Judith 16 Commentary

“But the Almighty Lord hath disappointed them by the hand of a woman.”

To make. Greek, “that he would throw my children at the breast, on the pavement, and make,” &c. (Haydock)

“For the mighty one did not fall by the young men, neither did the sons of the Titans smite him, nor high giants set upon him: but Judith the daughter of Merari weakened him with the beauty of her countenance.”

Stuck. Literally, “hurt him, overturning all his projects, (Calmet) as the Greek (ethetesen) intimates. (Menochius) — Him. Greek, “them, by the hand of a woman: For,” &c.

“For she put off the garment of her widowhood for the exaltation of those that were oppressed in Israel, and anointed her face with ointment, and bound her hair in a tire, and took a linen garment to deceive him.”

Men; soldiers, chap. xiv. 6., and Genesis xiv. 24. — Titan. So the Septuagint render Raphaim, 2 Kings v. 18. The Greek translator of this work seems to have read the poets, who pretend that the Titans attempted to take heaven by storm. (Calmet) — Neither such giants as those who lived before the flood, (Genesis vi.) nor such as were seen after, (Numbers xiii.; Worthington) attacked Holofernes. (Haydock) — Neither does the Vulgate give any authority to poetic fictions, but only adopts terms which are best understood. (Tirinus) (St. Jerome in Amos v. 8.)

“Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty took his mind prisoner, and the fauchion passed through his neck.”

And put. Greek, “for the exaltation of those who laboured in Israel.”

“The Persians quaked at her boldness, and the Medes were daunted at her hardiness.”

Crown. Greek, “mitre,” or ribband, ornamented with jewels, chap. x. 3. Syriac, “net-work.” — New. Greek, “linen stole,” which was a long robe, usually of linen, and worn both by men and women. (Calmet) — Deceived him; as he would make love to her, and thus give her an opportunity to perform what she had designed. (Haydock) — She was not actuated by the desire of being admired, but sought to deliver her people, ver. 9. (Menochius)

“Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they were astonished: these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.”

Sandals. The bandages which tied the shoe-soles (Haydock) to the feet, were most ornamental, Isaias iii. The city of Antylla was assigned to furnish sandals for the queens of Egypt. (Herodotus xii. 98.) (Calmet) — With. Greek, “a sword (acinace) passed through his neck.”

“The sons of the damsels have pierced them through, and wounded them as fugatives' children: they perished by the battle of the Lord.”

Medes. This is the first mention of these two nations, who afterwards became so famous. Nabuchodonosor had overcome Phraortes, chap. i. (Calmet)

“I will sing unto the Lord a new song: O Lord, thou art great and glorious, wonderful in strength, and invincible.”

Then. Greek, “Than my lowly ones (Haydock; she speaks thus contemptuously of the Assyrians.; Calmet) howled, my weak ones cried out through fear; they raised their voice, and were overthrown.” (Haydock) — Others think that she is speaking of her fellow-citizens, (Tirinus) or both. (Haydock)

“Let all creatures serve thee: for thou spakest, and they were made, thou didst send forth thy spirit, and it created them, and there is none that can resist thy voice.”

Damsels; young boys. Syriac, “they run them through, as if they had been damsels.” — Children, or “slaves.” (Syriac) Being thus overtaken, what could they do but sue for pardon? (Calmet) — Before. Greek, “of the Lord,” &c.

“For the mountains shall be moved from their foundations with the waters, the rocks shall melt as wax at thy presence: yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee.”

Let. Greek, “I will sing a new hymn to the Lord. Lord, thou art great.” (Haydock)

“Woe to the nations that rise up against my kindred! the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment, in putting fire and worms in their flesh; and they shall feel them, and weep for ever.”

Spirit, and they. Greek, “he built” the world, Genesis i. 8., and Psalm xxxii. 9. (Calmet)

“Now as soon as they entered into Jerusalem, they worshipped the Lord; and as soon as the people were purified, they offered their burnt offerings, and their free offerings, and their gifts.”

Waters, by earthquakes and storms, Job ix. 5., Isaias v. 25., and Psalm xvii. 8.

“Judith also dedicated all the stuff of Holofernes, which the people had given her, and gave the canopy, which she had taken out of his bedchamber, for a gift unto the Lord.”

Great. Greek, “treated mercifully by thee: for little with thee is all sacrifice, for the odour of sweetness; and all fat is but the least for thy holocausts. But he who fears the Lord, is ever great.” (Haydock) — This text is remarkable, as it shews (Calmet) that no sacrifice can please God, without interior holiness. Outward magnificence will be otherwise rejected with contempt. (Worthington)

“So the people continued feasting in Jerusalem before the sanctuary for the space of three months and Judith remained with them.”

He will visit them, is not in Greek, and only expresses the same again. (Haydock)

“After this time every one returned to his own inheritance, and Judith went to Bethulia, and remained in her own possession, and was in her time honourable in all the country.”

Flesh, which is thus punished for ever, (St. Augustine, City of God xxv. 4.) while the soul is still more tormented with the loss of God’s vision. (Worthington) — The bodies of those who persecute God’s people, will not only be thrown out with ignominy, but the impenitent shall suffer eternal torments. These worms and fires do not cease. They are not merely figurative, but real, according to the Fathers. (Serarius, q. 1.) (Tirinus) (Essais de Mor.) — Though the damned have not yet their bodies, they are no less affected with pain; as people who have lost a member, often seem to feel pain in it. That our soul should even now suffer, when the body is hurt, depends on God’s appointment. The Jews spoke of eternal torments in similar terms, Ecclesiasticus vii. 19., Isaias lxvi. 24., and Mark ix. 45.

“And many desired her, but none knew her all the days of her life, after that Manasses her husband was dead, and was gathered to his people.”

And. Greek, “But as soon as they arrived at Jerusalem, they adored God; and when the people were purified, they offered their holocausts, and free gifts, and presents.” (Haydock) — They stood in need of purification, as they had shed blood, and had touched so many things of the Assyrians, which were to them unclean. (Calmet) (Numbers xxxi. 24.)

“But she increased more and more in honour, and waxed old in her husband's house, being an hundred and five years old, and made her maid free; so she died in Bethulia: and they buried her in the cave of her husband Manasses.”

An anathema of oblivion. That is, a gift or offering made to God, by way of an everlasting monument, to prevent the oblivion or the forgetting of so great a benefit. (Challoner) — Yet some would read (Calmet) oblationis, instead of oblivionis. (Tirinus) — Greek and Syriac say nothing of oblivion. The Scriptures, and pagan histories, are full of such monuments of gratitude, to perpetuate the memory of benefits received from above. (Calmet) — Greek, “to the Lord, all the vessels,” or furniture, chap. xv. 14. (Haydock) — Joseph called one of his sons, Manasses, because God had caused him to forget his former toils, Genesis xli. 51. (Menochius) — Judith’s husband had the same name; and this victory made her forget past sorrow. (Haydock)

“And the house of Israel lamented her seven days: and before she died, she did distribute her goods to all them that were nearest of kindred to Manasses her husband, and to them that were the nearest of her kindred.”

Three. Syriac, “one entire month.” (Calmet) — Joy. Greek, “and Judith remained with them.”

“And there was none that made the children of Israel any more afraid in the days of Judith, nor a long time after her death.”

Was made. Greek, “returned also to Bethulia, and dwelt on her own possessions; and in her time, was honourable throughout all the land.”

Chastity. Greek, “many desired to have her, (Haydock; in marriage.; Worthington) but no man knew her,” &c. (Haydock) — She again practised the same mortifications which she had done before. (Suidas) (Calmet) — Husband. Greek adds, “when he was removed to his people. And proceeding, (to the temple, or advancing in age) she was very great, and she grew old in her,” &c. (Haydock) — She probably went up to Jerusalem at the great festivals. (Menochius)

Five. Suidas alone reads, “fifty.” Some would suppose that Judith lived 105 years after her husband’s death; so that she might have been in all 125 years old. But she would thus have survived the siege of Jerusalem under Nabuchodonosor; (Calmet) and the text does not require this sense. (Haydock) See Exodus xii. 40. (Tirinus) — Free; as she had been her assistant in such a glorious work. (Menochius) — Died. Greek adds, “in Bethulia; and they buried her in the cave of her husband, Manasses.” See chap. viii. 3.

Seven days. The usual term; (Ecclesiasticus xxii. 13.) but it was extra ordinary for the whole province (Calmet) to mourn for an individual. Greek and Syriac add, “And she divided all her possessions, before her death, among the nearest relations of her husband, Manasses, and among her own,” (Haydock) which was very equitable, as she had no children, (Calmet) we may suppose. (Tirinus) (Haydock)

Years. Greek, “days.” See the preface. (Haydock) — Judith was a widow near seventy years, shewing an excellent pattern to all in that state. Notwithstanding the many inducements which she might have had to marry again, she chose to abstain, for greater perfection, Matthew xix., and 1 Corinthians vii. (Worthington) — From the death of Holofernes (the year of the world 3348) to that of Josias, (the year 3394) only forty-six years of peace would occur in Juda. Hence Hardouin would suppose that the text speaks of the kingdom of Israel. But it would be hard to prove that it existed at that time, after the ten tribes had been led away. (The year 3283.) As the Scripture does not specify how old Judith was when she addressed Holofernes, (Calmet) she might be sixty-five. (Vitre.) — If, therefore, we should make this peace last till the coming of Nabuchodonosor, to attack Jerusalem, about forty-six years might elapse before the period here assigned. (Calmet) — It is, however, much more probable, (Haydock) that the peace subsisted from the 11th of Manasses to the death of Josias, 73 (Greek, 78) years; (Tirinus) and that she was not above forty when she performed her exploit; as she was then styled a beautiful girl, (chap. xii. 12.) and many desired to marry her. (Haydock) — No instance can be produced, of the Jews entering into such contracts with those who were past child-bearing. Freret, who seems afraid to allow this book the same authority as the additions to Daniel, though both are equally rejected by Protestants, supposes that Bethulia was besieged in the 11th or 12th year of Josias; and, of course, that Judith would then be about eighty-four years old! (Houbigant)

But. This is taken from the Chaldean of St. Jerome, though omitted in the old Vulgate, as well as in the Greek and Syriac. We find no express mention of this festival in the Jews’ Calendar, (Calmet) though no one can doubt but it once was kept. (Du Hamel) — It probably ceased during the captivity; as that, in memory of the victory over Nicanor, (which was kept in the days of Josephus, [Antiquities?] xii. 16.) has been long since abolished, (Calmet) with many others. (Du Hamel) — Many suppose (Calmet) that the feast of Judith concurred with that of the new fire, when the temple was renewed under Judas the Machabee, on the 25th of Casleu, (Salien, &c.) in December, though the victory of Judith was obtained about August. The point is not easily decided. As the festival was of human institution, it might be abrogated by the same authority. (Calmet) — In Judith we behold a widow indeed, such as the apostle commends, 1 Timothy v. 3. (St. Jerome ad Furiam.) — We may also raise our minds still higher, and contemplate in her a glorious figure of the Christian Church, which is spotless; and by the practice of all virtues, overcomes the power of persecutors, giving all the glory to God. After victory, she continues in silence to practise her former austerities, which render her secure in peace and terrible in war. (Calmet)