Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
After Jonathan's capture, his brother Simon succeeds him. Tryphon demands a ransom of a hundred talents for Jonathan and his two sons as hostages; Simon sends and pays it; but having received these, the treacherous Tryphon kills Jonathan together with his sons. Then at verse 31, he kills the young Antiochus entrusted to his guardianship, and seizes his kingdom. Therefore Simon fortifies the cities of Judea against him, and enters into a treaty with Demetrius, Tryphon's rival. Finally, at verse 43, he takes Gaza by storm and at verse 49, takes the citadel of Zion by starvation, and appoints his son John as commander of the army.
Vulgate Text: 1 Maccabees 13:1-54
1. And Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered a great army to come into the land of Judah and destroy it. 2. Seeing that the people were in trembling and fear, he went up to Jerusalem and gathered the people; 3. and encouraging them he said: You know how many battles I, and my brothers, and the house of my father, have fought for the laws and for the holy things, and what difficulties we have seen; 4. for the sake of these things all my brothers perished for Israel, and I alone am left. 5. And now may it never happen that I should spare my own life in any time of tribulation: for I am not better than my brothers. 6. I will therefore vindicate my nation, and the holy things, and our children and wives: for all the nations have gathered together to destroy us out of sheer hatred. 7. And the spirit of the people was kindled as soon as they heard these words. 8. And they answered with a loud voice, saying: You are our leader in place of Judas and Jonathan your brother; 9. fight our battles, and whatever you tell us we will do. 10. And gathering all the fighting men, he hastened to complete all the walls of Jerusalem, and fortified it all around. 11. And he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom, and with him a fresh army, to Joppa; and having expelled those who were in it, he himself remained there. 12. And Tryphon set out from Ptolemais with a large army, to come into the land of Judah, with Jonathan in custody. 13. Simon pitched his camp at Addus, facing the plain. 14. And when Tryphon learned that Simon had risen in place of his brother Jonathan, and was about to engage him in battle, he sent ambassadors to him, 15. saying: We are holding your brother Jonathan because of the money he owed in the king's account, on account of the business he conducted. 16. Now therefore send a hundred talents of silver, and his two sons as hostages, so that when released he may not flee from us, and we will send him back. 17. And Simon knew that he was speaking deceitfully with him, yet he ordered the silver and the boys to be given; lest he should incur great hostility from the people of Israel, who would say: 18. Because he did not send the silver and the boys, Jonathan perished. 19. And he sent the boys and the hundred talents: but Tryphon lied, and did not release Jonathan. 20. And after these things Tryphon came into the region to destroy it: and they went around by the road that leads to Ador; and Simon and his camp marched to every place wherever they went. 21. Those who were in the citadel sent messengers to Tryphon, urging him to come quickly through the desert and send them provisions. 22. And Tryphon prepared all his cavalry to come that night: but there was very heavy snow, and he did not come to Gilead. 23. And when he drew near to Bascama, he killed Jonathan and his sons there. 24. And Tryphon turned and went back to his own land. 25. And Simon sent and took the bones of his brother Jonathan, and buried them in Modin, the city of their fathers. 26. And all Israel mourned him with great lamentation, and they mourned him for many days. 27. And Simon built over the tomb of his father and brothers a monument tall to behold, of polished stone on the back and front. 28. And he set up seven pyramids, one opposite the other, for his father and mother, and four brothers: 29. and around these he placed great columns; and upon the columns arms, as an eternal memorial; and beside the arms carved ships, which could be seen by all who sailed the sea. 30. This is the tomb which he made in Modin, and it stands to this day. 31. But Tryphon, while traveling with the young King Antiochus, treacherously killed him. 32. And he reigned in his place, and placed the diadem of Asia upon his own head, and inflicted great harm upon the land. 33. And Simon built the fortresses of Judea, fortifying them with high towers, and great walls, and gates and bars: and he stored provisions in the fortifications. 34. And Simon chose men and sent them to King Demetrius, to grant exemption to the region: because all the acts of Tryphon had been carried out through plunder. 35. And King Demetrius replied to these words and wrote him a letter as follows: 36. King Demetrius to Simon the high priest, and friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greeting. 37. The golden crown and the palm branch which you sent, we have received: and we are ready to make a great peace with you, and to write to the king's officers to remit to you what we have granted. 38. For whatever we have decreed for you stands firm. The fortifications which you have built shall be yours. 39. We also remit any offenses and transgressions up to this day, and the crown tax which you owed: and if anything else was subject to tribute in Jerusalem, let it no longer be subject to tribute. 40. And if any of you are fit to be enrolled among our forces, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us. 41. In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was lifted from Israel. 42. And the people of Israel began to write in their tablets and public records: In the first year under Simon the high priest, great commander, and prince of the Jews. 43. In those days Simon moved against Gaza, and surrounded it with his camp, and made siege engines, and brought them against the city, and struck one tower, and captured it. 44. And those who were within the siege engine burst forth into the city, and there was a great commotion in the city. 45. And those who were in the city went up with their wives and children upon the wall, with their tunics torn, and cried out with a loud voice, begging Simon to grant them peace, 46. and they said: Do not repay us according to our wickedness, but according to your mercies. 47. And Simon, moved to compassion, did not destroy them: but he expelled them from the city, and cleansed the buildings in which there had been idols, and then he entered it with hymns, blessing the Lord: 48. and having cast out from it all impurity, he settled in it men who would observe the law; and he fortified it, and made it his dwelling place. 49. Those who were in the citadel of Jerusalem were prevented from going out and coming into the region, and from buying and selling: and they suffered greatly from hunger, and many of them perished from famine. 50. And they cried out to Simon to accept their surrender; and he granted it to them, and expelled them from there, and cleansed the citadel of its defilements: 51. and they entered it on the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, with praise, and palm branches, and harps, and cymbals, and stringed instruments, and hymns, and songs, because a great enemy was crushed from Israel. 52. And he decreed that these days should be celebrated every year with rejoicing. 53. And he fortified the temple mount, which was near the citadel, and dwelt there himself, with those who were with him. 54. And Simon saw that his son John was a valiant warrior: and he appointed him commander of all the forces, and he dwelt in Gazara.
Verse 8: You Are Our Leader In Place Of Judas And Jonathan
8. YOU ARE OUR LEADER IN PLACE OF JUDAS AND JONATHAN YOUR BROTHER. — Here the people appoints Simon as leader and High Priest in the year 170 of the Greeks, as stated in verses 41 and 42. Simon therefore held the leadership and the high priesthood for seven years, namely until the year 177 of the Greeks, when he was treacherously killed by his son-in-law, as is stated in chapter XVI, verse 14.
Verse 10: He Hastened To Complete All The Walls Of Jerusalem
10. HE HASTENED TO COMPLETE ALL THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM — lest the supporters of Demetrius from the citadel of Zion should invade and plunder it in his absence while he marched against Tryphon.
Verse 13: Simon Pitched His Camp At Addus
13. SIMON PITCHED HIS CAMP AT ADDUS — which he himself had fortified in chapter XII, verse 38, where however Addus is called Adiada, in Greek Adida. It is situated in the Palmyrene region of Phoenicia. Here Simon encamped facing the plain — that is, opposite a great and spacious plain, inviting and provoking Tryphon by this position to engage in battle with him.
Verse 14: And When Tryphon Learned
14. AND WHEN TRYPHON LEARNED. — Tryphon, fearing Simon's forces, changed his lion's skin for a fox's, and deceitfully pretended to be a friend, and thus fraudulently extorted from Simon a hundred talents, and two sons of Jonathan as ransom for him.
Verse 15: In The King's Account
15. In the king's account — that is, in the king's accounts, or in the record books, we find that Jonathan owes the king a hundred talents: send them therefore, along with his two sons as hostages, and I will release Jonathan to you. A hundred talents of gold, if they were Attic, would amount to six hundred thousand gold pieces; but if Hebrew, they would amount to more than double, namely a million and two hundred thousand gold pieces; so great a sum of gold Simon sent to Tryphon to ransom his brother Jonathan.
Verse 17: And Simon Knew That He Was Speaking Deceitfully With Him
17. AND SIMON KNEW THAT HE WAS SPEAKING DECEITFULLY WITH HIM. — 'He knew,' that is, he suspected and judged it probable that Tryphon was not dealing sincerely but deceitfully with him, from the fact that he had experienced his cunning and treacherous character, especially since he had captured Jonathan by fraud and killed a thousand of his companions; however, because he was not certain he was acting deceitfully, and because he deeply loved Jonathan and desired his restoration to himself and to Israel by every means, and lest he should give the people an occasion for murmuring and rebelling against him — as one who, out of ambition for power and avarice, had neglected to free Jonathan so that he himself might rule in his place — which rebellion would have utterly overthrown the republic of Israel, since Tryphon was invading it with great forces; for these reasons Simon prudently ORDERED THE SILVER AND THE BOYS TO BE GIVEN — especially because, as St. Thomas says, he did not think Tryphon would be so cruel as to kill them.
Verse 20: And They Went Around By The Road That Leads To Ador
20. AND THEY WENT AROUND BY THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO ADOR — which is a city of Phoenicia adjacent to the sea and near Ptolemais, and is called by Ptolemy Dor or Dora (whence some think the Dorian Greeks took their origin and name). Josephus, however, in book XIII, chapter 13, calls it a city of Idumea, perhaps because it had been occupied by the Idumeans and was subject to them.
AND SIMON AND HIS CAMP MARCHED TO EVERY PLACE WHEREVER THEY WENT — Tryphon and his soldiers, that is, Simon everywhere opposed Tryphon, lest he break through anywhere into the borders of Judea; Tryphon kept circling and roaming around them.
Verse 21: Those Who Were In The Citadel
21. THOSE WHO WERE IN THE CITADEL (of Zion) — Tryphon's garrison troops, pressed by hunger, sent to Tryphon to have provisions sent to them by cavalry through the desert route.
Verse 22: But There Was Very Heavy Snow
22. BUT THERE WAS VERY HEAVY SNOW (which prevented Tryphon from being able to enter and bring provisions into the citadel of Zion): AND HE DID NOT COME TO GILEAD. — Some words seem to be missing here, which the Greek has in this way: And there was very heavy snow; he did not come on account of the snow. And he broke camp and came to Gilead; as Josephus also has it. And how did he not come to Gilead, when he came to its town called Bascama, where he killed Jonathan and his sons, as is immediately added below? Emmanuel Sa and Salianus think the copyist inadvertently jumped from the first 'came' to the second. However, the Latin text can be reconciled with the Greek in this way: Tryphon did not come to Gilead, as the Latin has it, namely on the same day as he had intended, and this because of the snow which blocked the route, as was just stated: therefore on the next day or the third day he came to Gilead, as the Greek has it, in order to return to Syria and Antioch whence he had come.
Verse 23: And When He Drew Near To Bascama, He Killed Jonathan
23. AND WHEN HE DREW NEAR TO BASCAMA, HE KILLED JONATHAN AND HIS SONS THERE. — When Tryphon could not advance because of the snow but was forced to retreat, in his anger he killed Jonathan with his sons, to vent his hatred against him and to harm the Jews as much as he could. Josephus adds that he had engaged in battle with Simon, and having been defeated, killed Jonathan out of indignation and revenge. But Scripture does not mention this battle, and the deep snow would have prevented it. Jonathan was killed in the nineteenth year of his leadership and high priesthood (not the seventh, as Josephus says, nor the fourteenth of the high priesthood and eighteenth of the leadership, as Scaliger maintains); for he governed Israel as leader and High Priest for that many years, namely from the beginning of the year 152 of the Greeks, when upon the death of Judas in battle Jonathan succeeded him, until the year 170 of the Greeks, when Jonathan was killed by Tryphon; which was the year 141 before the birth of Christ. So Salianus and others.
Verse 27: And Simon Built Over The Tomb Of His Father
27. AND SIMON BUILT OVER THE TOMB OF HIS FATHER, etc., OF POLISHED STONE. — Josephus: 'Of white polished marble.'
Verse 28: And He Set Up Seven Pyramids, One Opposite The Other
28. And he set up seven pyramids, one opposite the other — that is, one placed opposite another, or one facing another, meaning he set up the columns in pairs. And there were seven, because he erected two for his father and mother, four for the same number of brothers, namely Judas, Jonathan, John and Eleazar, 1 Maccabees 2:2; and the seventh he reserved for himself.
Verse 29: And Beside The Arms, Carved Ships
29. AND BESIDE THE ARMS, CARVED SHIPS — to show through the ships that they had been powerful both at sea and on land, and had won illustrious victories in both domains, even though no mention is made in this book of any naval wars waged by them.
Verse 30: This Is The Tomb Which He Made In Modin
30. THIS IS THE TOMB WHICH HE MADE IN MODIN, AND IT STANDS TO THIS DAY. — This tomb endured until the time of Josephus, as he himself testifies; indeed until the time of St. Jerome, for 500 years. For in his work on Hebrew places, St. Jerome writes: 'Modin is a village near Diospolis from which the Maccabees came, whose tombs are still shown there today.'
Verse 31: Tryphon Treacherously Killed The Young King Antiochus
31. BUT TRYPHON, WHILE TRAVELING WITH THE YOUNG KING ANTIOCHUS, TREACHEROUSLY KILLED HIM — just as he had treacherously captured and killed Jonathan with his sons. The manner of his death is narrated by the epitomizer of Livy, Epistle 55: 'The son of Alexander,' he says, 'king of Syria, being barely ten years old, was killed by fraud by Diodorus, who was surnamed Tryphon, his guardian, having corrupted the physicians, who lied to the people that he was being consumed by a stone, and killed him while they were operating on him.' And this seems to be also the opinion of Josephus, book XIII, chapter 12, where he says: cherizomenos apethane, that is, 'he died while being treated by surgeons': which Josephus's translator incorrectly renders, 'he died while exercising himself.'
This was the character of the treacherous tyrant Tryphon; and therefore he himself was killed in the same manner two years later by Antiochus Sidetes. Furthermore, see here the just judgment of God, by which He utterly destroyed the impious stock and lineage of the most impious Antiochus Epiphanes in this Antiochus his grandson. For upon the wretched death of Epiphanes, his son the boy Antiochus Eupator succeeded him, whom Demetrius the elder killed. Eupator was succeeded by his brother Alexander Balas, whom Ptolemy Philometor killed in battle; Alexander was succeeded by this Antiochus his young son, whom Tryphon murdered and seized his kingdom. Here therefore the impious stock of Antiochus was cut down to the root, and that word of the Psalmist was fulfilled: 'I saw the wicked exalted and raised up like the cedars of Lebanon. And I passed by, and behold, he was no more.'
Verse 32: And He Inflicted Great Harm
32. And he inflicted great harm — killing all who opposed him and his seizure of the kingdom of Asia. This Tryphon was therefore the only one who by treachery thrust himself into the line of the Seleucid kings of Asia, and for that reason he held it for only two years; for when that time had passed, Alexander Sidetes, son of Demetrius the elder and brother of the younger, killed Tryphon and restored the kingdom of Asia to himself and the Seleucids.
Verse 33: And He Built
33. AND HE BUILT (Simon, against Tryphon, lest he invade Judea as he had invaded the kingdom of Asia) THE FORTRESSES OF JUDEA — that is, citadels in which he stationed garrison soldiers to defend them.
Verse 34: And He Sent To King Demetrius To Grant Exemption
34. And he sent to King Demetrius to grant exemption — from tributes and from the yoke of the Greeks, or Seleucids, so that Judea would not be subject to them but free, as it had been before. Demetrius granted this; whence a new era was then established, from which the Jews began to count the years, namely from the first year of Simon, as is stated in verse 42. Moreover, this younger Demetrius was the son of Demetrius the elder, surnamed Nicanor, who shortly before had been expelled from the kingdom by Tryphon, chapter XI, verse 55, and in the last verse of the same chapter had been twice routed and put to flight by Jonathan; but now, fearing Tryphon, he entered into a treaty with Simon, and therefore restored to Judea its freedom by right of recovery.
BECAUSE ALL THE ACTS OF TRYPHON (by which he had imposed heavy tributes and burdens on the Jews) HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT THROUGH PLUNDER (that is, through encroachment, open injustice and pillaging) — whence the Greek has: Because all the acts of Tryphon were robbery, and therefore should be rescinded; whence Demetrius rescinded them.
Verse 37: The Golden Crown And The Palm Branch Which You Sent
37. THE GOLDEN CROWN AND THE PALM BRANCH WHICH YOU SENT — as if congratulating me on recovering the kingdom, and wishing me victory over Tryphon; of which the bahes is the symbol and omen; Greek baia, that is, a palm branch, not plucked from a tree but wrought in gold. For so our translator renders it in verse 51. For baion, or bai, is a palm branch, so called from the Greek para to bia tillesthai, because it cannot easily be torn away, since by its nature it strives upward against the hand pressing it down. Hence in John 12, palm branches are called baia phoinikōn. Similarly in book II, chapter 14, verse 4, Alcimus offered to the other Demetrius a golden crown, and a palm, and branches: from which it may be conjectured that these were customarily offered by the Jews to the kings of Syria. Hence also baia were the name given to gifts which the Emperor Constantine gave to his courtiers, and the Patriarch to his clergy before Palm Sunday, on which the Church distributes palm branches to the faithful.
Our commentator Sanchez says: Bahem, in Hebrew means the same as 'among them' or 'in the number of them.' Now it seems that Simon asked King Demetrius to regard him and the other Jews as being among those who are friends and allies, or among those who are subjects and tributaries, so that he might protect them against Tryphon their common enemy, who, as he had recently shown, was bent with all his might and the forces of his empire on the slaughter of the Jews.
Moreover Isidore in the Glossary: 'Baen,' he says, 'is a plate of gold from ear to ear which the intimates of kings used to wear; an ornament for the neck made of gold and gems, which may also be called by another name a torque'; whence the French bague and the Belgian bagghe, that is, a berry-shaped jewel, pendant, or beaded necklace, as Virgil calls it in Aeneid I, that is, adorned with berries, meaning gems.
Finally, some suspect that bahem is derived from the Hebrew bohen, that is, 'thumb,' which is a symbol of strength and victory. For the thumb is so called, says St. Isidore in the Etymologies, because among the other fingers it excels in strength and power, and in Greek it is called anticheir, because it contends in strength and might with the rest of the hand; as a symbol of which Pierius notes in the Hieroglyphics, and Valerianus and Brizianus in their work on Symbols, that strength and fortitude are signified when, with the other fingers compressed into the palm, the thumb alone is raised, since it alone equals the strength of all the others.
It seems therefore that the Jews sent to Demetrius such a hand in gold with the thumb raised, to represent by this symbol his fortitude as well as his victory; for the thumb anciently signified victory. Hence among the ancient Romans, he who was overcome in the arena would raise his thumb (whence the phrase 'raise the finger') to acknowledge himself defeated. And in the gladiatorial games the Roman people would show their favor and signal victory for one combatant by pressing down the thumb; but for the other they would deny victory and condemn him to death by turning the thumb. See the comments on Judges chapter 1, verse 6.
This meaning, after the first one, seems more fitting than the other two. For the Jews offered the crown and bahem to Demetrius as an allusion and tribute to his battles and victories, for which he was surnamed Nicanor, that is, 'victor,' as if to say: We offer to you, Nicanor, the symbols of nikē, that is, of victory, namely a palm branch or a hand with the thumb extended. Moreover, the Syriac translates bahem as 'a sending,' that is, gifts and presents sent.
Verse 38: For Whatever We Have Decreed For You
38. FOR WHATEVER WE HAVE DECREED FOR YOU (Greek: toward you, that is, the privileges which I granted you in chapter XI, verse 34), STAND FIRM — that is, I decree them to be constant, ratified and firm.
Verse 39: We Also Remit Offenses And Transgressions
39. WE ALSO REMIT OFFENSES AND TRANSGRESSIONS — that is, I pardon you for whatever you have done against me, whether unknowingly or knowingly. For after Demetrius had shamefully broken the treaty made with Jonathan, Jonathan struck him hard once and again, and the Jews treated him badly, as is clear from chapter XI, verse 63, and chapter XII, verse 24. Therefore Demetrius remits all these things to them, and grants an amnesty and oblivion of past injuries.
Therefore, from this most generous grace and privilege of Demetrius, full liberty was granted to Simon and to Judea, and so: 41. IN THE YEAR 170 THE YOKE OF THE GREEKS (the Seleucids) WAS LIFTED FROM ISRAEL. 42. AND THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO WRITE (establishing and inaugurating a new era from this year) IN THEIR TABLETS AND PUBLIC RECORDS: IN THE FIRST YEAR UNDER SIMON THE HIGH PRIEST. — For the first year of Simon was the year 170 of the Greeks, when Demetrius by his decree granted this freedom to the Jews.
Verse 43: Simon Moved Against Gaza
43. SIMON MOVED AGAINST GAZA. — Jonathan had subdued Gaza in chapter XI, verse 61; but when he departed it threw off the yoke. Therefore Simon here besieged it again and brought it back under the former subjection.
Verse 48: He Settled In It Men Who Would Observe The Law
48. HE SETTLED IN IT MEN WHO WOULD OBSERVE THE LAW — that is, Jews or proselytes who followed the Mosaic law; indeed Simon himself established his residence there, as follows:
Verse 49: Those Who Were In The Citadel
49. Those who were in the citadel — of mount Zion, these, pressed by famine, surrendered the citadel to Simon, having held it for 26 years, namely from the year 145 of the Greeks, as appears in chapter I, verses 21, 30 and 35, until the year 171 of the Greeks, as is stated here in verse 51. Josephus adds that Simon completely destroyed this citadel and leveled it to the ground.
Verse 51: Because A Great Enemy Was Crushed From Israel
51. BECAUSE A GREAT ENEMY WAS CRUSHED FROM ISRAEL. — For the soldiers of the Seleucid kings of Asia, occupying the citadel of Zion, were most hostile to the Jerusalem below them, to the temple, the citizens, and all the Jews.
Verse 53: And He Fortified The Temple Mount
53. And he fortified the temple mount — that is, the fortress on Mount Zion near the temple, which had formerly been built against the soldiers of the citadel by Judas Maccabeus, chapter IV, verse 60, and destroyed by the impious Alcimus, chapter IX, verse 54, and rebuilt by Jonathan, chapter X, verse 11 — Simon strengthened with new works and fortifications, and dwelt in it, as appears in verse 48, whereas he had previously dwelt in Gazara, but he sent to Gazara his son John, who was afterward surnamed Hyrcanus, and as a valiant man appointed him commander of the army. This is the John who succeeded Simon after his murder, in both the leadership and the high priesthood, as we shall hear in the last chapter.
Verse 54: He Appointed John Commander Of All The Forces
54. And he appointed him (the aforementioned John) commander OF ALL THE FORCES (Greek dynameōn, that is, of the armies or troops); and he (John) dwelt IN GAZARA. — Gazara, or Gadera, or Gaser, or Gezer, says Adrichomius, was a city in the tribe of Ephraim whose king Joshua killed, and he assigned the city to the Levites. But here by Gazara is understood Gaza, the powerful city of the Philistines near Azotus, as is said in chapter XIV, verse 34. For Simon had captured Gaza and established his residence there, as was stated in verse 48. Therefore departing from there and now going to Jerusalem, he entrusted Gaza to his son John to inhabit and guard. So Salianus.