Judith — Chapter 5

Filii Israel praepararent se ad

The Greek adds: \"And they placed snares in the plains\" — hidden ditches, caltrops, and sharp stakes into which the Assyrians might unwarily fall or stumble.

Et dixit eis dicite mihi quis

This question of Holofernes further proves the events occurred not under Manasseh but under Xerxes. For under Manasseh and from Manasseh and the leading men of Judea, the Babylonians and Assyrians had fully learned who and what the Jewish people were. Those who hold this occurred under Manasseh say Holofernes's questions were those not of one ignorant but of one astonished and indignant, contemning the Jews as insignificant. [Note added: These questions need not be those of one who knows nothing at all, but of a commander who wishes to know more exactly how the Hebrews dare to resist him with all his forces.]

Et quare prae omnibus qui habitant

The Greek reads \"in the West\" rather than \"in the East.\"

Tunc Achior dux omnium filiorum

Serarius includes the Idumeans among the sons of Ammon. For the Idumeans, being brothers of the Jews (Jacob, parent of the Jews, was the brother of Esau/Edom, parent of the Idumeans), when they wished to attack their brothers they called themselves Ammonites rather than Idumeans, lest they be openly blamed for attacking their own kin. Hence 2 Chr 20:1 speaks of \"sons of Moab and sons of Ammon, and with them Ammonites\" — distinguishing Ammonites from sons of Ammon. One traditional text says: \"He wishes Ammonites to be understood as Idumeans who, out of reverence for the ancestral name, would not move arms against Israel in their own guise but disguised themselves as Ammonites.\"

Populus iste ex progenie Chaldeorum

Because God led Abraham, the father of the Hebrews, out of the city of Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen 11:31).

Descenderunt in Aegyptum illicque per

Count these 400 years from the departure of Abraham from Chaldea and Haran; for otherwise the Hebrews dwelt in Egypt only 215 years, as this commentator demonstrated in Exod 12:40.

Aquis coopertus est Pharao

Pharaoh and all his men were covered by the waters. Achior recounts the miracles by which God led the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan, all of which this commentator explained in Exodus.

Et non fuit qui insultaret populo

Learn here to serve God: for so God will make you unconquerable and superior to all enemies. Otherwise He will permit you to be subdued and trampled by anyone. Let cities and kingdoms, and their kings and princes, learn the same. St. Jerome (epist. 13): \"By our sins the barbarians grow strong; by our vices the Roman army is put to flight.\" St. Ambrose (serm. 88): \"A city suffers ruin only because of the sins of its citizens. Cease sinning, and the city will not perish.\" For sinning nations the vengeance and ruin of God is to be feared; for those that do not sin, security and happiness may be hoped for.

Nam et ante hos annos cum

They were led into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar into Babylon — that most famous, universal, and proper captivity of the Jews from which they returned under Cyrus. This was unlike the captivity of Manasseh, which was not universal. The other captivity of the ten tribes under Ezechias by Salmanasar was likewise not universal (being of only ten, not all twelve tribes) and was permanent, since the Israelites never returned from it. The Greek adds: \"And the temple of their God was made a pavement\" — razed to the ground, since burned by the Chaldeans. This shows these events occurred after the destruction of Jerusalem.

Non poterimus resistere eis quoniam

If God be for us, who is against us? (Rom 8:31). These words enraged Holofernes against Achior, leading him to condemn Achior to death, since Holofernes recognized no god except Nebuchadnezzar.

Ut sciat omnis gens quoniam

God of the earth — of the earth, rightly, because his power extends no higher than the earth, and he has no authority over heaven. How falsely, then, does he claim to be God. God rules both heaven and earth. Why, then, O earthworm, do you provoke God to a duel in your pride and madness, seeking to strip Him of His divinity? Wisely says Tertullian (Apology 13): \"Be religious toward God if you wish Him favorable to the Emperor. Stop believing in or worshipping another god, and thus stop calling this one God who has need of a god.\"