Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Demetrius and Alexander, cousin-kings, contending with each other over the kingdom of Asia, court Jonathan's friendship with great promises; but Alexander obtains it, who confirms Jonathan's Pontificate and adds the purple robe and golden crown. Then, verse 48, Alexander, aided by Jonathan, fighting with Demetrius, overcomes and kills him, and then takes as wife Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt, and at the wedding honors Jonathan and creates him leader of his principate. Finally, verse 67, Demetrius the son of the slain Demetrius sends Apollonius with an army, whom Jonathan routs, and therefore receives from Alexander the gift of the city of Ekron and a golden buckle.
Vulgate Text: 1 Maccabees 10:1-89
1. And in the one hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander the son of Antiochus, who was surnamed the Noble, went up and took Ptolemais; and they received him, and he reigned there. 2. And king Demetrius heard of it, and gathered a very large army, and went out to meet him in battle. 3. And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with peaceful words, to magnify him. 4. For he said: Let us be first to make peace with him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us: 5. for he will remember all the evils that we have done to him and to his brother and to his nation. 6. And he gave him authority to gather an army, and to manufacture weapons, and to be his ally: and he ordered that the hostages who were in the citadel be handed over to him. 7. And Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letters in the hearing of all the people and of those who were in the citadel. 8. And they feared greatly, because they heard that the king had given him authority to gather an army. 9. And the hostages were handed over to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents: 10. and Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build and renew the city. 11. And he told the workers to build up the walls and Mount Sion around about with squared stones for fortification: and so they did. 12. And the foreigners who were in the fortresses that Bacchides had built fled, 13. and each left his place and went back to his own land: 14. only in Beth-zur did some remain of those who had forsaken the law and precepts of God; for this was their place of refuge. 15. And king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made to Jonathan: and they told him of the battles and brave deeds which he and his brothers had performed, and the hardships they had endured. 16. And he said: Shall we find another man like him? Let us now make him our friend and ally. 17. And he wrote a letter and sent it to him with these words, saying: 18. King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greeting. 19. We have heard of you, that you are a man mighty in strength, and fit to be our friend: 20. and now we have appointed you today high priest of your nation; and you shall be called the King's Friend (and he sent him a purple robe and a golden crown), and you shall take our side and keep friendship with us. 21. And Jonathan put on the holy vestment in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year, on the solemn feast of Tabernacles: and he gathered an army and made abundant weapons. 22. And Demetrius heard these things, and was exceedingly grieved, and said: 23. What have we done, that Alexander has gotten ahead of us in securing the friendship of the Jews for his own defense? 24. I too will write them words of entreaty and offer dignities and gifts, that they may be with me in support. 25. And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting. 26. Since you have kept the pact with us, and remained in our friendship, and have not gone over to our enemies, we have heard, and we are glad. 27. And now continue still to keep faith with us, and we will reward you with good things for what you have done with us: 28. and we will remit many exactions to you and give you gifts. 29. And now I release you and all the Jews from tributes, and I remit the price of salt, and I waive the crowns and the third of the seed: 30. and the half of the fruit of the trees, which is my share, I leave to you from this day forward, so that nothing be taken from the land of Judah and from the three cities added to it from Samaria and Galilee, from this day and for all time; 31. and let Jerusalem be holy and free with its territories: and its tithes and tributes shall be its own. 32. I also remit authority over the citadel in Jerusalem; and I give it to the high priest, that he may station in it whatever men he himself chooses to guard it. 33. And every Jew who is a captive from the land of Judah in all my kingdom, I set free without payment, so that all may be released from tributes, even those on their cattle. 34. And all solemn days, and sabbaths, and new moons, and appointed days, and three days before a solemn day, and three days after a solemn day, shall all be days of immunity and release for all Jews who are in my kingdom: 35. and no one shall have the power to do anything or bring any proceedings against any of them in any cause. 36. And let there be enrolled from the Jews in the king's army up to thirty thousand men: and they shall receive pay as is due to all the king's forces, and some of them shall be stationed in the fortresses of the great king: 37. and some of them shall be placed over the affairs of the kingdom that are conducted in trust, and let their leaders be from among them, and let them follow their own laws, as the king has ordained in the land of Judah. 38. And the three cities that have been added to Judea from the region of Samaria shall be reckoned with Judea: that they may be under one authority, and obey no other power except that of the high priest. 39. Ptolemais and its territory, which I have given as a gift for the holy things in Jerusalem, for the necessary expenses of the sanctuary. 40. And I give fifteen thousand shekels of silver yearly from the king's revenues, which are my due; 41. and all the surplus that the officials in previous years had not paid, from this time they shall give for the works of the temple. 42. And besides this, the five thousand shekels of silver which they used to receive from the sanctuary revenue each year: this also shall belong to the priests who perform the ministry. 43. And whoever shall take refuge in the temple in Jerusalem, or in any of its precincts, being liable to the king in any matter, let them go free, and let all their possessions in my kingdom be held free. 44. And for building or restoring the works of the sanctuary, expenses shall be given from the king's revenue, 45. and for building the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, expenses shall be given from the king's revenue, and for building walls in Judea. 46. But when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they did not believe or accept them: because they remembered the great malice he had done in Israel, and how greatly he had afflicted them. 47. And they were pleased with Alexander, because he had been the first to offer them words of peace, and they bore him aid at all times. 48. And king Alexander gathered a great army and moved his camp against Demetrius. 49. And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled, and Alexander pursued him and pressed upon them. 50. And the battle grew very fierce until the sun went down: and Demetrius fell on that day. 51. And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy king of Egypt with these words, saying: 52. Since I have returned to my kingdom and sit on the throne of my fathers, and have obtained the dominion and crushed Demetrius and gained possession of our country, 53. and I engaged him in battle, and he and his camp were crushed by us, and we sit on the throne of his kingdom; 54. now therefore let us establish friendship with each other, and give me your daughter as wife; and I will be your son-in-law, and will give gifts to you and to her worthy of you. 55. And king Ptolemy answered, saying: Happy is the day on which you returned to the land of your fathers and sat on the throne of their kingdom. 56. And now I will do for you what you have written; but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see each other, and I will betroth her to you as you have said. 57. And Ptolemy went out of Egypt, he and his daughter Cleopatra, and came to Ptolemais in the one hundred and sixty-second year. 58. And king Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter Cleopatra: and he celebrated her wedding at Ptolemais, as kings do, with great splendor. 59. And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him. 60. And he went with great pomp to Ptolemais and met the two kings there, and gave them much silver and gold and gifts: and he found favor in their sight. 61. And certain pestilent men of Israel, wicked men, came together against him to accuse him: but the king paid no attention to them. 62. And he ordered Jonathan to be stripped of his garments and clothed in purple, and so they did. And the king seated him beside himself, 63. and said to his princes: Go out with him into the midst of the city and proclaim that no one shall bring any complaint against him about any matter, and no one shall trouble him for any reason. 64. And it came to pass that when his accusers saw his glory as it was proclaimed and him clothed in purple, they all fled: 65. and the king magnified him and enrolled him among his chief friends, and made him a commander and a partner in the government. 66. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and joy. 67. In the one hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius the son of Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his fathers. 68. And king Alexander heard of it and was greatly troubled, and returned to Antioch. 69. And king Demetrius appointed Apollonius as commander, who governed Coele-Syria: and he gathered a great army, and came to Jamnia; and he sent to Jonathan the high priest, 70. saying: You alone resist us; I have been made a laughingstock and a reproach because you exercise power against us in the mountains. 71. Now therefore, if you trust in your forces, come down to us in the plain, and let us match ourselves there: for the power of war is with me. 72. Inquire and learn who I am, and the rest who help me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, for your fathers were twice put to flight in their own land: 73. and now how will you be able to withstand cavalry and so great an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to flee? 74. And when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was stirred in spirit: and he chose ten thousand men and went out from Jerusalem, and his brother Simon met him to help him: 75. and they encamped at Joppa, and it shut him out of the city (because Apollonius had a garrison at Joppa) and he attacked it. 76. And those who were in the city, terrified, opened the gates to him, and Jonathan took Joppa. 77. And Apollonius heard of it, and moved up three thousand cavalry and a large army. 78. And he went to Azotus as though making a journey, and immediately went out into the plain, because he had a multitude of cavalry and trusted in them. And Jonathan pursued him to Azotus, and they joined battle. 79. And Apollonius had left a thousand cavalry secretly behind them in the camp. 80. And Jonathan learned that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his camp and hurled javelins at the people from morning until evening. 81. But the people stood firm, as Jonathan had commanded: and the horses of the enemy grew weary. 82. And Simon drew out his army and engaged the legion: for the cavalry were exhausted; and they were crushed by him and fled. 83. And those who were scattered through the plain fled to Azotus and entered Beth-dagon, their idol's temple, to save themselves there. 84. And Jonathan set fire to Azotus and the cities around it and took their spoils, and the temple of Dagon: and all who had fled into it he burned with fire. 85. And those who fell by the sword, together with those who were burned, were about eight thousand men. 86. And Jonathan moved his camp from there and pitched it at Ashkelon: and the people of the city came out to meet him with great honor. 87. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with his men carrying much spoil. 88. And it came to pass that when king Alexander heard these things, he continued to glorify Jonathan. 89. And he sent him a golden buckle, as it is customary to give to the kinsmen of kings; and he gave him Ekron and all its territory as a possession.
Verse 1: In the Year 160, Alexander the Son of Antiochus Went Up
1. AND IN THE YEAR 160, ALEXANDER THE SON OF ANTIOCHUS WENT UP, WHO WAS SURNAMED (Epiphanes, that is, Illustrious, or) NOBLE, AND OCCUPIED PTOLEMAIS. This Alexander, surnamed Balas or Veles (as the Valois family is now the royal family in France), was the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and therefore the brother of Antiochus Eupator who was killed by Demetrius; therefore, to avenge his brother's death and recover his kingdom, he occupied Ptolemais, a city of Phoenicia, which is now called Acre. 'Hence Justin, XXXV, Appian, Florus, Sulpitius, and Genebrardus err, who write that this Alexander came from a plebeian family and inserted himself into the lineage of Antiochus through lies and fraud, just as at this same time the pseudo-Philip inserted himself into the lineage of the kings of Macedon, and therefore stirred up the third Macedonian war against the Romans, in which he was both defeated and slain, as L. Florus and others attest. Unless you say that he was indeed a son of Antiochus Epiphanes, but an illegitimate one born of the concubine Bala, and therefore surnamed Balas, as Salianus teaches from Eusebius and Appian. More greatly err Lyra, the Carthusian, and Adrichomius, who make this Alexander a son of Antiochus Eupator, when he was his brother, and actually a son of Antiochus Epiphanes, especially since Eupator was killed at the age of twelve, at which he could hardly have begotten a child.
AND THEY RECEIVED HIM, meaning: The inhabitants and neighbors of Ptolemais, detesting Demetrius on account of his pride, luxury, and sloth, accepted and crowned Alexander, his cousin, as king.
Verse 6: And He Gave Him Authority To Gather An Army
6. AND HE GAVE HIM AUTHORITY TO GATHER AN ARMY, so that he might join it with his own forces, and with them combined defeat Alexander.
Verse 8: And They Feared With Great Fear
8. AND THEY FEARED WITH GREAT FEAR, meaning: The Demetrian soldiers, occupying the citadel of Sion, feared Jonathan, lest by order of Demetrius he raise an army and attack the citadel; however, they did not flee from the citadel, as some think from verse 12, but held it: for afterward Jonathan besieged it, as we shall hear in ch. xi, verse 20.
Verse 10: And Jonathan Dwelt In Jerusalem
10. AND JONATHAN DWELT IN JERUSALEM, both because he was the high priest and had to exercise the Pontificate in the temple, and therefore reside in Jerusalem; and also because he was the leader and prince of Israel, whose capital was Jerusalem.
Verse 18: King Alexander to His Brother Jonathan, Greeting
18. KING ALEXANDER TO HIS BROTHER JONATHAN, GREETING. King Alexander calls Jonathan brother, because he was courting his friendship and aid, and wished to have him as an ally, promising that he would hold him in that honor and love with which a brother holds a brother.
Verse 20: We Have Appointed You Today High Priest
20. WE HAVE APPOINTED YOU TODAY HIGH PRIEST. Jonathan, says Serarius, had already been elected and appointed by the people as Leader and Pontiff; but here Alexander confirms the Pontificate for him, as king of Asia and Syria, to whom therefore by the political law of kingdoms the creation of the Pontiff seemed to pertain, just as formerly the Roman Emperors arrogated to themselves and nominated the Roman Pontiff; but later Pontiffs deservedly took this right from the emperors and transferred it to the clergy, namely to the Bishops and Cardinals. For Antiochus Epiphanes, the father of Alexander, had already usurped this office, who had appointed Jason, then Menelaus as Pontiff, and after him King Demetrius had appointed Alcimus as Pontiff, and in the eighth year after his death, this Alexander creates Jonathan as Pontiff.
AND YOU SHALL TAKE OUR SIDE, meaning: May you favor our cause and party, not the opposing one, that is, may you support me with arms and forces, not Demetrius my antagonist. And this Jonathan did, preferring Alexander to Demetrius because of the wars and damages inflicted on Israel by the latter.
Verse 21: And Jonathan Put On The Holy Vestment
21. AND JONATHAN PUT ON THE HOLY VESTMENT, namely the Pontifical robe and tunic, which included the Breastplate with the Ephod, Exodus xxviii. For until now Jonathan, although Pontiff, had not put on the Pontifical vestments nor exercised his office, because Jerusalem was occupied by enemies. But now, having recovered Jerusalem, he put on the Pontifical vestments and exercised the functions of the Pontiff.
Verse 26: Since You Have Kept the Pact With Us
26. SINCE YOU HAVE KEPT THE PACT WITH US. Demetrius here pretends not to know that Jonathan and the Jews had defected from him to Alexander his rival; hence he addresses them as faithful friends, and exhorts them to persist in faith and friendship with him, promising great rewards if they do so.
Verse 28: And We Will Remit Your Exactions
28. AND WE WILL REMIT YOUR EXACTIONS (that is, the levies and tributes that you used to pay to me; whence explaining further he adds): AND NOW I RELEASE YOU AND ALL JEWS FROM TRIBUTES.
Verse 29: And I Remit the Price of Salt
29. AND I REMIT THE PRICE OF SALT, that is, the tributes which you used to pay me for making, transporting, and distributing salt, I grant to you, which are indeed great: for absolutely all men need salt. Hence the Prince of Salzburg collects his immense wealth from salt. This is clear from the next chapter, verse 35.
AND THE CROWNS of gold, as is clear from ch. xiii, verse 37, which you paid annually, I remit.
AND THE THIRD OF THE SEED, that is, the third part of the crops, as Josephus has it, which usually grow from seed cast into the ground, I remit. So Lyra. But since this tribute would seem to be immense, whence in ch. xi, verse 35, only a tithe is mentioned, Salianus more correctly takes it precisely as a third of the seed, so that if someone had sown twelve measures of wheat, he would have had to pay the king four measures of wheat at harvest, but not if he had collected sixty measures at harvest, would he have had to pay the king twenty; which would be a third of the harvest, not of the seed, as is said here.
Verse 30: And Half the Fruit of the Trees
30. AND HALF THE FRUIT OF THE TREES, that is, of all the fruits which are usually produced from trees, of which you used to pay me half, I now remit to you.
Verse 31: And Let Jerusalem Be Holy and Free
31. AND LET JERUSALEM BE HOLY AND FREE; (first, that it, as a holy city, be restored to the faithful and holy people, namely the Jews: therefore let my soldiers who are in the citadel of Sion take care not to profane it; rather, let them leave the citadel and hand it over to Jonathan and the Jews, as is clear from the next verse; second, that it, as a 'holy' city, be free and enjoy full immunity and liberty, such as temples and other holy places enjoy; third, that in it God alone be worshipped in holiness, and holy victims be offered to Him, therefore I forbid my soldiers or other idolaters to contaminate it with their idolatrous sacrifices and rites; fourth, that) THE TITHES AND TRIBUTES SHALL BE ITS OWN, so that henceforth the tithes be paid not to me or my officials, but to the temple and the priests, as was done formerly by God's ordinance.
Verse 32: I Also Remit Authority Over the Citadel
32. I ALSO REMIT AUTHORITY OVER THE CITADEL, meaning: The lordship of the citadel on Mount Sion, which I hold, I remit, and resign it, and hand it over to Jonathan as high priest. This Demetrius promised to Jonathan, but did not actually fulfill, because Jonathan entered into a treaty with Alexander, the enemy of Demetrius.
Verse 33: And Every Jew Who Is a Captive
33. AND EVERY JEW WHO IS A CAPTIVE, meaning: All Jews who were carried away captive from Judea and scattered throughout my entire kingdom, I wish to be set free, and that without payment or ransom, and I likewise release them from every tribute, even on their cattle.
Verse 34: All Solemn Days, Sabbaths, and New Moons
34. AND ALL SOLEMN DAYS, AND SABBATHS, AND NEW MOONS, AND APPOINTED DAYS, that is, those which were decreed and designated for some festivity not by the law but by the Jews themselves, as the feast of Dedication was decreed by Judas on account of the purification of the temple; likewise the feast of the victory of Judith on account of the slaying of Holofernes, and the feast of Esther on account of the slaying of Haman. So Salianus, meaning: I ordain and decree that all Jews who are in my kingdom may freely celebrate their sabbaths, new moons, and other feast days established and decreed by the law or the Synagogue, indeed that the three days before and three days after any solemnity shall be for the Jews days of immunity and release, on which they may be neither summoned to court nor compelled by anyone to perform servile works, as the following verse explains.
Verse 36: And Provisions Shall Be Given to Them
36. AND PROVISIONS SHALL BE GIVEN TO THEM, that is, generous pay as well as rations.
AND FROM AMONG THEM SHALL BE APPOINTED THOSE WHO SHALL BE IN THE FORTRESSES OF THE GREAT KING, namely Demetrius, meaning: I will hand over my fortresses to the Jews, so that they, being loyal to me, may guard them. For 'great' the Greek has 'great ones,' meaning: I will entrust my great and chief fortresses to the Jews.
Verse 37: Those Appointed Over the Affairs of the Kingdom
37. AND FROM AMONG THEM SHALL BE APPOINTED OVER THE AFFAIRS OF THE KINGDOM THAT ARE CONDUCTED IN TRUST, that is, which require the highest trust, and the utmost silence and secrecy.
AND LET THEIR LEADERS BE FROM AMONG THEM (who may govern both my provinces and my armies), AND LET THEM FOLLOW THEIR OWN LAWS, so that they may live according to them in Jewish fashion in my kingdom, as they live in Judea.
Verse 39: Ptolemais and Its Territory Given to the Sanctuary
39. PTOLEMAIS (the city which Alexander, my cousin and rival, seized) AND ITS TERRITORIES, WHICH I HAVE GIVEN AS A GIFT FOR THE HOLY THINGS IN JERUSALEM, that is, for the holy Pontiff and the holy ones, meaning the faithful Jews; again I now also give, and confirm the gift given by me. For 'who' the Greek has 'which,' meaning: I have given these settlements to the holy things, that is, to the Sanctuary, or holy temple, which is in Jerusalem, namely the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, so that from their revenues victims and other necessaries for the worship of God in His holy temple may be purchased.
Verse 41: And All the Surplus That Had Not Been Paid
41. AND ALL THE SURPLUS THAT HAD NOT BEEN PAID, meaning: I ordain that my treasurers return and restore to the temple those things which they subtracted from the revenues and other things destined for the temple and deposited in my treasury. Or as Salianus explains, meaning: I order that the Jewish tax collectors who are obligated to render accounts and have not yet satisfied the royal treasurers, shall pay what they owe not to the royal treasury but to the temple in Jerusalem. For concerning the temple revenues he adds a new benefit, verse 42.
Verse 42: Which They Used to Take From the Sanctuary Revenue
42. WHICH THEY USED TO TAKE FROM THE SANCTUARY REVENUE, that is, from the census and treasury of the holy temple, to deposit in my treasury: now I order them to be restored to the temple, namely 'five thousand shekels,' that is, five thousand Francs, or Brabantine Florins. For a shekel weighs four drachmas and is worth four Julios, or four Spanish reales.
Verse 43: The Right of Asylum in the Temple
43. AND WHOEVER (whether Jews or Gentiles) SHALL TAKE REFUGE IN THE TEMPLE, ETC., LET THEM GO FREE, meaning: I decree and establish the right of asylum which the temple possessed, indeed I increase it. For I wish that when anyone takes refuge in the temple, as long as he remains in it, no one may seize his possessions in my kingdom, even if located elsewhere. But Demetrius promises too much here: therefore Jonathan and the Jews did not believe him, judging that he was making these promises falsely out of necessity, but would not keep them afterward; especially because they had more than once experienced his malevolence: therefore, abandoning Demetrius, they adhered to Alexander.
Note: here Demetrius promises twelve immense benefits to Jonathan, if he would follow and support his side against Alexander; from which you may gather how great was the courage and fame of Jonathan. The first is immunity from tributes; the second, freedom for Jerusalem to be immune from a garrison of Demetrius' soldiers; the third, the return of captives; the fourth, permission for festive rest; the fifth, the right to honorable military service; the sixth, the right to govern; the seventh, the right to keep their ancestral faith and law; the eighth, the extension of the Pontifical domain; the ninth, the gift of Ptolemais; the tenth, an annual contribution for the temple of fifteen thousand shekels; the eleventh, the right of asylum in the temple; the twelfth, the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.
Verse 47: Because He Had Been the First to Offer Them Words of Peace
47. BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN THE FIRST TO OFFER THEM WORDS OF PEACE, that is, because Alexander was the first, before Demetrius, to seek peace and a treaty from the Jews.
Verse 50: And Demetrius Fell
50. AND DEMETRIUS FELL, defeated by Alexander through the help of Jonathan and the Jews. Demetrius fell, his horse falling and javelins striking him down, says Josephus, book XIII, ch. ii. Moreover, although Demetrius had a stronger claim to the kingdom of Asia, being the son of Seleucus, who was the elder son of Antiochus the Great, and therefore successor to the kingdom, than Alexander, being the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was the younger brother of Seleucus; nevertheless Jonathan lawfully helped Alexander against Demetrius, both because Demetrius had hitherto been an enemy of the Jews and had attacked and devastated them with hostility: therefore Jonathan could by right use, indeed implore, the help of Alexander against him; and also because Alexander had a right of war against Demetrius, because he had killed his elder brother Antiochus Eupator; he therefore wished to avenge his brother's death, especially since the people, detesting the crimes and tyranny of Demetrius, had preferred Alexander to him and made him their king.
Verse 51: And Alexander Sent Ambassadors To Ptolemy
51. AND ALEXANDER SENT AMBASSADORS TO PTOLEMY (Philometor) KING OF EGYPT, seeking his daughter Cleopatra as wife, so that by this means he might strengthen his alliance with him and fortify himself against Demetrius the son of the Demetrius he had killed. Moreover, Cleopatra in Greek means the same as the glory and honor of father and fatherland. Would that she had been such!
Note: There were many Cleopatras, and this was their origin and succession. The first Cleopatra was the daughter of Antiochus the Great, and sister of Antiochus Epiphanes, who married Ptolemy Epiphanes, the fifth king of Egypt after Alexander the Great. She was most beautiful, and therefore is called by Daniel, ch. xi, verse 17, 'the daughter of women,' that is, the most beautiful, and hence was called Cleopatra, meaning the glory and honor of her father. From her all the other queens of Egypt, being descended from her, were called Cleopatra. She therefore bore from Ptolemy Epiphanes: Ptolemy Philometor, Ptolemy Physcon, and a daughter Cleopatra, whom both Philometor, though she was his sister, and then Physcon took as wife.
This is therefore the second Cleopatra, who was Physcon's sister, wife, and moreover a sort of mother, or rather mother-in-law. For Physcon, after divorcing her, married her daughter.
The third Cleopatra was the daughter of this second one by Philometor, whom her father Philometor first betrothed to Demetrius Nicator, and then when he was captured, she married Antiochus Sidetes, the brother of Demetrius. She, giving poison to her son Antiochus Gryphus, was forced by him to drink it herself, and thus killed herself. It is about her that the text here speaks.
The fourth Cleopatra was the sister and wife of Ptolemy Lathyrus, who was the son and successor of Ptolemy Physcon, who after being divorced by him married Antiochus of Cyzicus, king of Asia, and in the temple by her sister Gryphina embracing the images, was ordered to be stabbed and killed, as Justin testifies, book XXXIX.
The fifth Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes and the sister and wife of Ptolemy Dionysius, the last king of Egypt, whom Antony loved, repudiating the sister of Augustus Caesar, and was therefore defeated by him and driven to voluntary death: Cleopatra also killed herself by applying serpents to her body. So Eusebius, Josephus, Strabo, Bede, and others.
Verse 56: And I Will Betroth Her to You
56. AND I WILL BETROTH HER TO YOU, that is, I will give you my daughter as your betrothed. For 'to pledge' (spondere) belongs to the parent, 'to betroth' (despondere) to the husband, and from these the terms for bridegroom and bride, and for betrothal and betrothing originated.
Verse 59: King Alexander Wrote to Jonathan to Come and Meet Him
59. KING ALEXANDER WROTE TO JONATHAN TO COME AND MEET HIM, meaning: Alexander invited Jonathan to Ptolemais for the celebration of his wedding with Cleopatra.
Verse 62: He Clothed Him in Purple
62. HE CLOTHED HIM IN PURPLE, that is, in a royal garment: for purple was the clothing of the kingdom and of kings. Alexander therefore here adorns Jonathan with royal insignia, for the help and aid given him against Demetrius, and orders it to be proclaimed and published throughout the whole city by his princes. However, by this he did not thereby create Jonathan king, but a dynast and prince; for purple was the garment of dynasts, who were called 'Friends of the King' and from their purple garment 'the Purple-clad.' So Mordecai was adorned by Ahasuerus with a golden crown on his head and a purple garment: for he was one of the king's chief dynasts and friends, Esther viii, 15.
Verse 67: Demetrius the Younger Comes From Crete
67. IN THE YEAR 165, DEMETRIUS (the younger) SON OF DEMETRIUS THE ELDER, who had been defeated and killed by Alexander and Jonathan, came. He came, I say, from Crete, where he had been hiding, to Syria, to avenge his father's death and, after routing Alexander, to recover his ancestral kingdom. This happened in the fifth year of Alexander's reign, which was the third from his wedding with Cleopatra; for he entered into this marriage in the year 162 of the Greeks, as was said in verse 57; but he had occupied the kingdom in the year 160 of the Greeks, as was said in verse 1.
Note: According to Justin, book XXXV, Demetrius the elder, at the beginning of the war against Alexander, deposited his two sons, namely Demetrius Nicator and Antiochus Sidetes, who both successively reigned afterward, with his host at Cnidus (Cnidus is in the far end of Asia near Halicarnassus and Rhodes, at the extreme promontory which faces Crete) with a large amount of gold, so that they might be removed from the dangers of war, and if fortune so decreed, might be preserved to avenge their father's death. And so it happened; for Demetrius Nicator, after the death of his father Demetrius, fled from Crete to Syria and seized the kingdom. At this same time Cato the Elder died, the consul Marcellus waged war in Spain, the praetor Attilius in Lusitania, and Carthage prepared the third Punic War against the Romans, in which it was defeated and destroyed by Scipio Africanus. So Salianus.
Verse 69: Demetrius Appoints Apollonius as Commander
69. AND KING DEMETRIUS APPOINTED APOLLONIUS AS COMMANDER, WHO GOVERNED COELE-SYRIA. This Apollonius had previously served Alexander, but defected from him to Demetrius, lured by the hope of greater honors and wealth, which the new king Demetrius promised. For courtiers always look toward the rising sun, as is commonly said. This Apollonius, whom Josephus calls Daus, was different from Apollonius the son of Thraseas, who in the time of King Seleucus governed Coele-Syria, mentioned in II Macc. iii, 5. He was also different from Apollonius the son of Alaesthes, whom Antiochus Epiphanes sent with 22 thousand men to occupy Jerusalem and Egypt, II Macc. v, 24. He was also different from Apollonius the son of Genneus, who harassed the Jews under Eupator, mentioned in II Macc. xii, 2. This Apollonius seems to have been appointed prefect of Coele-Syria by Demetrius, then when Alexander came, to have defected from Demetrius to him; and then from Alexander to have crossed over to Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, with many others. Hence Justin says that the soldiers of the father transferred their standards to the son Demetrius.
Verse 70: Because You Exercise Power Against Us in the Mountains
70. BECAUSE YOU EXERCISE POWER AGAINST US IN THE MOUNTAINS, that is, in Judea, which is mountainous, meaning: You, Jonathan, keep yourself among the mountains of Judea and dominate there and resist me. Therefore come out of Judea into the plain of Syria, and fight me in open battle there, if you are a man, and have the strength for fighting, as you boast; for in the narrow passes of the mountains it is easy for an unwarlike man to resist many with a few.
YOU ALONE RESIST US. For as Justin says, book XXXV, about this Demetrius: 'Hearing of Alexander's luxury, whom unexpected wealth and the trappings of another's fortune held idle in the palace like a captive among crowds of harlots, he attacks him with the help of Cretans, while Alexander was carefree and feared nothing hostile. The Antiochenes also, intending to make amends for the old offense of his father with new services, surrendered themselves to him; and even his father's soldiers, kindled by favor for the young man, preferring the obligation of their former oath to the pride of the new king, transferred their standards to Demetrius.'
Verse 71: Now Therefore If You Trust in Your Forces
71. NOW THEREFORE IF YOU TRUST IN YOUR FORCES (in Greek dynamesin, that is, in strengths and armies) COME DOWN TO US IN THE PLAIN, AND LET US COMPARE (in Greek synkrithoomen, that is, let us be compared, matched, set against each other) OURSELVES THERE, (so that joining foot to foot, hand to hand, we may show which is stronger, you or I:) FOR THE POWER OF WAR IS WITH ME. In Greek, for with me is a powerful army of cities, meaning: I challenge you to the plain, where one must fight with arms, not with rocks, and where there is no refuge for the defeated. Our Vulgate reads polemon, meaning 'of wars;' others read poleon, meaning 'of cities,' and so also Josephus reads.
Verse 72: For Your Fathers Were Twice Put to Flight
72. FOR YOUR FATHERS WERE TWICE PUT TO FLIGHT, namely once, when Mattathias fled with his sons, I Macc. II, 28; and again in the battle with Bacchides, in which, after Judas was slain, the rest of the Jews fled, I Macc. IX, 18.
Verse 74: Jonathan Stirred in Spirit Against Apollonius
74. AND WHEN JONATHAN HEARD THE WORDS OF APOLLONIUS, HE WAS STIRRED IN SPIRIT, burning with anger and blazing for battle, so that by his very deeds he might refute the taunts of Apollonius, and to show by his very deeds that he was a mighty warrior both in the plains and in the mountains, indeed a lion.
AND HE (Apollonius) SHUT HIM (Jonathan) OUT OF THE CITY: BECAUSE A GARRISON (a military force to guard the city) OF APOLLONIUS WAS AT JOPPA (in Greek, in Joppa). The Greek reads apekleisan, that is, they shut out, namely the garrison soldiers shut out Jonathan.
Verse 80: And They Surrounded His Camp
80. AND THEY SURROUNDED (the enemies, namely the cavalry of Apollonius) HIS CAMP (namely Jonathan's), AND HURLED JAVELINS AT THE PEOPLE, namely at Jonathan's allies.
81. BUT THE PEOPLE STOOD FIRM (with steadfast spirit, with foot and hand receiving and repelling the enemy's javelins on their shields), AND THEIR HORSES GREW WEARY: meaning: The horses and cavalry of Apollonius were exhausted, because they had labored all day running and hurling weapons at Jonathan's camp. Hence Simon, attacking them when they were tired and weary, routed and put them to flight.
Verse 82: And Simon Drew Out His Army
82. AND SIMON DREW OUT (in Greek exeilkyse, that is, extracted, led out, sent forth, deployed, spread out) HIS ARMY (wings of soldiers) AND ENGAGED (in battle) THE LEGION (in Greek, the phalanx, that is, the enemy battle line); FOR THE CAVALRY WERE EXHAUSTED (for the reason already stated), AND THEY WERE CRUSHED BY HIM (by Simon, the brother of Jonathan), AND FLED.
Verse 83: And They Entered Beth-Dagon
83. AND THEY ENTERED BETH-DAGON, that is, the house of Dagon, namely the temple of Dagon, who was the god or 'idol' of theirs, in Greek eis eidoleion, that is, into the idol-shrine, or the temple of their idol, namely Dagon. But he who could not save his own idol from the hands of Jonathan, how could he be saved from the slaughter of Jonathan? Therefore all with their idol
Verse 86: The Ashkelonites Went Out to Meet Jonathan
86. AND THEY (the Ashkelonites) WENT OUT OF THE CITY TO MEET HIM (Jonathan) WITH GREAT GLORY, that is, receiving him with great honor and pomp, surrendering themselves and their city to him, lest they be burned by him like Beth-dagon.
Verse 89: Alexander Sends Jonathan a Golden Buckle and Ekron
89. AND HE SENT (king Alexander, the enemy of Demetrius and Apollonius) HIM (Jonathan, for having crushed Apollonius) A GOLDEN BUCKLE. In Greek porpen, which some translate as a necklace hanging from the neck or from a belt, such as the Golden Fleece in Belgium. Our Vulgate better translates 'buckle,' by which longer tunics and garments were usually fastened, according to the Aeneid IV:
A golden buckle clasps the purple garment.
This was a military ornament, as Livy testifies, books VII and IX; formerly given only to kinsmen of kings and their closest friends, as is said here. This buckle therefore gathered and fastened loose and flowing garments, either at the chest or at the belt. Hence Virgil, Aeneid XII:
The buckle bites the joints of the flanks.
And Ovid, Metamorphoses VIII:
A smooth buckle here clasped the top of the garment.
And St. Jerome, Epistle 49: 'He knocked to the ground the buckle that clasped the edges of his cloak.' Tertullian, On the Pallium, ch. i: 'In men,' he says, 'the outer garment of the cloak, itself rectangular, folded back from both sides, drawn tight around the neck, rested on the shoulders in the bite of its buckle.'