Judith — Chapter 15

Fugit mens et consilium ab eis

Both because they saw their commander Holofernes beheaded, and because God took away their understanding and counsel, rendering them as if bereft of reason and not knowing what to do. Had they kept their wits, they would have chosen another commander to force the few citizens of Bethulia to surrender. But God sent them a panic terror: with their leader slain, they thought themselves equally about to be slain by the Hebrews. So they rushed headlong into flight, and fleeing were slain by the few pursuing and trumpeting Hebrews — just as 100,000 Midianites were slain by Gideon's 300 soldiers (Judg 7).

Debilitabant omnes hos occidendo

They weakened all — killing some, wounding others, mutilating others, etc. The Hebrew \"chalash\" covers all these meanings.

Onustati id est onerati spoliis

Some prefer to read \"honestati\" (enriched), as the Greek has: \"honestare\" in Scripture often means to enrich.

Joacim autem summus pontifex de

Joacim the High Priest came from Jerusalem with all his elders (the Greek says \"with the Jerusalem senate\" — perhaps the Sanhedrin council of seventy distinguished senators, which was the supreme council) to see Judith and bless her and congratulate her on so great a victory.

Que cum exisset ad illum benedixerunt

You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you are the honor of our people — the Greek says: \"You are the exaltation of Israel, you are the great exultation of Israel, you are the great glory of our race.\" Allegorically, Judith was a type of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the exultation, ornament, and glory not merely of Jerusalem but of the whole world; not merely of Israel but of all nations; not only of the Synagogue but of the universal Church. St. Gregory Nazianzen (in Christus Patiens): \"Queen, Lady, good of the human race, be always friendly to mortals, and in every place be my greatest salvation.\"

Quia fecisti viriliter et confortatum

Chastity was the cause of Judith's strength, for three reasons: (1) Chastity strengthens body and soul — the ancient Olympic athletes kept themselves completely chaste to bring their full strength to the arena (1 Cor 9:24); (2) God is accustomed to give this reward of strength to the chaste, as He did absolutely to Judith — for God, who is purest Spirit, singularly loves purity and chastity and destines the pure and chaste for great things; (3) it was fitting that the lustful Holofernes be overcome by chaste Judith, so that chastity might triumph over lust. Prudentius in Psychomachia depicts Chastity battling Lust through Judith triumphing over Holofernes. Note the extraordinary chastity of Judith: a youthful widow, wealthy, childless, beautiful, honored and glorified for her great victory, coveted as a bride by all leaders and princes — yet she despised all this, remaining celibate until death; and thus she triumphed more nobly and gloriously over flesh and world than over Holofernes. St. Ambrose (De Viduis): \"Nor yet exalted by these successes, though she could rightly rejoice and exult, she left not the office of widowhood in the right of a victor; but despising all who sought her in marriage, she laid aside the garment of joy, resumed that of widowhood.\"

Et omnes populi gaudebant cum mulieribus

The Greek adds more fully: \"All the women of Israel ran to see her and blessed her, and formed a chorus for her; and she took branches in her hands and distributed them to the women with her; and they crowned themselves with olive, she and those with her. And she led all the people in dance, leading all the women, and all the men of Israel followed armed, crowned and with hymns on their lips.\" Judith's solemn triumph procession was given and renewed annually with a great company of men and women, as chapter 16 verse 27 shows. Note that among the Jews, thyrsi (branches of palm, citron, etc.) were carried at the Feast of Tabernacles; the Gentiles dedicated thyrsi to Bacchus. It aptly fits Judith who drew Holofernes's sword against himself and slew him drunk like a Bacchant, thereby triumphing over drunkenness and drunkards.