1 Maccabees 4 Commentary

“Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets.”

Trumpet. There were many priests in the army.

“Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.”

Gezeron, or Gazera, near Emmaus. — Idumea. Alexandrian manuscript reads “Judea,” which seems more probable. The enemy fled on all sides, some among the Philistines; (Calmet) others to the southern parts of Juda, occupied by Edom. (Haydock)

“Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.”

Sea. This sort of purple was most esteemed. The art of dying it is now lost. The merchants’ goods fell into the hands of the Jews. The pursuit was interrupted by the sabbath. At various times Bacchides and Timothy lost above 20,000; Phylarchus and Callisthenes perished; and Nicanor saved himself by flight. The booty was laid up in places of security, 2 Machabees viii. 25, 30.

“After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised the Lord in heaven: because it is good, because his mercy endureth forever.”

For ever. This was the chorus of Psalm cxxxv., which was sung; (Calmet) or the [Psalm] cxvii. might be used on this occasion. (Haydock)

“Who, when he heard thereof, was confounded and discouraged, because neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things as the king commanded him were come to pass.”

Commanded. See what followed, 2 Machabees viii. 8., to the end. (Worthington)

“Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction:”

Destruction. Let them perish, or fall upon each other.

“And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;”

Burnt by Callisthenes, whom the Jews burnt in a house, 2 Machabees viii. (Calmet) — Chambers; (pastophoria. Septuagint) places for beds, veils, &c. (Haydock) — St. Jerome commonly prefers “the treasury,” with Aquila, or “beds,” as Symmachus translates. Chambers for the officers of the temple were common both among pagans and Christians. (Rufin, Hist. ii. 23.; Com. Apost.[Apostolic Constitutions?] ii. 57; Clement [of Alexandria,] pæd. iii. 2.) (Calmet) — As it was the chief design of Judas to defend religion, so he presently purifies the temple. (Worthington)

“Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.”

Fight, or to be ready, if the garrison should offer to molest them (Calmet) from the higher part of Sion, while they were performing what religion required of them. (Haydock)

“So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:”

Blemish. Legal uncleanness or immorality. (Calmet)

“Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.”

Defiled. Altars, temples, and statues of false gods made of stone, and set up in the temple, (chap. i. 50.; Worthington) and before the houses, (2 Machabees x. 1.) were now demolished and thrown into the vale of Cedron, 2 Paralipomenon xxix. 16.

“And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;”

Profaned with impure victims, and with the altar of Jupiter erected above it, chap. i. 23.

“And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.”

Stones; rough, and covered with brass: (Exodus xx. 25.) though this latter circumstances is not certain with respect to the altar built by the captives. — Prophet. None was recognized after Malachias, as God prepared his people to pay more attention to the Messias.

“Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;”

Law. Nothing was specified. The altar in the desert was of wood. At Sinai and Hebal, turf or rough stones were used; whence unhewed stones were judged most proper.

“And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.”

Up, or repaired the temple chambers, &c.

“Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.”

Veils, at the entrance of the holy of holies. (Calmet)

“Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,”

Year. The temple was purified a little more than two years after it had been profaned. (The year [of the kingdom of the Greeks?] 145.) (Worthington) — The sacrifices had been interrupted just three years. The Second Book [of Machabees] (x. 3.) specifies two years; whence some infer, that the temple was twice dedicated. But these two years most probably refer to the administration of Judas. (St. Thomas Aquinas or some other com.[commentator]; Usher, the year of the world 3840.; Tirinus; Calmet; Salien; Menochius)

“They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.”

Escutcheons, or bucklers of gold, taken from the soldiers of Antiochus, chap. vi. 39. Such ornaments were placed in temples, to testify the gratitude of the people. They wished to restore as much as possible what had been taken away, chap. i. 23. On this occasion the Jews carried branches in memory of what they had suffered in desert places for three years. Hence they style it the feast of tabernacles of Casleu, 2 Machabees i. 9., and x. 6. (Calmet)

“Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.”

Decreed. Our Saviour observed this [Hanukkah] festival, which was appointed so long after Moses, John x. 22. (Worthington) — It was styled Encœnia, and kept in winter, while Solomon’s temple was dedicated in Tisri, and Zorobabel’s in Adar. The Jews light lamps, (Calmet) to testify their joy. (Josephus, Antiquities xii. 11.) — The Rabbins add, that a small bottle of oil had been preserved by the high priest, which multiplied so as to supply the lamps during the whole octave. Hence they still have lights at their windows on this festival. (Selden, Syn. iii. 13.)

“And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.”

Bethsura, which might receive reinforcements from Sion; or rather, (Calmet) Greek, they “fortified Bethsura to keep it, (Sion) that,” &c. (Grotius) (Vatable) — Idumea. The people of that country had seized many cities of Juda. (Calmet) — Read 2 Machabees x. 1. (Worthington)