and energy in severing the thick neck of Holofernes; fear that the deed might be discovered had also cut off her breath, so she needed to sit and recover. At the same time she wiped off any blood that had clung to her clothing, and above all she offered the highest thanks to God for so happily slaying the enemy.

Quoniam sperabant id est timebant

Sperabant here means \"feared\" (the poet Vergil: \"and fear the gods mindful of right and wrong\"). \"They feared she was no longer coming\" — that she had been held captive by the Assyrians. Thus aroused by the unusual news of Judith's return, all ran together: both to see her of whom they had despaired, and to hear from her what she had done and what hope shone for the besieged who had been reduced to extremity.

Vivit autem ipse Dominus quoniam

The Lord lives — that is, I swear by the life of God. Judith swears she was guarded by His Angel from all the wantonness and lust of the Assyrians, for it seemed unbelievable to the Hebrews that a woman so beautiful could escape the hands of such impure men. Humanly speaking it was impossible; but for God and His Angels it was possible and easy. Judith knew her guardian Angel was present, either because she saw him in visible form, or because she continually heard his inspirations guiding and directing her at every hour. Serarius, Salianus, and others think this Angel was one of the principal ones, given the magnitude of the affair, in which the salvation of the whole people and Church of God was at stake. Some think it was St. Michael, protector of the Synagogue; others think it was St. Gabriel, whose name signifies \"strength of God\" and who presides over the heroic and courageous works of heroes and heroines (cf. Dan 10:20). Hence Gabriel was the messenger of the Incarnation (the supreme work of divine power) and guardian of the Blessed Virgin. Others assign this honor to St. Raphael, the guardian of travelers, health, and chastity (as in the Book of Tobit).

Confitemini illi omnes quoniam

Note here the modesty, gratitude, constancy, and piety of Judith, who ascribes the entire glory of her strength and victory not to herself but to God. The Hebrews customarily sang Psalm 117 (\"Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus...\") in thanksgiving for any notable benefit, as we sing \"Te Deum laudamus.\"

Porro Ozias princeps populi Israel

Blessed are you, daughter, by the Lord God Most High above all women on earth. This alludes to Gabriel's greeting of the Blessed Virgin: \"Hail, full of grace, blessed are you among women.\" For Judith was a shadow and type of the Blessed Virgin.

Quia hodie nomen tuum ita magnificavit

The Greek: \"your hope shall not depart from the mouth of men.\" \"Pro quibus non pepercisti animae tuae\" — you did not spare your life (offering and exposing it to evident danger of death) on account of the distress and tribulation of your nation (to free your homeland and fellow citizens from siege and destruction), but you came to the rescue of the ruin — preventing and averting it, lest the city and commonwealth of Israel collapse.

Videns autem Achior caput Holofernis

Anguished with fear at the sight of the bloody severed head of Holofernes, he fell on his face on the ground and his soul was troubled. The Greek: \"his spirit failed\" — he fainted from the shock of so unexpected a thing, struck with astonishment by various emotional movements flooding his heart: fear of imminent death (which had been specifically threatened to him) was fleeing; confidence was taking its place; sorrow was departing; joy was entering; distrust was yielding to wonder; and simultaneously with the contemplation of this prodigy, faith, hope, charity and the gifts of the Holy Spirit were expelling infidelity.