Judas Machabeus gathering an army gains divers victories.
8:1. But Judas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went privately
into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and friends, and
taking unto them such as continued in the Jews' religion, they assembled
six thousand men.
8:2. And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon his people
that was trodden down by all and would have pity on the temple, that was
defiled by the wicked:
8:3. That he would have pity also upon the city that was destroyed, that
was ready to be made even with the ground, and would hear the voice of
the blood that cried to him:
8:4. That he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent
children, and the blasphemies offered to his name, and would shew his
indignation on this occasion.
8:5. Now when Machabeus had gathered a multitude, he could not be
withstood by the heathens: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into
mercy.
8:6. So coming unawares upon the towns and cities, he set them on fire,
and taking possession of the most commodious places, he made no small
slaughter of the enemies:
8:7. And especially in the nights he went upon these expeditions, and
the fame of his valour was spread abroad every where.
8:8. Then Philip seeing that the man gained ground by little and little,
and that things for the most part succeeded prosperously with him, wrote
to Ptolemee, the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, to send aid to the
king's affairs.
Philip seeing, etc... The governor of Jerusalem found himself unable to
contend with Judas, especially after the victories he had obtained over
Apollonius and Seron. 1 Mac. 3.
8:9. And he with all speed sent Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of
his special friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand armed men
of different nations, to root out the whole race of the Jews, joining
also with him Gorgias, a good soldier, and of great experience in
matters of war.
Twenty thousand... The whole number of the forces sent at that time into
Judea, was 40,000 footmen, and 7000 horsemen, 1 Mac. 3.30. But only
20,000 are here taken notice of, because there were no more with Nicanor
at the time of the battle.
8:10. And Nicanor purposed to raise for the king the tribute of two
thousand talents, that was to be given to the Romans, by making so much
money of the captive Jews:
8:11. Wherefore he sent immediately to the cities upon the sea coast, to
invite men together to buy up the Jewish slaves, promising that they
should have ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the
vengeance which was to follow him from the Almighty.
8:12. Now when Judas found that Nicanor was coming, he imparted to the
Jews that were with him, that the enemy was at hand.
8:13. And some of them being afraid, and distrusting the justice of God,
fled away.
8:14. Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord,
that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor, who had sold them
before he came near them:
8:15. And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant that he had made
with their fathers, and for the sake of his holy and glorious name that
was invoked upon them.
8:16. But Machabeus calling together seven thousand that were with him,
exhorted them not to be reconciled to the enemies, nor to fear the
multitude of the enemies who came wrongfully against them, but to fight
manfully:
Seven thousand... In the Greek it is six thousand. But then three
thousand of them had no arms. 1 Mac. 4.6.
8:17. Setting before their eyes the injury they had unjustly done the
holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had
been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the
fathers.
8:18. For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness:
but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy
both them that come against us, and the whole world.
8:19. Moreover, he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had
received from God: and how, under Sennacherib, a hundred and eighty-five
thousand had been destroyed.
8:20. And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians, in
Babylonia; how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the
point, and the Macedonians, their companions, were at a stand, slew a
hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven,
and for this they received many favours.
Galatians... That is, the Gauls, who having ravaged Italy and Greece,
poured themselves in upon Asia, in immense multitudes, where also they
founded the kingdom of Galatia or Gallo Graecia.
8:21. With these words they were greatly encouraged and disposed even to
die for the laws and their country.
8:22. So he appointed his brethren captains over each division of his
army; Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to each one fifteen
hundred men.
8:23. And after the holy book had been read to them by Esdras, and he
had given them for a watchword, The help of God: himself leading the
first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:
8:24. And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand
men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor's army,
they obliged them to fly.
Above nine thousand... Viz., including the three thousand slain in the
pursuit.
8:25. And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they
pursued them on every side.
8:26. But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the
sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.
8:27. But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils,
they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that
day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
8:28. Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and
the orphans, and the widows, and the rest they took for themselves and
their servants.
8:29. When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication,
they besought the merciful Lord, to be reconciled to his servants unto
the end.
8:30. Moreover, they slew above twenty thousand of them that were with
Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, and they made
themselves masters of the high strong holds: and they divided amongst
them many spoils, giving equal portions to the feeble, the fatherless,
and the widows; yea, and the aged also.
8:31. And when they had carefully gathered together their arms, they
laid them all up in convenient places, and the residue of their spoils
they carried to Jerusalem:
8:32. They slew also Philarches, who was with Timotheus, a wicked man,
who had many ways afflicted the Jews.
8:33. And when they kept the feast of the victory at Jerusalem, they
burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire to the holy gates, who had taken
refuge in a certain house, rendering to him a worthy reward for his
impieties:
8:34. But as for that most wicked man, Nicanor, who had brought a
thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
8:35. Being, through the help of the Lord, brought down by them, of whom
he had made no account, laying aside his garment of glory, fleeing
through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered
very unhappy by the destruction of his army.
Laying aside his garment of glory... That is, his splendid apparel,
which he wore through ostentation; he now throws it off, lest he should
be known on his flight.
8:36. And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans, by
the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had
God for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because
they followed the laws appointed by him.