Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Judas Maccabeus cleanses the temple which had been polluted by Antiochus. Then, verse 9, when Antiochus Epiphanes dies, he is succeeded by his son Antiochus Eupator, under whom Ptolemy Macer, a man tenacious of justice and a friend of the Jews, is killed by poison. Moreover, verse 14, Gorgias is routed by the Jews, as are the Idumeans and the traitors. Finally, verse 24, Maccabeus, under the leadership of Angels, overthrows and kills Timothy, Chaereas, and Apollonius, and sings a hymn of victory to God.
Vulgate Text: 2 Maccabees 10:1-38
1. But Maccabeus and those who were with him, with the Lord protecting them, recovered the temple and the city; 2. and he demolished the altars which the foreigners had built throughout the streets, and likewise their shrines, 3. and having purified the temple, they made another altar; and having struck fire from heated stones, they offered sacrifices after two years, and placed incense, lamps, and the showbread. 4. When these things were done, lying prostrate on the ground, they besought the Lord that they might never again fall into such evils; but that, if they should sin at any time, they might be more mildly corrected by Him, and not be delivered to barbarous and blasphemous men. 5. And on the very day on which the temple had been polluted by the foreigners, it happened that the purification took place, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, which was Casleu. 6. And they celebrated with joy for eight days in the manner of the feast of Tabernacles, remembering that a short time before they had kept the solemn feast of Tabernacles in the mountains and caves like wild beasts. 7. For which reason they carried thyrsuses, green branches, and palms before Him who had prospered the cleansing of His place. 8. And they decreed by common precept and statute that the whole Jewish nation should celebrate these days every year. 9. And such was the end of the life of Antiochus, who was called the Illustrious. 10. But now we shall narrate what was done concerning Eupator, the son of impious Antiochus, shortening the account of the evils done in the wars. 11. For he, having assumed the kingdom, appointed a certain Lysias over the affairs of the kingdom, as chief of the military forces of Phoenicia and Syria. 12. For Ptolemy, who was called Macer, was determined to be a man tenacious of justice toward the Jews, and especially because of the injustice that had been done to them, and to deal peacefully with them. 13. But on this account he was accused by friends before Eupator -- since he was frequently called a traitor because he had abandoned Cyprus which had been entrusted to him by Philometor, and having transferred to Antiochus the Illustrious had also departed from him -- he ended his life by poison. 14. But Gorgias, being the commander of the regions, with foreign soldiers frequently waged war against the Jews. 15. But the Jews, who held advantageous fortifications, received those who had been driven out of Jerusalem and attempted to make war. 16. But those who were with Maccabeus, beseeching the Lord through prayers to be their helper, made an assault on the fortifications of the Idumeans, 17. and pressing on with great force, they took the positions, killed those who opposed them, and all together slaughtered no fewer than twenty thousand. 18. But when some had taken refuge in two very strongly fortified towers, having every equipment for resistance, 19. Maccabeus, leaving Simon and Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and those who were with them in sufficient numbers, for the siege of these towers, turned himself to other battles that were more pressing. 20. But those who were with Simon, led by greed, were persuaded by money from some who were in the towers; and having accepted seventy thousand drachmas, they let some escape. 21. But when what had been done was reported to Maccabeus, he gathered the leaders of the people together and accused them of having sold their brothers for money by letting their adversaries go. 22. He therefore killed these traitors and immediately seized the two towers. 23. And prospering in everything by arms and by his hands, in those two fortifications he killed more than twenty thousand. 24. But Timothy, who had previously been defeated by the Jews, having gathered an army of foreign multitudes and assembled Asian cavalry, came as if to take Judea by arms. 25. But Maccabeus and those who were with him, as he approached, besought the Lord, sprinkling earth on their heads and girding their loins with sackcloth, 26. prostrate at the base of the altar, that He would be propitious to them, but an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law says. 27. And so after prayer, having taken up arms, they advanced a considerable distance from the city, and having come close to the enemy, they halted. 28. But at the first rising of the sun both sides engaged; the former having the Lord as surety of victory and prosperity together with their valor; the latter had courage as their leader of war. 29. But when the battle was fierce, there appeared to the adversaries from heaven five men on horses, adorned with golden bridles, giving leadership to the Jews; 30. two of them, having Maccabeus between them, kept him safe surrounded by their armor; but upon the adversaries they hurled darts and thunderbolts, from which, confounded by blindness and filled with confusion, they fell. 31. And twenty thousand five hundred were slain, and six hundred horsemen. 32. But Timothy fled to Gazara, a fortified stronghold, over which Chaereas presided. 33. But Maccabeus and those who were with him, rejoicing, besieged the stronghold for four days. 34. But those who were inside, trusting in the strength of the place, cursed exceedingly and hurled abominable words. 35. But when the fifth day dawned, twenty young men of those who were with Maccabeus, their spirits inflamed by the blasphemy, manfully approached the wall and, advancing with fierce spirit, climbed up; 36. and others similarly climbing, set about burning the towers and gates, and burning alive the very blasphemers. 37. And having laid waste the stronghold for two continuous days, they found Timothy hiding in a certain place and killed him; and they killed his brother Chaereas and Apollophanes. 38. When these things were done, they blessed the Lord with hymns and praises, who had done great things in Israel and given them victory.
The greater part of the purification of the temple, from verse 1 to 9, is to be placed in chronological order at book I, chapter IV, after verse 35. The rest of this chapter, indeed also of chapters XI and XII, are to be inserted at book I, chapter XVI, before verse 18. For the purification of the temple made by Judas, although it is narrated here after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, nevertheless happened before it, namely in the year 148 of the Greeks, as is evident from book I, chapter IV, verse 52. But Antiochus died in the year 149 of the Greeks, as was said at book I, chapter XVI, verse 16.
Verse 3: Heated Stones and Fire from Heaven
3. And from heated stones, having obtained fire, they offered sacrifices. — By "heated stones" Salianus and Mariana understand flints and similar stones, from which, when struck against each other, fire is easily struck into a placed tinder, and once caught is kindled, as we naturally do every day. But in Greek it is pyrosantes lithous, that is, heating stones, that is, setting stones on fire and receiving fire from them. But flints when struck together are not themselves ignited, but only emit sparks of fire. Therefore it seems more true that by the prayers of Judas and the priests, fire called down from heaven ignited the stones; and from these the priests received fire, by which the sacrifices were burned. For thus had Nehemiah done before Judas, and thus had God ordained in Leviticus VI, 12, that the victims should be burned not with common fire, but with heavenly and divine fire, and for this reason Judas instituted the feast of the fire given, or rather restored by God, as we heard in chapter I, verses 19 and following. So say Serarius, Sanchez, and others.
So also Gorionides, book III, chapter XIII: "When," he says, "they had arranged the wood they did not find sacred fire, but they cried out to the Lord, and fire leapt from the stone that was placed beneath the altar, as they added wood to it. That fire lasted until the third captivity," which was carried out by Titus and Vespasian, when the temple was burned.
After two years. — The reckoning should begin not from the profanation of the temple, as some wish (for three years had elapsed from that), but from the principate of Judas, as I said at book I, chapter IV, verse 34. So say Serarius, Salianus, and others. It is surprising that some learned men reckon this two-year period from the death of Antiochus; for Antiochus died after the purification and consecration of the temple, as I said in the synopsis of the chapter.
Verse 6: The Eight-Day Festival in the Manner of Tabernacles
6. And they celebrated with joy for eight days in the manner of Tabernacles, that is, they celebrated the feast of the Dedication for eight days with the same rite and rejoicing with which, according to the law, they annually celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th day of the month Tisri, and this in thanksgiving, because God had restored them to the city of Jerusalem and their own homes, when they themselves shortly before, fleeing the persecution of Antiochus, had hidden in the forests and mountains, and there had constructed huts and shelters from the branches of trees.
Verse 7: The Thyrsuses and Green Branches
7. Therefore they carried thyrsuses and branches. — Thyrsuses were leafy branches and shoots with which soldiers, having won a victory, adorned themselves and their spears and weapons. Hence among the pagans the thyrsus was a pointed spear covered with ivy, which they brandished in the Orgies (rites) of Bacchus; whence Bacchus was called the thyrsus-bearer.
Verse 11: Lysias Appointed Over the Affairs of the Kingdom
11. This man (Antiochus Eupator, son of Epiphanes) etc. He appointed over the affairs of the kingdom (that is, he appointed his viceroy and regent in government, or, as the Greek has it, Protarch) Lysias.
Verse 12: Ptolemy Macer, Friend of the Jews
12. For Ptolemy, who was called Macer. — The word "for" implies that Ptolemy had administered the affairs of the kingdom before Lysias; but having been accused through calumny of treason before Eupator, he lost his position. This Ptolemy seems to be the same one who, in chapter VIII, verse 8, is called the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and who sent Nicanor against Judas and the Jews; but soon, seeing their innocence and that God fought for them, he began to favor and patronize the Jews; and therefore he was accused before Eupator as a traitor, because he seemed to have defected from him to the Jews, since he was defending their cause.
Verse 13: Ptolemy Ends His Life by Poison
13. He ended his life by poison. — In some Greek manuscripts it is added that Ptolemy, out of weakness of spirit, voluntarily resorted to poison, and willingly drank it, because he could not bear to hear and endure the calumny and infamy of treason imputed to him. For it is not the mark of a strong and great mind, but of a weak and faint-hearted one, to be broken by the taunts of men, and therefore to kill oneself; for it takes courage to endure all these things manfully and to overcome them with manly magnanimity, according to that saying of Martial:
He acts bravely who is able to be wretched.
Sacred Scripture narrates this event concerning Ptolemy to signify that the Jews had been deprived of so great a friend and patron; and therefore were entangled in new wars with Eupator.
Verse 14: Gorgias and the Foreign Soldiers
14. But Gorgias, etc., having taken on foreigners. — He calls "foreigners" the soldiers conscripted from Thrace, Egypt, Africa, and other foreign regions. Hence at verse 24, they are called "an army of foreign multitude." For the natives were Asians and Syrians.
Verse 15: Idumeans, Not Jews, Hold the Fortifications
15. But the Jews who held advantageous fortifications received those driven from Jerusalem and attempted to wage war, that is, the Jews seized several fortifications from Gorgias and the Antiochians, and into these they admitted their fellow Jews, who were being driven from Jerusalem and their homes by the enemy: of whom many, flocking to Judas, increased his forces, so that he might boldly attack the Antiochians and successfully overthrow them, just as shortly afterward he laid low twenty thousand of them. So says Sanchez.
But instead of "Jews" it seems one should read "Idumeans," as the Greek codices read: for these are called the fortifications of the Idumeans in the following verse; for he wants to signify two enemies of the Jews, namely Gorgias and the Idumeans. The meaning therefore is: the Idumeans, perpetual enemies of the Jews, occupied several fortifications of the Jews, into which they received Jewish apostates and deserters, namely those who fled to them from Jerusalem on account of apostasy and crimes, and with them they "attempted" to "wage war" and bring war upon Jerusalem and the Jews. But Judas, having invoked God, attacked these fortifications of the Idumeans with an armed force and killed twenty thousand, as follows. So say Serarius, Salianus, and others.
Verse 17: Twenty Thousand Slain
17. Twenty thousand. — The Greek text has nine thousand.
Verse 19: Joseph the Brother of Judas
19. Joseph. — This is Joseph the brother of Judas, Jonathan, and Simon, concerning whom see chapter VIII, verse 22.
Verse 20: Simon's Men Bribed by Money
20. But those who were with Simon, led by greed (avarice), etc., having accepted 70,000 didrachmas (of silver, which if they were Attic, amount to 5,833 gold pieces; but if Hebrew, double that), they let some (of the enemies shut up in the towers) escape.
21. But when it was reported to Maccabeus, etc. He accused them of having sold their brothers for money by letting their adversaries go. — For he betrays the safety of citizens who releases their enemies, either captured or about to be captured; for once released they will again attack, plunder, and kill them, especially in order to recover the ransom they had paid for themselves.
Verse 29: Five Angels on Horses
29. There appeared to the adversaries five men on horses, adorned with golden bridles, giving leadership to the Jews.
30. Of whom two, keeping Maccabeus between them, guarded him unharmed, shielded by their arms; but they hurled weapons and thunderbolts at the adversaries, from which, confused by blindness and filled with turmoil, they fell. — These were five Angels fighting for Judas and the faithful people at God's command. Thus Angels fought for Theodosius against Eugenius, when they turned back the weapons of his soldiers upon themselves, as Theodoret testifies, book V, chapter XXIV. Thus for St. Wenceslaus, as his Life relates, when he was dueling with Radislaus, Duke of Curim, an Angel fought and struck the Duke, so that prostrated he begged for pardon and life. Thus for Constantine the Great Angels fought, who, as Panegyric VI says, "there blazed something awe-inspiring with gleaming shield-boss, and the terrible light of heavenly arms burned. For such men had come that they might be believed to be yours. This was their speech, this they conveyed among their hearers: We seek Constantine, we come to aid Constantine." More examples are reviewed by Serarius here, page 676.
Verse 32: Timothy Flees to Gazara
32. But Timothy fled to Gazara. — Gorionides thinks this is "Gaza," but others with Serarius distinguish between the two. See here the continual victories of Judas granted to him by God, especially those in which he killed 20,000 Timotheans, just as shortly before he had killed twenty thousand Idumeans, and finally killed Timothy himself with Chaereas and Apollophanes.
Verse 35: Twenty Young Men Inflamed by Blasphemy
35. Twenty young men inflamed in spirit on account of the blasphemy. — See here what the spirit and ardor of young men can accomplish. See again how foolish and dangerous it is to provoke and inflame the spirits and anger of enemies by mocking and blaspheming.
Thus Alexander the Great, as Curtius narrates near the end of book VII, besieging a sheer and precipitous rock which Arimazes the Sogdian held with thirty thousand armed men, and asking him to surrender, was mocked by him, being asked whether he could fly? Stung by this taunt, Alexander said: I will show next night that Macedonians can even fly; therefore he inflamed three hundred young men with the greatest rewards and promises, to climb the rock by night from behind through inaccessible places, while he himself would attack the rock from the front, where the road lay open. The young men, inflamed, penetrated the rock with the greatest efforts, mindful of that saying of Alexander: "Nature has set nothing so high that virtue cannot reach it." Wherefore Arimazes, struck with fear, surrendered himself with his kinsmen to Alexander, who ordered them all to be beaten and crucified at the very base of the rock.
Verse 37: Found in a Cistern
37. Found in a certain place, — in Greek, a cistern.