Judith 5 Commentary

“And why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the west.”

East. Greek, “west,” which seems more accurate, unless Holofernes was on the sea-coast, (Calmet) or that part of the country went by this name, as it does at present. (Haydock) — He was not absolutely unacquainted with the Jews, but spoke in contempt, (ver. 27.; Worthington; Menochius) and wished to know if they had formed a league with the Egyptians, &c. (Calmet)

“Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people, which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the hill countries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of thy servant.”

My. Greek, “the mouth of thy slave.” (Haydock)

“This people are descended of the Chaldeans:”

Chaldeans. Abraham was a native of Ur, Genesis xii. (Calmet) — This tended to conciliate the favour of the general, who was of the same country. (Menochius)

“Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle.”

Heaven. Greek adds, “the God whom they had known, and they (the Chaldean idolaters) cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and dwelt there many days: (Haydock; that is, about two years. Calmet) and their God commanded them to leave their abode, and to go into the land of Chanaan; and they dwelt there, and were enriched;…and when,” &c. — There. Greek, “and were there till they returned; and there they became innumerable.” (Haydock)

“But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation.”

Oppressed. Greek, “craftily inveigled them,” Exodus i. 10.

“Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves.”

Plague. Greek adds, “for which there was no remedy. And the Egyptians cast them out from among them. And God dried up the Red Sea before them, and conducted them to Mount Sinai and Cades-Barne, and cast out all the inhabitants of the desert; and they dwelt in the land of the Amorrhites, and exterminated all of Hesebon, by their power. Then crossing the Jordan, they took as their inheritance all the mountainous parts, and ejected the Chanaanite, Pherezite, Jebusite, Sichem, and all the Gergesites, and dwelt therein many days. And, ” ver. 21. (Haydock) — The environs of Sichem belonged to the Hevites. (Calmet)

“And brought them to mount Sina, and Cades-Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness.”

Rested. This is attested, Deuteronomy xxxii. 10., and Jeremias ii. 6. (Menochius)

“And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite, and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many days.”

Overcame, in the days of Josue, (Menochius) at Jericho, &c. (Haydock)

“And when Achior had finished these sayings, all the people standing round about the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by the sea side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him.”

Battles. He seems to speak of the captivity of Manasses, (Worthington) of the ten tribes, and of the loss sustained by Achaz, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 5. (Menochius) — By many. Greek, “exceedingly; and they were led captive into a land which was not their own, and the temple of their God became as a pavement, and their cities were taken by the enemies. But now, returning to their God, they are come up from the places to which they had been scattered, and have possession of Jerusalem, where is their sanctuary; and they have inhabited the mountainous country, for it was a desert.” (Haydock) — Our adversaries would infer from this, and similar passages, that the siege of Bethulia could not have taken place till after the captivity at Babylon; and this many Catholics allow. But the proof is not conclusive, as all this might be verified under Manasses: (Calmet) “the temple was trampled on,” (Syriac, egennethe eis edaphos) and profaned. See chap. iv. 2., and 1 Machabees iii. 51., and Luke xxi. 24. It had been pillaged by Sesac and the Assyrians, and had stood in need of great repairs under Ezechias, Josias, &c. Several of the Israelites had escaped from the hands of their oppressors, (2 Paralipomenon xxxiv. 9.) and the Jews had regained their strength after the captivity of Manasses, (Calmet) having retired before into their strong holds in the deserts. (Haydock)

Cannot. Greek, “let my lord indeed pass by, lest their Lord should cover them with a shield, for their God is for them, and we,” &c.

All the. Greek, “all the people round the tent murmured; and the great men of Holofernes, and all who dwelt in the maritime country, and in Moab, threatened to cut him to pieces. For we shall not fear the children of Israel. Lo! a people without power, strength, or army in battle array! We shall then go up, and they shall be for food to all thy army, lord Holofernes. And,” chap. vi.

Who. They speak thus through indignation, though they knew Achior well enough. (Worthington) — Their blasphemous presumption was soon punished. (Menochius)

Other. This foolish attempt was not peculiar to this king. The great Nabuchodonosor was infected with the same vanity, (Daniel vi. 7.) and was imitated by many of the Persian monarchs, and by Alexander. Persas non pie tantum sed etiam prudenter Reges suos inter deos colere: Majestatem enim imperii salutis esse tutelam. (Curtius viii.) Yet most of the Greeks could not brook such flattery, though they were not influenced by religion, but by reason, and their own haughty temper. See Justin vi.; Martial x. 62.