Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Demetrius, son of Demetrius, is captured by Arsaces. Simon governs Judea wisely and prosperously, and at verse 18 renews the treaty with the Romans and Spartans. Finally his heroic deeds are reviewed, and are engraved by the Israelites on bronze tablets affixed to the temple as an eternal memorial.
Vulgate Text: 1 Maccabees 14:1-49
1. In the one hundred and seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his army, and went into Media to obtain reinforcements for himself, to defeat Tryphon. 2. And Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, and sent one of his generals to capture him alive and bring him to himself. 3. And he went and attacked the camp of Demetrius; and he captured him and brought him to Arsaces, and he placed him in custody. 4. And all the land of Judah was at peace throughout all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his authority and his glory pleased them all his days. 5. And with all his glory he took Joppa for a port, and made it an entrance to the islands of the sea. 6. And he enlarged the borders of his nation, and gained control of the land. 7. And he gathered many captives, and was master of Gazara and Bethsura and the citadel: and he removed the uncleanness from it, and there was no one who resisted him. 8. And each man tilled his land in peace: and the land of Judah yielded its produce, and the trees of the fields their fruit. 9. The elders all sat in the public squares and deliberated about the good things of the land, and the young men clothed themselves with glory and the garments of war. 10. And he supplied the cities with provisions, and equipped them to be fortified strongholds, until the fame of his glory was named even to the ends of the earth. 11. He made peace upon the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. 12. And each man sat under his vine and under his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid. 13. No one was left to attack them in the land: the kings were crushed in those days. 14. And he strengthened all the humble of his people, and sought out the law, and removed every wicked and evil person: 15. he glorified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the temple. 16. And it was heard in Rome that Jonathan had died, and as far as the Spartans: and they were greatly saddened. 17. But when they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he held all the land and the cities in it: 18. they wrote to him on bronze tablets, to renew the friendship and alliance which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brothers. 19. And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. And this is a copy of the letters which the Spartans sent: 20. The rulers and citizens of the Spartans, to Simon the high priest, and to the elders, and priests, and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers, greeting. 21. The envoys who were sent to our people informed us of your glory, honor, and joy: and we rejoiced at their coming. 22. And we recorded what was said by them in the public councils of the people, as follows: Numenius the son of Antiochus, and Antipater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, came to us, renewing with us the former friendship. 23. And it pleased the people to receive these men with honor, and to place a copy of their words in the public archives of the people, to serve as a memorial for the people of the Spartans. A copy of these things we have written to Simon the high priest. 24. After these things Simon sent Numenius to Rome, bearing a great golden shield weighing a thousand minas, to establish an alliance with them. And when the Roman people had heard 25. these words, they said: What tribute of gratitude shall we render to Simon and his sons? 26. For he has restored his brothers, and defeated the enemies of Israel against them: and they established his liberty, and recorded it on bronze tablets, and placed them on inscriptions on Mount Zion. 27. And this is the copy of the inscription: On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, the third year under Simon the high priest, the great one, in Asaramel, 28. in a great assembly of priests, and people, and rulers of the nation, and elders of the region, the following was made known: Since battles have frequently taken place in our region, 29. Simon the son of Mattathias, of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers put themselves in danger, and resisted the enemies of their nation, so that their sanctuary and the law might stand: and they glorified their nation with great glory. 30. And Jonathan assembled his nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31. And their enemies wished to trample and destroy their territory, and to lay hands on their holy places. 32. Then Simon arose and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own money, and armed valiant men of his nation, and gave them pay; 33. and he fortified the cities of Judea, and Bethsura which was on the borders of Judea, where the enemy's weapons had formerly been: and he stationed a garrison of Jewish men there. 34. And he fortified Joppa, which was on the sea; and Gazara, which is on the border of Azotus, where the enemy had formerly dwelt, and he settled Jews there: and whatever was useful for their restoration, he placed in them. 35. And the people saw the deeds of Simon, and the glory which he planned to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and because of the justice and the loyalty which he maintained toward his nation, and he sought in every way to exalt his people. 36. And in his days things prospered under his hand, so that the Gentiles were removed from their territory, and those who were in the city of David in Jerusalem, in the citadel, from which they would sally forth and defile everything around the holy places, and inflict great harm upon the purity of the temple: 37. and he settled Jewish men in it for the protection of the region and the city, and he raised the walls of Jerusalem. 38. And King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood. 39. In accordance with these things, he made him his friend and honored him with great glory. 40. For he had heard that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends, and allies, and brothers, and that they had received Simon's ambassadors with honor: 41. and that the Jews and their priests had consented that he should be their leader and high priest forever, until a faithful prophet should arise; 42. and that he should be commander over them, and should have charge of the sanctuary, and should appoint overseers over their works, and over the land, and over the arms, and over the garrisons: 43. and that he should have charge of the sanctuary: and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the land should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and gold: 44. and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to set aside any of these things, or to contradict what he says, or to convene an assembly in the land without him, or to wear the purple or use the golden brooch. 45. And whoever should act contrary to these things, or should set aside any of them, shall be held guilty. 46. And it pleased all the people to decree these things for Simon, and to act according to these words. 47. And Simon accepted, and was pleased to exercise the high priesthood, and to be commander and prince of the nation of the Jews and of the priests, and to preside over all. 48. And they decreed that this inscription should be placed on bronze tablets, and that these should be set up in the precinct of the sanctuary, in a prominent place: 49. and that a copy of it should be placed in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have it.
Verse 2: Arsaces, King of Persia and Media
2. AND ARSACES, KING OF PERSIA AND MEDIA, HEARD THAT DEMETRIUS HAD ENTERED HIS TERRITORY. — Justin, Appian and others call this Arsaces the king of the Parthians, but the Parthians at that time were masters of Persia and Media. Orosius, book V, chapter 4, calls this Arsaces by his proper name Mithridates, and makes him sixth from the first Arsaces, founder of the Parthian kingdom; for the name Arsaces was common to the kings of the Parthians, as Justin testifies in book XLI, who calls this Arsaces the third by the proper name Pompatius, or Priapatius, whose two sons Mithridates and Phraates both later reigned among the Parthians.
Moreover, Demetrius, expelled from the kingdom of Syria by Tryphon, wandering through the neighboring regions and seeking help from everywhere, was invited by Greeks and Macedonians living in those parts to make war on Arsaces, promising him great reinforcements. Demetrius did so, and fighting against Arsaces he defeated him once and again; but finally, defeated and captured, he fell alive into Arsaces' hands. Hear Justin at the beginning of book XXXVI: 'The peoples of the East did not unwillingly witness the arrival of Demetrius, both because of the cruelty of the Arsacid king of the Parthians, and because, accustomed to the old Macedonian empire, these new peoples resented his arrogance. And so, when with the help of the Persians, Elymaeans, Bactrians and allies he was reinforced, he routed the Parthians in many battles. But in the end, deceived by a pretense of peace, he was captured, and paraded through the cities before the peoples who had revolted, was displayed as a mockery of their support. Sent then to Hyrcania, he was treated kindly and in accordance with his former royal dignity.'
Justin adds in book XXXVIII that Arsaces gave his own daughter to Demetrius as wife. Appian, however, in his Syrian History near the end, says that Demetrius resided in the palace of Phraates, and married Rhodogune, the king's sister.
Verse 3: He Placed Him in Custody
3. And he placed him in custody. — With Demetrius defeated, bound and imprisoned by Arsaces, Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy Philometor and wife of the now captured Demetrius, summoned his brother Antiochus Sidetes to Seleucia, and offered him his brother's kingdom together with her own hand in marriage. But Demetrius, freed from prison, returned with forces to Syria and stripped his brother Sidetes of both kingdom and life, as Josephus, Justin, Appian and others testify; but Sidetes will be discussed again in chapter XV.
Verse 4: All the Land Was at Peace
4. And all the land (of Judea and the neighboring regions of Syria and Asia) was at peace throughout all the days of Simon — on account of his governance, which was wise, gentle and strong, so much so that no one dared to attack him. Therefore his remarkable praises and deeds are henceforth reviewed.
Verse 5: He Took Joppa for a Port
5. AND WITH ALL HIS GLORY HE TOOK JOPPA FOR A PORT — that is, Simon won great glory as well as profit and wealth for himself and all Israel, when he captured Joppa and established a port there, from which he could send ships to the nearby islands, and indeed throughout the whole sea, to import and export merchandise of every kind. For the port of Joppa is the most convenient of all Judea; whence it endures even now, and everyone traveling to Jerusalem first puts in at Joppa, which is now called Jaffa. Moreover, cities become most wealthy through a port that is convenient for merchants and merchandise, as is evident in Antwerp, Venice, Lisbon, etc.
Verse 7: He Gathered Many Captives
7. And he gathered many captives — that is, Simon took many enemy prisoners; but he also freed many Jews who had been captured by their enemies from captivity.
Verse 9: The Young Men Clothed Themselves with Glory
9. THE YOUNG MEN CLOTHED THEMSELVES WITH GLORY (that is, they put on glorious and precious garments as victors and men triumphing over their enemies, and so they put on) GARMENTS OF WAR — that is, the finer clothing which they had acquired in war.
Verse 10: He Fortified the Cities
10. AND HE EQUIPPED THEM SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE FORTIFIED STRONGHOLDS — that is, Simon fortified the cities of Judea with walls and citadels so that they became 'vessels,' that is, receptacles and bulwarks most strongly fortified against enemies.
Verse 14: He Strengthened the Humble of His People
14. AND HE STRENGTHENED ALL THE HUMBLE OF HIS PEOPLE — that is, Simon consoled, raised up and strengthened the Jews, whether they were afflicted by enemies, or by rivals, or by any other cause or means, either by removing their affliction, or by diminishing it, or by making it easier to bear through various forms of relief.
Verse 15: He Glorified the Holy Things
15. AND HE GLORIFIED THE HOLY THINGS (that is, he added great adornment, splendor and glory to the sanctuary or temple, and to its sacrifices and sacred rites; and) HE MULTIPLIED THE VESSELS (which were needed for sacrificing, offering incense, and other ways of worshiping God). — There were therefore under Simon as leader and High Priest golden ages for Israel, so that the golden peace and prosperity of Solomon seemed to have returned under him and through him.
Verse 20: The Rulers of the Spartans
20. THE RULERS OF THE SPARTANS. — Here are set forth the letters of the treaty which the Spartans entered into with Simon, just as they had entered into one with Judas and Jonathan.
Verse 22: The Record of the Spartan Alliance
22. AND WE RECORDED WHAT WAS SAID BY THEM IN THE COUNCILS OF THE PEOPLE — namely in the public records and books in which the deeds, history, treaties and all other affairs of our people are recorded.
Verse 24: The Golden Shield Sent to Rome
24. A GREAT GOLDEN SHIELD, WEIGHING A THOUSAND MINAS — that is, worth a hundred thousand gold pieces. For a mina is like a pound of gold, which is worth a hundred gold pieces; therefore a thousand minas make a hundred times a thousand gold pieces, that is, a hundred thousand gold pieces.
AND WHEN THE ROMAN PEOPLE HAD HEARD THESE WORDS, THEY SAID: 25. WHAT TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE SHALL WE RENDER TO SIMON AND HIS SONS. — The word 'Roman,' says Sanchez, is absent from all the Greek and Latin texts except the Vulgate; and it is rejected by Vatablus and Serarius, and it seems altogether to have crept into the text from the margin, where it had been placed by some well-meaning person for the purpose of explanation. Moreover, that the following speech is not from the Romans but from the Jews is clear from the fact that the response of the Romans, in which this gift is discussed, is found in the next chapter, verse 16. Furthermore, the whole speech follows Hebrew customs and has nothing of the Roman manner. For the Romans, masters of the world, were not accustomed to give thanks to peoples of lesser nations, much less to the Jews.
The meaning therefore will be this: When the Jewish people, rejoicing at the peace restored to Judea by Simon, heard the letters of the Spartans, stirred by a spirit of gratitude they said: 'What tribute of gratitude shall we render to Simon and his sons? For he has restored his brothers.' But because the Latin Bibles corrected at Rome, and the Complutensian and Royal editions, as well as Pagninus, Lyranus and others, consistently read the word 'Roman,' and because this aptly corresponds to the embassy of Simon to the Romans which immediately preceded: hence you may aptly explain it as follows, that the author of this book wished to briefly append to Simon's embassy to the Romans the response and congratulations of the Romans, intending to narrate it more fully later in the next chapter, verse 16. For what follows: 'For he has restored his brothers,' and the other things that follow, are not the words of the Roman people, as is clear to anyone looking at it, but of the author of this book. For the author wished to append the reasons why the Roman people gave thanks to Simon; namely, because of his heroic deeds and great services to Jerusalem and the other peoples neighboring and subject to the Romans, by which Simon through his wisdom and bravery had created peace and common tranquility, and thus had freed both himself and his neighbors, as well as the Romans, from wars. So Lyranus, Sanchez, Torniellus and others.
Verse 26: He Restored His Brothers
26. FOR HE RESTORED HIS BROTHERS — that is, Simon restored the Israelites and his fellow tribesmen, whose spirits and strength had collapsed and who had been virtually reduced to servitude because of Tryphon, Demetrius and other enemies who invaded them, to their former magnanimity, bravery, wealth and liberty. Whence the Greek reads: He himself firmly established, and his brothers, and the house of his father (Israel), and they drove out the enemies of Israel from them: namely by expelling and repelling their enemies from the Israelites.
And they established his liberty — that is, the Israelites decreed that Simon, on account of his merits, should be free from all tribute, burden and subjection, and that all others should be subject to him as to their Prince. Some Greek manuscripts read in the singular: 'He established liberty for him,' and explain it of Simon thus: Simon by his wisdom, bravery and victories won liberty, and freed him from the yoke of the Greeks, as was said in chapter XIII, verse 41.
Verse 27: The Copy of the Inscription
27. AND THIS IS THE COPY OF THE INSCRIPTION (which the people — not the Roman people but the Jewish people, as is clear — wrote as an encomium for Simon on bronze tablets affixed to the temple) ON THE EIGHTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH ELUL (which is the sixth month, corresponding to our August), IN THE YEAR 172 (of the Greeks) THE THIRD YEAR UNDER SIMON THE HIGH PRIEST (the supreme Pontiff) IN ASARAMEL. — For the first year of Simon was the year 170 of the Greeks; therefore the third year of Simon was the year 172 of the Greeks. The word 'in Asaramel,' or as the Greek has it, Saramel, Vatablus thinks is a corrupted word, and should be read as 'in Jerusalem.' Serarius says it is a retained Hebrew word, meaning 'in the prince of God,' so that Simon is called the great priest in the Lord God, or of the Lord God. The Syriac translates 'Asaramel' as 'Israel,' and understands by it not a place, but the elders, that is, the seniors and senators of Israel, who gave and inscribed this encomium to Simon. Perhaps 'Asaramel' was the name for the place of the Sanhedrin, or the hall of the great council, in which this decree was issued.
Verse 29: Their Holy Things Might Stand
29. So that their holy things might stand — namely the holy temple, the holy religion, the holy sacrifices, and the holy worship of God, which had been cast down by the impious Antiochus Epiphanes and his followers — these Simon and his brothers raised up again.
Verse 30: Jonathan Assembled His Nation
30. AND JONATHAN ASSEMBLED HIS NATION — that is, Jonathan gathered the Israelites together and became their high priest, and then was gathered to his people, that is, he died. The inscription recalls Jonathan's role before narrating how their enemies then sought to destroy them, and how Simon arose to fight for his nation.
Verse 31: To Trample and Destroy Their Territory
31. TO TRAMPLE. — Greek authrizosai, that is, to invade, penetrate, pervade, to destroy utterly.
Verse 34: He Fortified Joppa and Gazara
34. AND WHATEVER WAS SUITABLE FOR THEIR RESTORATION. — It seems the reading should be 'correction,' that is, restoration; for this is what the Greek epanorthosis signifies. So Vatablus, Sa, Salianus and others.
Verse 36: The Gentiles Removed from the Citadel
36. AND THEY INFLICTED GREAT HARM UPON THE PURITY — that is, upon the cleanliness and purity of the temple, profaning, defiling and violating it with their idols, filth and debaucheries. He is speaking of the citadel of Zion, from which the soldiers of the Seleucids would sally forth against Jerusalem and the Jews, plundering, beating, wounding and killing them, and violating their women; for the gymnasium of vice beneath the citadel had already been abolished by Judas when he purified the temple, as was said in chapter IV and book II, chapter X, verse 2.
Verse 37: He Settled Jewish Men in the Citadel
37. AND HE SETTLED JEWISH MEN IN IT FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE REGION AND THE CITY — that is, Simon expelled the Gentile garrison from the citadel and settled Jewish men there to guard the region and city, and raised the walls of Jerusalem. King Demetrius then confirmed Simon in the high priesthood, made him his friend and honored him with great glory, because he had heard that the Romans called the Jews friends, allies and brothers.
Verse 41: Until a Faithful Prophet Should Arise
41. UNTIL A FAITHFUL PROPHET SHOULD ARISE — namely Christ, the supreme Leader and High Priest of Israel. They decree therefore that Simon and his descendants in continuous succession should be the leaders and high priests of Israel, until Christ, and this is approximately what happened. For the lineage of Simon presided over Israel until Herod, under whom Christ was born.
Verse 42: Simon's Supreme Authority
42. AND THAT HE SHOULD BE COMMANDER OVER THEM, AND SHOULD HAVE CHARGE OF THE SANCTUARY. — Here is declared the supreme power given to Simon by the people, and it was twofold, namely that in civil and military matters he should be the people's leader, and in sacred and ecclesiastical matters he should be the High Priest; for upon this office falls the 'care' 'for the holy things,' namely for the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and for the sacred sacrifices, rites, ceremonies, etc. of the holy God.
One may ask why the Author throughout this whole chapter praises Simon so lavishly and magnificently, when he did not so praise Judas and Jonathan, who preceded Simon and were, it seems, braver. I answer: the first reason is that Simon by his wisdom and valor brought complete peace to Judea, which Judas and Jonathan had been unable to achieve, and therefore Simon introduced what was virtually a golden age, and from it a new era among the Jews.
The second reason is that Simon labored longer: for he constantly aided Judas and Jonathan, and when they died, he alone, the survivor, bore the weight of war and the republic, and by the peace desired by all, he brought an end to all the battles.
The third reason is that under Simon and with Simon he praises Judas and Jonathan, who through constant wars laid the foundation of this prosperity and peace, by whose valor Simon brought them such a happy conclusion through the public tranquility. Whence the Greek at verse 26 reads: For he himself firmly established, and his brothers, and the house of his father (the Israelites), and defeated the enemies of the Israelites.
The fourth reason is that the Author of this book, as I said in the Prolegomena, seems to have been John Hyrcanus, Simon's son, who therefore with filial affection deservedly wove this crown of praises for his father, and thus honors his memory, because he had secured for himself and his posterity, until Christ, the Leadership and High Priesthood of Israel.
Verse 43: All Contracts Written in His Name
43. AND THAT ALL CONTRACTS IN THE LAND SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN HIS NAME. — Greek: all syngraphiai, that is, all documents — of edicts, agreements, contracts, treaties, marriages and all proceedings — so that each of these would be dated according to the years of the leadership and high priesthood of Simon, as was in fact begun here at verse 27 and in chapter XIII, verse 42.
Verse 48: The Inscription on Bronze Tablets
48. And they decreed that this inscription (namely the decrees of the people concerning the leadership and high priesthood of Simon to be handed down to his posterity until Christ, inscribed on bronze tablets) should be PLACED (engraved) ON BRONZE TABLETS (so that it would be indelible and eternal): AND THAT THESE (bronze tablets with this inscription) SHOULD BE SET UP in the precinct of the sanctuary — that is, in the portico of the temple, which surrounded the temple on all sides.
Verse 49: A Copy Placed in the Treasury
49. AND THAT A COPY OF IT SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE TREASURY (that is, in the Treasury-chamber of the temple, where among the treasure and wealth of the temple, public documents were kept as in an archive), SO THAT SIMON AND HIS SONS MIGHT HAVE IT — so that if ever they should need it, they could retrieve it from there.