Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Antiochus Eupator, with Lysias as his general, renews the war against Judas with 110,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 horsemen, and hurls Menelaus the pseudo-pontiff from a height. Against Eupator, at verse 10, Judas opposes himself, and having invoked God, entering his camp by night, he killed many. Then, at verse 18, Eupator besieges Bethsura and takes it by surrender. Finally, at verse 22, fighting with Judas he is defeated: whence hearing that Philip was rebelling, he begged peace from Judas and obtained it.
Vulgate Text: 2 Maccabees 13:1-26
1. In the one hundred and forty-ninth year, Judas learned that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea, 2. and with him Lysias the procurator and administrator of affairs, having with him one hundred and ten thousand foot soldiers, and five thousand horsemen, and twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes. 3. Menelaus also joined them: and with much deceit he entreated Antiochus, not for the safety of the fatherland, but hoping to be established in the principate. 4. But the King of kings stirred up the spirits of Antiochus against the sinner: and when Lysias suggested that this man was the cause of all the evils, he ordered him to be seized and killed on the spot (as is their custom). 5. Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having an accumulation of ashes on every side: this had an outlook over the precipice. 6. From there he ordered the sacrilegious man to be thrown into the ashes, with everyone pushing him to destruction. 7. And by such a law it happened that the violator of the law died, and Menelaus was not given to the earth. 8. And indeed quite justly: for because he had committed many offenses against the altar of God, whose fire and ashes were holy, he himself was condemned to death by ashes. 9. But the king, with unbridled mind, was coming, intending to show himself more wicked to the Jews than his father. 10. When Judas learned of these things, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that, as always and now, He might help them: 11. since they feared being deprived of the law, their fatherland, and the holy temple; and lest He allow the people, who had recently breathed a little, to be subjected again to blasphemous nations. 12. When all together were doing this, and seeking mercy from the Lord, with weeping and fasting, prostrate for three continuous days, Judas exhorted them to prepare themselves. 13. He himself with the elders considered going out before the king could bring his army to Judea and obtain the city, and committing the outcome of the matter to the judgment of the Lord. 14. Committing therefore all power to God the creator of the world, and having exhorted his men to fight bravely and to stand even unto death for the laws, the temple, the city, the fatherland, and the citizens, he stationed the army near Modin. 15. And having given his men the signal of God's victory, with the bravest young men chosen, he attacked the royal tent by night, killed four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants with those mounted upon them: 16. and filling the enemy camp with the utmost fear and confusion, when things had been accomplished successfully, they departed. 17. This was done at daybreak, with the help of the Lord's protection. 18. But the king, having tasted the boldness of the Jews, tried by cunning the difficulty of the terrain: 19. and he moved his camp toward Bethsura, which was a fortified garrison of the Jews; but he was repulsed, defeated, and diminished. 20. Judas sent necessary supplies to those who were inside. 21. But a certain Rhodocus from the Jewish army revealed secrets to the enemy, who, having been sought, was captured and confined. 22. Again the king addressed those who were in Bethsura: he gave the right hand, received it, and departed; 23. he fought with Judas and was defeated. But when he learned that Philip, who had been left in charge of affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, dismayed in mind, entreating the Jews and submitting to them, he swore to all things that seemed just: and being reconciled he offered sacrifice, honored the temple, and placed gifts. 24. He embraced Maccabeus and made him governor and chief from Ptolemais to the Gerrenians. 25. But when he came to Ptolemais, the Ptolemaeans took the terms of friendship badly, indignant lest perhaps they should break the treaty. 26. Then Lysias ascended the tribunal and explained the reason, and calmed the people, and returned to Antioch; and in this manner the king's departure and return proceeded.
This chapter is to be placed at book I, chapter VI, verse 28; for there up to the end of the chapter the same things that are here are narrated at length. Whence you may infer that the author of this second book was different from the author of the first book, as is clear from the diversity of narration.
Verse 2: One Hundred and Ten Thousand Foot Soldiers
2. One hundred and ten thousand foot soldiers, five thousand horsemen, and twenty-two elephants. — You will object: in book I, chapter VI, verse 30, one hundred thousand foot soldiers and twenty thousand horsemen, and 32 elephants are numbered. I respond that on different days the number of troops was different; for new ones were arriving while older ones, sent elsewhere, were departing.
Verse 3: Menelaus Joined Them
3. Menelaus also joined them, — who had been appointed by Antiochus Epiphanes as the pseudo-pontiff of the Jews, seeking from Eupator, the son of Epiphanes, to have this Pontificate, and consequently the Principate (for then the Pontiff was simultaneously the prince) confirmed for himself. See what was said at chapter IV, verses 23 and the last.
4. But the King of kings (God) stirred up the spirits of Antiochus against the sinner (that is, against the apostate and traitor to the fatherland Menelaus, that being indignant He might punish him according to his deserts) with Lysias suggesting that this man was the cause of all the evils, — that is, of all the seditions and wars which the Jews were waging against Antiochus, because they could not endure Menelaus as an insolent and sacrilegious pseudo-pontiff. So says Josephus.
He ordered him to be seized and killed on the spot (as is their custom), — that is, to be thrown from a high tower. For thus the Syrians were accustomed to punish traitors, sacrilegious men, and criminals, about which more in the following verse.
Verse 5: The Tower Fifty Cubits High
5. Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having an accumulation of ashes on every side. — Our translator seems to have had a different Greek manuscript; for the modern one reads thus: In that place there was a tower of 50 cubits, full of ashes, having an accumulation of ashes at the bottom. It had a rotating device, steep on all sides into the ashes; here they push to destruction anyone guilty of sacrilege, and anyone who was a ringleader of other crimes, or who had exceeded bounds. The Tigurine version reads thus: In that place there was a tower of 50 cubits full of dust, which had a rotating machine, sloping on all sides into the dust. There, whoever was condemned for sacrilege, or whoever had perpetrated any other notable crime, everyone pushed to destruction.
This kind of punishment was devised by Darius Ochus, king of Persia, to punish the authors of a conspiracy whom he had sworn not to kill with the sword. For as Valerius Maximus says, book IX, chapter II: "He filled a place enclosed by high walls with ashes, and having placed a wooden platform over it, with food and drink conveniently placed, he settled those received in it on the platform, from which, overcome by sleep, they fell into that treacherous heap." Ovid teaches the same in Ibis.
And as those slain by the fraud of the second Darius, So may succeeding ashes devour its bones.
Verse 6: The Sacrilegious Man Cast into the Ashes
6. From there he ordered the sacrilegious man to be thrown into the ashes. — See here the just and fitting punishment of retaliation inflicted on Menelaus by God the avenger: for He caused him to be buried and entombed in profane ashes, because he himself had scattered the ashes of God's altar and contaminated them with his sacrileges, as is expressly said at verse 8.
9. But the king (Antiochus Eupator) with unbridled mind (indignant and raging against the Jews who were rebelling against him) was coming, intending to show himself more wicked (more truculent) to the Jews than his father (Antiochus Epiphanes, the most cruel).
10. When Judas learned of these things he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night; — for three days, as follows. Behold, here is the prelude and, as it were, the origin of the public litany, or continuous prayer, both by night and by day for 40, indeed 72 hours. These were the spiritual arms of Judas, with which he always triumphed over the enemy.
14. Committing therefore all power to God, — that is, Judas, committing and resigning himself and his men to the good pleasure of God as Lord of all, invaded the camp of Antiochus by night, either to conquer or to fall for God and fatherland, as God should have willed.
Verse 15: The Signal of God's Victory
15. And having given his men the signal of God's victory, — that is, Judas gave his men this military signal, or watchword, namely "God the Victor," or "Victory of God," or "God the Helper." For he was accustomed to give this signal to his men as an omen of victory, as is evident from chapter VIII, verse 23. Whence Judas, with God as his leader, soon killed four thousand of the enemy, and struck terror into the rest, so that they thought of flight.
Verse 18: The King Tries Cunning
18. But the king, having tasted the boldness of the Jews, (that is, when he had tasted, that is, perceived and actually experienced the boldness of Judas, with which he had dared to break into his camp with a few men and slaughter four thousand, fearing he might dare more and greater things, turning from force to cunning) tried by cunning the difficulty of the terrain, — that is, through cleverness, deceit, and treachery he attempted to occupy the places in Judea that were more difficult to storm. Therefore,
19. He moved his camp toward Bethsura, but he was repulsed, defeated, and diminished. — Vatablus: he was worn down, both by famine, by diseases, and by the arms of the besieged as well as of Judas attacking him unexpectedly. Bethsura was a most strongly fortified citadel situated on a rock and cliff (for Bethsur in Hebrew means the same as "house of the rock"); whence Josephus, book XIII, chapter IX, says Bethsura was the most fortified place in all Judea. It was to the south of Jerusalem, distant from it by five stadia, that is, 624 paces, to defend it against the incursions of the Idumeans and other enemies. Therefore Antiochus was unable to take Bethsura by force, especially since Judas was present and continually sent provisions and supplies to the besieged, as follows.
Verse 21: Rhodocus the Traitor
21. But Rhodocus revealed secrets (that is, hidden or confidential matters) to the enemy: — Salianus probably opines that these secrets were certain hidden paths and ways by which provisions were being conveyed to Bethsura, which the treacherous Rhodocus disclosed to the enemy, intending to defect to them: but when the matter was discovered, he was sought, found, and thrown into prison. That this is so may be inferred from the following verse.
Verse 22: The King Addresses Bethsura Again
22. Again the king addressed those who were in Bethsura: he gave the right hand, received it, and departed, — that is, the king first addressed the soldiers of Bethsura to surrender, but was repulsed by them, because Judas was supplying provisions to the besieged by hidden paths. But when Antiochus learned of these paths through the traitor Rhodocus and blocked them, he again addressed the soldiers and, now suffering from hunger, bent them to surrender.
Verse 23: Defeated by Judas; Philip's Rebellion
23. He fought (a battle) with Judas and was defeated. — That is, Antiochus, having taken Bethsura, proceeded to nearby Jerusalem; but there he was repulsed and defeated by Judas, see what was said in book I, chapter VI, verse 51. So says Sanchez, although Salianus refers this to the four thousand killed by Judas in the camp of Antiochus, verse 15, before Bethsura was taken.
But when he learned that Philip had rebelled, — to whom Antiochus Epiphanes on his deathbed had entrusted his signet ring and diadem, and had committed his son Eupator with the kingdom. When Philip heard that Lysias was the guardian of Eupator and was administering the kingdom, he rebelled against both and occupied Antioch. Therefore Lysias, in order to besiege him in Antioch, capture and kill him, sought and obtained peace with Judas and the Jews. See what was said in book I, chapter VI, verses 14 and 55.
Entreating the Jews and submitting to them. — Vatablus, exaggerating the matter more liberally, translates thus: "Disturbed, he humbly submitted to the Jews, swore to whatever conditions, entered into peace, offered sacrifice, rendered honor to the temple, treated the place with kindness, and embraced Maccabeus," etc.
Verse 24: Judas Made Governor from Ptolemais to the Gerrenians
24. And he made him (Judas) governor and chief from Ptolemais to the Gerrenians (that is, Gerasenes). — In Greek: He left Judas as military commander from Ptolemais to the principate of the Gerrenians, so that in the name of Antiochus he might administer those regions as a viceroy.
25. But when he came to Ptolemais, the Ptolemaeans took the terms of friendship badly, indignant lest perhaps they should break the treaty. — In Greek, They were indignant because they had wanted to annul the treaties: which some explain thus, that is, the Ptolemaeans bore it ill that certain things had been granted by Antiochus to the Jews, on account of which the Ptolemaeans themselves had wanted to annul the treaties of peace. But this meaning does not agree with the Latin Vulgate, which clearly attributes the fear of breaking the treaty to the Jews, that is, the Ptolemaeans were indignant at this treaty entered into by Antiochus with the Jews, and especially that they had been subjected to Judas Maccabeus as a viceroy, because they feared that Judas and the Jews, now made more powerful, would become insolent, and would break the treaty made with the king, and would compel them also and the neighboring regions, as now subject to Judas, to rebel together with them. For the Ptolemaeans were enemies of the Jews, as is evident from the fact that they themselves captured Jonathan, the brother of Judas, by treachery and killed him with his men, as was said in book I, chapter XII, verse 48.
Verse 26: Lysias Calms the People
26. Then Lysias ascended the tribunal (like a high and elevated platform, from which he could be seen and heard by all), and explained the reason (why this treaty had been entered into, namely that it was expedient, both for the king and for themselves, to cultivate peace with Judas and the Jews, as men most brave, most fortunate, most just, and most faithful, and thus) he calmed the (restless) people.