Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Demetrius, having killed Lysias and Antiochus Eupator, at the urging of the traitor Alcimus, sends Nicanor with a great army against Judas and the Jews; but he enters into a treaty with Judas: Demetrius takes this badly, and orders that Judas be sent to him in chains. Judas, sensing this, withdraws to a safe place: soon Nicanor vomits forth the anger he had conceived against Judas upon Razias, a man of great renown. But Razias inflicts violent death upon himself by three methods, rather than fall into his hands.
Vulgate Text: 2 Maccabees 14:1-46
1. But after a period of three years, Judas and those who were with him learned that Demetrius, son of Seleucus, with a strong force and ships, had come up through the port of Tripolis to advantageous positions, 2. and had taken possession of regions against Antiochus and his general Lysias. 3. But a certain Alcimus, who had been high priest but had voluntarily defiled himself in the times of intermingling, considering that there was no safety for him in any way, nor access to the altar, 4. came to King Demetrius, in the one hundred and fiftieth year, offering him a golden crown and a palm, and besides these, branches that seemed to belong to the temple. And on that day indeed he was silent. 5. But having found an opportune time for his madness, called by Demetrius to counsel, and asked on what things and plans the Jews relied, 6. he answered: Those who are called the Hasideans among the Jews, over whom Judas Maccabeus presides, foster wars and stir up seditions, and do not allow the kingdom to be at peace. 7. For I also, defrauded of the glory of my ancestors (I mean the high priesthood), have come here: 8. first indeed keeping faith with the interests of the king, but secondly also consulting for the citizens; for by their perversity our entire race is not a little vexed. 9. But I pray, O king, when you have learned of each of these things, provide for both the region and our race according to your humanity, which is known to all. 10. For as long as Judas survives, it is impossible for the affairs of state to have peace. 11. When such things had been said by this man, the other friends also, being hostile toward Judas, inflamed Demetrius. 12. He immediately sent Nicanor, commander of the elephants, as general to Judea. 13. With orders to capture Judas himself; to scatter those who were with him, and to install Alcimus as high priest of the great temple. 14. Then the Gentiles who had fled from Judea before Judas flocked to join Nicanor; considering the miseries and disasters of the Jews as their own prosperity. 15. When therefore the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming and the gathering of the nations, sprinkled with earth they besought Him who established His people to guard them forever, and who protects His own portion with evident signs. 16. At the order of their leader, they immediately set out from there, and came together at the fortress of Dessau. 17. Simon, the brother of Judas, had engaged with Nicanor: but he was terrified by the sudden arrival of the adversaries. 18. Nevertheless Nicanor, hearing of the valor of Judas's companions, and the greatness of spirit which they had for the struggles of their fatherland, feared to decide the matter by blood. 19. Therefore he sent ahead Posidonius, Theodotius, and Matthias, to give and receive the right hand of peace. 20. And when deliberation was held about these things for a long time, and the leader himself had referred the matter to the multitude, the unanimous opinion of all was to agree to friendship. 21. And so they appointed a day on which they would meet privately; and chairs were brought out and placed for each. 22. But Judas ordered armed men to be placed in strategic positions, lest some evil should suddenly arise from the enemy: and they held an appropriate conference. 23. Nicanor stayed in Jerusalem and did nothing unjust; and he dismissed the crowds that had gathered in flocks. 24. He always held Judas dear in his heart, and was favorably disposed toward the man. 25. He asked him to marry and beget children. He married, lived quietly, and they lived in common. 26. But Alcimus, seeing the friendship between them and the agreements, came to Demetrius and said that Nicanor was favoring hostile interests, and had designated Judas, a plotter against the kingdom, as his successor. 27. And so the king, exasperated and provoked by the worst accusations of this man, wrote to Nicanor, saying that he was indeed displeased with the agreement of friendship, but nevertheless ordered Maccabeus to be sent to Antioch in chains at once. 28. When Nicanor learned of this he was dismayed, and bore it badly to annul the agreements they had made, having suffered no injury from the man: 29. but since he could not resist the king, he watched for an opportunity to carry out the command. 30. But Maccabeus, seeing that Nicanor was acting more harshly toward him, and was showing his usual meeting more fiercely, understanding that this harshness was not from goodwill, gathered a few of his men and hid himself from Nicanor. 31. When Nicanor realized that he had been courageously forestalled by the man, he came to the greatest and most holy temple: and when the priests were offering the customary sacrifices, he ordered them to hand over the man, 32. and when they said with an oath that they did not know where the one sought was, he stretched out his hand toward the temple, 33. and swore, saying: Unless you hand Judas over to me in chains, I will level this sanctuary of God to a plain, and dig up the altar, and consecrate this temple to Father Bacchus. 34. And having said this, he departed; but the priests, stretching out their hands to heaven, called upon Him who was always the defender of their nation, saying these words: 35. You, O Lord of all, who have need of nothing, willed that the temple of Your dwelling should be made among us. 36. And now, O Holy One, Lord of all sanctity, preserve forever undefiled this house, which has recently been purified. 37. But a certain Razias, one of the elders from Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor, a man who loved the city and was well spoken of: who out of affection was called a father of the Jews. 38. He for many times had held the purpose of continence in Judaism, and was content to give body and soul for perseverance. 39. And Nicanor, wishing to manifest the hatred he had against the Jews, sent five hundred soldiers to seize him. 40. For he thought that if he captured him, he would inflict the greatest damage on the Jews. 41. But when the crowds were trying to rush into his house, break down the door, and set fire to it, when he was about to be seized, he struck himself with a sword; 42. choosing nobly to die rather than to be subjected to sinners, and to be dealt unworthy insults against his noble birth. 43. But since in his haste he had not struck a sure blow, and the crowd was bursting through the doors, running boldly to the wall, he manfully threw himself down into the crowd: 44. who quickly gave way before his fall, and he came down upon his neck; 45. and while he still breathed, inflamed in spirit, he rose up: and though his blood was flowing in a great stream, and he was wounded with the most grievous injuries, at a run he passed through the crowd: 46. and standing upon a certain steep rock, now drained of blood, he grasped his own intestines, and with both hands hurled them upon the crowd, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore these to him again: and so he departed this life.
This chapter and the following are connected with chapter VII of book I.
Verse 1: After a Period of Three Years
1. But after a period of three years, — that is, in the third year from the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, namely in the year 150 of the Greeks, as is said at verse 4. For the Author of this second book supposes that Antiochus Epiphanes died in the year 148 of the Greeks; for although he died in the year 149 according to the Jewish reckoning, nevertheless this year 149 was 148 according to the Antiochene reckoning, as I said above; and consequently this year 150 of the Greeks according to the Antiochene reckoning was 151 according to the Jewish reckoning.
Demetrius, son of Seleucus. — This Seleucus was the elder son of Antiochus the Great; the younger son of the same was Antiochus Epiphanes. Therefore to Demetrius, as the son of the elder brother, the kingdom of Asia and Syria was owed. Demetrius therefore, a hostage at Rome, hearing that his uncle Antiochus Epiphanes had died, asked the Romans for permission to return to his people and to seize the kingdom owed to him by right. But the Romans denied him this, because they feared him more than Eupator, the son of Epiphanes, who was a mere boy. Therefore Demetrius, fleeing secretly from Rome, came to Syria, where, crowned king by his people, having killed Eupator and Lysias, he seized the kingdom, as I said in book I, chapter VII.
Verse 3: Alcimus the Apostate Pseudo-Pontiff
3. But Alcimus. (Concerning this pseudo-pontiff and traitor Alcimus, I spoke in book I, chapter VII, 7.) But he had voluntarily defiled himself in the times of intermingling; (that is, when Antiochus Epiphanes ordered the Jews to mingle with the Gentiles, and to apostatize from Judaism to Gentilism, then Alcimus also apostatized: therefore) considering that there was no safety for him in any way, nor access to the altar, — both because the Jews as an apostate had excluded him from the temple, and because Judas Maccabeus, already serving as Pontiff and prince, would by no means have tolerated Alcimus as a rival; therefore Alcimus asked Demetrius to send Nicanor against Judas, and thus confer the Pontificate on himself.
Verse 4: The Golden Crown, Palm, and Branches
4. Offering him a golden crown (with which he congratulated the new king Demetrius on his new kingdom) and a palm (with which he prayed for his victory against Judas and the other enemies) and branches (that is, boughs from the olive tree, with which he sought peace: for the olive is a symbol of peace, but the sacrilegious man had taken these from the temple. Hence it follows:) which seemed to belong to the temple. — Moreover these branches and palms, as well as the crown, were fashioned from gold.
Verse 6: The Hasideans and Judas Maccabeus
6. Those who are called the Hasideans (who these were I said in book I, chapter VII, 13) over whom Judas Maccabeus presides. — Hence it is clear that Judas was a Hasidean in religion and piety, indeed the chief and prince of the Hasideans.
Verse 18: Nicanor Fears Judas's Companions
18. Nevertheless Nicanor, hearing of the valor of Judas's companions, etc., feared to decide the matter by blood, — that is, he feared to fight in battle and settle the dispute by arms; for he was afraid of being conquered and killed by Judas; therefore he sent envoys to him for the sake of peace, and made peace with him.
Verse 24: Nicanor Holds Judas Dear
24. He always held Judas dear in his heart. — In Greek en prosōpon, that is, before his face, that is, Nicanor always had Judas before his eyes as his friend and familiar.
And he was favorably disposed toward the man, — that is, inclined and benevolent toward Judas. Some explain "in the face" in the contrary sense, that is, Nicanor outwardly pretended to be a friend of Judas; but inwardly he hated him as a most powerful war leader, whom he could not equal, and therefore was persuading him to take a wife, so that through her he might become effeminate and lay aside his warlike spirit; just as Samson was made effeminate by his Delilah and despoiled of his strength. But this meaning contradicts the Vulgate, which says: "He held Judas dear in his heart."
Verse 25: Judas Marries
25. He asked him (Judas) to marry and beget children, — so that he might beget offspring like himself, and pour into them his own fortitude and martial valor; for as the Lyric poet says:
The brave are born from the brave and good. In young bulls, in horses, there is the fathers' Valor, nor do fierce eagles Beget a peaceable dove.
So says Horace, book IV of Odes, ode IV. Gorionides adds that Judas begat a male child from his wife; but he seems to have died shortly, as did Judas, who fell in battle the following year; for no mention is made of his son in Scripture.
And they lived in common, — that is, Judas and Nicanor were familiar with each other. Otherwise Serarius translates the Greek ekoinōnēse biou: He lived a common life, or lived in common, namely Judas, that is, Judas had nothing of his own; but lived as a Hasidean, or Essene, with his companions in common, just as religious now live.
Verse 26: Alcimus Accuses Nicanor
26. But Alcimus, etc., that is, Alcimus, the rival of Judas, accused Nicanor before King Demetrius, that he had entered into a treaty with his enemy Judas, and had designated him, a plotter against the kingdom, as his successor (Greek diadoken, that is, deputy) (who, namely, would command the army in his place); — whence the angered Demetrius ordered Nicanor to capture Judas and send him bound to him; for Judas was plotting against his kingdom.
31. That he had been courageously (Greek: nobly) forestalled by the man (Judas). — For it is the mark of a noble character to prudently foresee future ambushes and dangers, and to guard against them, and to place oneself and one's possessions in safety, as Judas did here.
Verse 37: Razias the Father of the Jews
37. But a certain Razias, one of the elders (that is, one of the Senators and chief men of Jerusalem) who out of affection (out of love for his fellow citizens and fatherland) was called a father of the Jews.
38. He for many times had held the purpose of continence in Judaism, — "continence," namely from a wife, that is, of chastity or celibacy: so say some. Or rather, continence in the true faith and worship of God, that is, Razias always, even in persecution, maintained himself in Judaism and the ancestral religion, and did not mingle with the many who were apostatizing from it to Gentilism under Epiphanes: for this is what the Greek akrasias means, that is, non-intermingling; and this is what is meant by "he held the purpose of continence in Judaism," namely constant perseverance unto death in Judaism; whence, explaining the same thing shortly, he adds: Content to give body and soul for perseverance in the ancestral religion of the Jews. Gorionides adds that Razias was a Hasidean by profession.
Verse 40: The Capture and Death of Razias
40. For he thought that if he captured him. — Salianus thinks it should be read "had seized;" for the Greek is syllabōn, that is, "if he had apprehended him."
42. Choosing nobly (Greek eugenōs, that is, generously) to die rather than be subjected to sinners, and to be dealt unworthy insults against his noble birth (Razias was therefore born of noble parents). — In Greek: And to be unworthily afflicted with insults against his own nobility. This was the attitude of Razias, as it was of other nobles of this age, who think it noble to die rather than suffer unworthy mockeries. But the attitude of the faithful and Christians is different, especially of the Apostles and martyrs, concerning whom therefore it is said in Acts V: "The Apostles went from the presence of the council rejoicing, because they had been deemed worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus."
Verse 44: On Razias's Self-Inflicted Death
44. He came down upon his neck. — In Greek, through the middle of his belly, that is, he fell to the ground not headfirst, but onto his belly, so that he dashed the middle of his neck against the ground. Razias therefore killed himself by a threefold death: first he stabbed himself with a sword; second, he threw himself down from the wall; third, with both hands he hurled his entrails into the crowd.
You will ask whether Razias sinned by killing himself. I assume from the common opinion of St. Augustine, Lactantius, St. Thomas, and the other Doctors of the Church that it is not lawful for a man to kill himself to avoid infamy, violation of chastity, danger of sinning, or for any other reason. The a priori reason is that God alone is the master of our life, who, as He gave it, so He reclaims and takes it back whenever it pleases Him. Therefore he who kills himself does an injury to God; because he snatches from Him something that is God's own, namely his life. See St. Augustine, book I of The City of God, from chapter XX to XXIV.
This as to the thesis; now let us descend to the hypothesis, and inquire whether Razias here and now sinned by killing himself, or not.
First, St. Augustine, book II Against the Epistle of Gaudentius, chapter XXIII, inclines more toward the view that he sinned, especially because of the Circumcellions, who, imitating the example of Razias, killed themselves, as if this were honorable; indeed, a kind of martyrdom. Therefore Razias is praised here for his probity, continence, authority, and love of fatherland, but not for killing himself: "Unable to bear humility," he says, "in the hands of enemies, he gave an example not of wisdom, but of folly, to be imitated not by the martyrs of Christ, but by the Circumcellions of Donatus." And further: "Whence there crept upon him, as upon a man, an impatience of humility, so that he preferred to die rather than be subjected to enemies. It is said that he chose to die nobly; it would have been better humbly, for then it would have been usefully. But with those words the history of nations is accustomed to praise the brave men of this world, not the martyrs of Christ. It is said that he manfully threw himself from the wall into the crowd, and we do not say that he did this in a womanly way, although you who have profited greatly from this example have taught even your women to do the same. But we confess that they too do this not in a womanly but in a manly way; yet not in a salutary way, because not in a faithful way."
Second, Francisco de Vitoria, Relectio on Homicide, and St. Thomas respond that Razias did not sin, because he inflicted voluntary death on himself by the impulse of the Holy Spirit. But no spark of this impulse appears here, especially because the Holy Spirit is not accustomed to inspire someone to kill himself to avoid the disgrace of mockery, as Razias did here; for this is in itself dishonorable and unlawful.
Third, therefore I say that Razias is excused here from sin through blameless ignorance, by which he did not know that killing oneself in such a case was unlawful; indeed he judged it to be lawful, honorable, noble, and generous, as is said at verse 42. For just as in the past many of the ancients, both philosophers and Doctors of the Church, thought that lying was sometimes lawful, so they also judged the same about killing oneself. For this was the opinion of the Stoics, which Seneca repeatedly inculcates, in epistles 12, 17, 24, 58, 59, 71, 78. Cicero indicates the same, book I, epistles 12 and 22, and Pliny. The same was the opinion of certain Hebrews in Josephus, book XII, chapter V, and book XV, chapter VIII. The same was the view of St. Jerome on Jonah chapter I, near the end, where he says: "Whence in persecutions it is not lawful to perish by one's own hand except where chastity is in danger;" where he clearly indicates that in danger to chastity it is lawful to kill oneself. Thus St. Ambrose, book III On Virgins, before the middle, and Eusebius, book VIII of the History, chapters XII and XVII, and Palladius in the Lausiac History, chapter CI, praise women who killed themselves lest they be violated. For they attribute this to divine inspiration, but praise the deed as honorable for such a purpose. In a similar way Dominic Soto excuses St. Apollonia, book V On Justice, Question I, article 5, at the end: For killing oneself for the safety of one's fatherland, or to guard one's chastity, is not so evidently evil that it cannot blamelessly be unknown, and be thought to be lawful, as those most learned men already cited thought, following whom Cato, the wisest of the Romans, killed himself, lest by surrendering to Caesar the victor he become a laughingstock. Thus therefore Razias also seems to be excusable through ignorance from sin, especially because he was as it were the head of the senate and the prince of Israel; whence the mockeries that Antiochus would have inflicted on him would have been inflicted on the senate and all Israel; he therefore preferred to die rather than expose himself and all Israel to the insults and mockery of an idolatrous king. Add that the king could have pretended that Razias had apostatized from Judaism and apostatized to his idolatry: which would have moved many Jews to follow his example and apostatize. Moreover, Razias could fear lest, overcome by the severity of tortures, he should yield to Antiochus and truly apostatize from the faith, which would have been a tremendous scandal to all Israel. Therefore he seemed to himself to be acting prudently if he cut off all these dangers and harms by a voluntary death. Thus in the Indian Histories in Jerome Osorius, book VIII On the Deeds of Emanuel, after the beginning, we read that John Machiadus, a faithful Portuguese man, killed his two little sons out of piety, to rescue them from the danger of Mohammedanism and consequently of eternal damnation. For they were about to be captured by the Mohammedans and raised in their perfidy. Thus Lessius excuses Razias through ignorance, book II On Justice, chapter IX, doubt 6, number 23; and this is confirmed by the fact that Razias is here commended for extraordinary virtue and probity, who certainly would not have killed himself unless he had thought it lawful, indeed honorable and generous. Whence even as he expired at verse 46, he elicited an act of faith and hope in God, "calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore these to him again," in the blessed resurrection.
Given this ignorance of Razias, this was a heroic act of fortitude, by which he killed himself for the honor of his fatherland and the preservation of the ancestral religion, and therefore, at verse 42, it is said of him: "Choosing nobly to die." For it is far more difficult to kill oneself than to endure death inflicted by another; therefore, given the ignorance that in such a case it was lawful to kill oneself, Razias elicited the supreme act of fortitude by striking and killing himself not once but three times. For nature supremely loves itself and its own life; therefore it is of the most generous fortitude to transcend this natural affection, and willingly lay down one's life for God.
Hence let the faithful learn how courageously they ought to endure torments and death inflicted for faith and piety. For if Razias a Jew, having an obscure faith and hope in the resurrection, killed himself for it, why should not a Christian, after the examples of Christ and others who have risen, willingly embrace death inflicted for His sake, when he is certain that through it he will be transferred to the blessed and eternal life? For that oracle of Christ, which is equally a promise, is firmly established: "He who loses his life for My sake shall find it," Matthew X, 39. Again, why should he not mortify his concupiscence and flesh, which he believes will be vivified and liberated in heaven through mortification? For mortification is like a kind of living death, by which a man, through a serious resolution of the contrary will, renounces and cuts off the carnal appetites alive within him. Whence he feels this cutting to the quick, and it pains him just as if a tooth were being pulled. Hear St. Ambrose, book III On Virgins, celebrating with wondrous praises St. Pelagia, a virgin of fifteen years, who threw herself with her mother and sisters into a river, and drowned herself lest she be violated: "With hands joined, as if leading a dance, they advance into the middle of the stream, directing their steps where the current was swiftest, where the depth was most abrupt. None drew back her foot, none halted her step, none tried to find footing; anxious when they met the ground, offended by the shallows, glad at the depths. You could see the pious mother tying the knot of their hands, rejoicing in her charge, fearing the fall; lest the waves should carry her daughters away from her. These victims, she says, I sacrifice to You, O Christ, guardians of virginity, leaders of chastity, companions of suffering." Moreover the Church venerates these women, who killed themselves to defend their chastity, as martyrs, because they had been, as it were, compelled to this. Whence since they did not sin in that deed, by moral estimation they are considered to have been killed by the persecutors themselves, and thus they are martyrs. If anyone wishes to say the same about Razias, I will not oppose.