Judith — Chapter 7

Centum viginti millia peditum equites

The Greek has 170,000 foot soldiers; the cavalry increased from the 12,000 of ch. 2 v. 7 to 22,000 — ten thousand additional horsemen being auxiliary forces. Nebuchadnezzar was planning to follow himself with the full strength of his army, as the Greek of ch. 2 attests.

A loco qui dicitur Belma

Belma is a city at the foot of the mountain on which Bethulia is situated, called Abellina by Brocard. Chelmon (or Cyamon in the Greek) is a city near Dothaim; at both places Holofernes pitched camp and drew up his forces for battle and siege, according to the Greek.

Quod fons qui influebat aquaeductum

That is, the aqueduct carried water into the city through a channel; thus by cutting the aqueduct Holofernes diverted the water from the city. Serarius suspects the text may read \"irrigaret\" (would irrigate) rather than \"dirigeret\" (would direct), but \"dirigeret\" suits the passage well enough: a spring directs and transmits its water into a city through a channel. Mystically (Rabanus): \"The devil cuts the aqueduct when he causes studies of learning to be interrupted.\" He also cuts the aqueduct when he turns us away from prayer, since through prayer as a channel all of God's grace flows into us; once that channel is severed the devil overcomes and captures us.

Filii Ammon et Moab accesserunt

The Greek reads \"princes of the Idumeans and Moabites.\" The Idumeans, when attacking the Jews, pretended to be Ammonites (see ch. 5, v. 3). They advised Holofernes to seize the springs so as to destroy the Jews with thirst.

Defecerunt cisternae et collectiones

The Greek adds: \"And the children were dismayed, and the young men failed for thirst, and fell in the streets of the city and in the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.\" Nothing more terrible befalls the besieged than thirst, which torments far more acutely than hunger; therefore commanders besieging a city divert its waters to compel its citizens with thirst and force surrender (cf. Lam 4). The story of Lysimachus king of Macedon is notable: parched with thirst in Thrace, he surrendered himself and his camp to the enemy, but having drunk, exclaimed: \"O gods! for so small a pleasure I have made myself a slave instead of a king!\"

Tunc ad Oziam congregati viri

The people, exhausted by thirst, demanded with loud voices that Ozias surrender Bethulia to Holofernes. Nothing is more atrocious for the besieged than thirst, far more acute than hunger. Let the greedy take note: for the sake of a moment's pleasure they make themselves slaves of the infernal Holofernes (the devil), who will torment them in hell with thirst, so that they cry out with the rich glutton: \"Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame\" (Luke 16).

Factus est fletus et ululatus

The Greek reads \"in the proseucha\" (prayer-house), i.e., the synagogue which was the place of prayer.