“Then said Judith unto them, Hear me now, my brethren, and take this head, and hang it upon the highest place of your walls.”
Walls. Greek adds, “upon the pinnacle.” (Haydock)
“And so soon as the morning shall appear, and the sun shall come forth upon the earth, take ye every one his weapons, and go forth every valiant man out of the city, and set ye a captain over them, as though ye would go down into the field toward the watch of the Assyrians; but go not down.”
Beneath. Into the valley; but make your appearance just out of the walls, as if you were rushing upon the enemy. Greek adds after arms, “and you shall appoint a leader over them, as if descending into the plain to the advanced guard of the Assyrians; but ye shall not go down. Then these seizing all their armour, will go to the camp, and awaken the leaders of the Assyrians, and they will run to the tent of Holofernes, and shall not find him. Then fear shall seize upon them, and they will flee before us. Whereupon ye, and all who inhabit the confines of Israel, shall follow after, and strew them in their paths,” slain and wounded, ver. 6. (Haydock)
“Then they called Achior out of the house of Ozias; and when he was come, and saw the head of Holofernes in a man's hand in the assembly of the people, he fell down on his face, and his spirit failed.”
Then. Greek, &c., “But before ye do this, call to me Achior, the Ammonite, that seeing, he may recognize the contemner of the house of Israel, and the man who sent him away to us unto certain death. And they called Achior from the house of Ozias. But as soon as he came, and saw the head of Holofernes in the hand of one of the assembly of the people, he fell,” &c., as [in] chap. xiii. 29, 30. “Blessed art thou in every tent of Juda, and in every nation. All who shall hear thy name shall be amazed. But now tell me what thou hast done during these days. And Judith, in the midst of the people, informed him of all that she had performed, since the day of her departure till the time when she was speaking. She had no sooner ended her speech, than all the people set up a loud shout of joy in their city. Then,” &c. — Leaving. Greek, “He believed in God greatly,” or with the utmost sincerity. (Haydock) — Hitherto Achior had only considered the Deity as the peculiar God of Israel, (Calmet) or as the common gods “revered by all nations;” (Virgil xii.; Servius) but not as the only supreme Being. He now becomes a proselyte, not merely, like Naaman, to adore one God; but also to observe all the rites of the Jewish religion. The latter was a matter of choice, chap. vi. 18. It is not still clear that he could enjoy the privileges of the nation as a magistrate, or even marry, (Calmet) which shews his greater fervour. (Grotius) — It is certain that no nation could be forbidden to worship God, Deuteronomy xxiii. 3. St. Thomas Aquinas (1. 2. q. 105. a. 3.) believes that a dispensation was granted to Achior, (Calmet) so that he might be treated like an Israelite in all respects. (Serarius q. 1.) (Menochius) — This evinces that only the impenitent Ammonites, &c., were excluded from the Church. (Worthington) — With. Greek, “till this day.”
“But when they had recovered him, he fell at Judith's feet, and reverenced her, and said, Blessed art thou in all the tabernacles of Juda, and in all nations, which hearing thy name shall be astonished.”
With. Greek, “In companies, to the ascent of the mountain.”
“Now therefore tell me all the things that thou hast done in these days. Then Judith declared unto him in the midst of the people all that she had done, from the day that she went forth until that hour she spake unto them.”
Ran. Greek, “Sent to their officers. But they went to the leaders and captains of thousands, and to every chief among them, and they proceeded to the tent of Holofernes, and said to his chief steward: Awaken now our lord, for the slaves have been so bold as to come down to offer us battle for their utter ruin. The Bagoas,” &c., ver. 13. (Haydock)
“But when the Assyrians saw them, they sent to their leaders, which came to their captains and tribunes, and to every one of their rulers.”
Mice. They speak contemptuously of their foes, like the Philistines, 1 Kings xiv. 11. (Menochius)
“So they came to Holofernes' tent, and said to him that had the charge of all his things, Waken now our lord: for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.”
Into. Greek, “In, knocked at the hall, (aule, or antichamber) of the tent, for he suspected that he was sleeping with Judith. But as no one answered, he opened and went into the bed-chamber, and found him thrown upon the floor, dead, and his head taken from him, and he cried,” &c. — Curtain, which separated this apartment from the rest, (Haydock) and hung before the door, as Heraclides describes the tent of the Persian kings. Holofernes assumed the like importance, and was treated almost as a deity. (Calmet) — Hence he must not be awaked, in a rude manner. (Haydock) — Civility requires that we should knock modestly at the doors of the great. (Calmet)
“Therefore he cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and sighing, and a mighty cry, and rent his garments.”
Said. Greek, “cried aloud, the slaves have prevaricated. One,” &c. (Haydock) — Perhaps he thought that Judith had introduced some of the Jews. (Calmet)
“These slaves have dealt treacherously; one woman of the Hebrews hath brought shame upon the house of king Nabuchodonosor: for, behold, Holofernes lieth upon the ground without a head.”
Cry. Greek adds, “and shouting of them (the captains) in,” &c. (Haydock)