Judith — Chapter 3

Tunc miserunt legatos suos

Just so Alexander the Great wished to return to Babylon, says Curtius, because \"word came that legates from all parts of the world had flocked to Babylon awaiting his arrival — so completely had the terror of his name invaded the whole world, and every nation fawned upon him as their destined ruler.\"

Ut viventes serviamus Nabuchodonosor

Alexander the Great said, per Plutarch (De fortuna Alexandri II): \"Many are great in name only.\" These kings of Syria and Mesopotamia chose submission over destruction.

Tunc descendit de montibus Holofernes

Holofernes descended from the mountains of Syria — Casius, Lebanon, and Anti-Lebanon, between which Damascus lies — whose fertile plains he had occupied at harvest time (ch. 2, v. 17).

Excipientes eum cum coronis et lampadibus

A crown is the emblem of royalty; lit torches and fires were carried before rulers of old, as Tertullian (Apology) and Xiphilinus (Life of Nero) attest. Curtius (lib. V) describes Bagistanes, custodian of the Babylonian fortress and royal treasury, who went out to meet the victorious Alexander: \"he had covered the entire road with flowers and garlands, and placed silver altars on both sides laden not only with incense but with all manner of perfumes.\"

Et lucos eorum excidit

He cut down their groves along with their gods and idols, which after the custom of the pagans were worshipped in sacred groves that concealed their obscenities (cf. books of Kings).

Ut omnes deos exterminaret videlicet

See how far human pride ascends: man, forgetting he is earth and dust, wages war on God and divinity, wishing to be considered and worshipped as God — indeed as the sole God — and this because he had defeated Arphaxad. Darius says in Curtius (lib. IV): \"Human fragility involves an excess of forgetfulness in prosperity.\" So too was the pride of Lucifer (Isa 14:15), of Pharaoh (Ezek 29:3), and of the King of Tyre (Ezek 28) — all justly cast down. Pride is sheer madness: it makes man a Titan, not merely fighting giants but fighting God, daring to provoke Him to a duel, as if a dog challenged an elephant or a mouse a lion.

In terram Gabaa id est

Gabaa in Hebrew means hilly or mountainous terrain. The Greek reads: \"He came toward the plain of Esdraelon, near Dothaim which faces the great ridge of Judah, and pitched camp between Gabaa and Scythopolis.\" Serarius conjectures the text may read \"Dotheos\" rather than \"Idumeos.\" \"Serra\" (ridge), says Arias, is a tract continuously enclosed and divided like saw-teeth, i.e., mountain passes and defiles.