Chapter 4

Victory of Judas over the army of Gorgias (cf. 2 Macc 7:23–36; Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 4) (1–25). Victory over the Syrian commander Lysias (cf. Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 5) (26–35). Cleansing and consecration of the Temple and restoration of lawful worship. — Fortification of the temple mount and Beth-zur (cf. 2 Macc 10:1–9; Jos. Antt. XII, 7, 6) (36–61).

1 Maccabees 4:1. And Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and the force set out by night, “And Gorgias took…” According to 2 Macc 8:9, Ptolemy, the general of Lower Syria and Phoenicia, gave Nicanor the chief command over the forces sent “to exterminate the Jews,” “joining Gorgias, a general experienced in warfare, to him.” This agrees well enough with the statement of verse 1, that Gorgias attempted to defeat Judas with a picked force.

1 Maccabees 4:2. to fall upon the camp of the Jews and strike them by surprise, and the men from the citadel served as his guides. “The men from the citadel…” — hoi huioi tes akras, the Slavonic “sons of the citadel”—refers not to the Syrians in general but, most likely, to apostates from among the Jews themselves who knew the surrounding country well and served the Syrians as guides. This is why Josephus states directly at this point that these were tines ton pepheugoton Ioudaion—“certain of the Jewish fugitives,” or apostates.

1 Maccabees 4:3. But Judas heard of it, and he himself set out with his valiant men to strike the king’s army at Emmaus, That is, while the enemy’s forces were still scattered and cut off from their main camp. Judas made excellent use of this mistake and of Gorgias’s overeagerness, luring him still farther into the mountains by feigned retreats.

1 Maccabees 4:4–6. while the enemy’s forces were still at a distance from the camp. And Gorgias came to Judas’s camp by night and found no one, and he searched for them in the mountains, for he said: They are fleeing from us. But at daybreak Judas appeared on the plain with three thousand men, though they lacked the shields and swords they would have wished for. “At daybreak…” — hama te hemera—the Slavonic renders more precisely, “together with the day.” — “They lacked the shields and swords they would have wished for”—that is, they would indeed have wished to have them rather than to go out unarmed—ouk eichon kathos eboulonto.

1 Maccabees 4:7–15. When they saw the strong, well-armed force of the Gentiles and the cavalry surrounding it, all trained for war, Judas said to the men who were with him: Do not fear their numbers, and do not be afraid of their attack. Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with his army. And now let us cry out to heaven; perhaps he will have mercy on us, remembering his covenant with our fathers, and will crush this army before our face this day; and all the Gentiles will know that there is One who redeems and saves Israel. The foreigners, raising their eyes, saw them coming against them, and they went out of their camp to battle, and Judas’s men sounded the trumpet, and they engaged, and the Gentiles were broken and fled onto the plain, while all the rest fell by the sword; and they pursued them as far as Gazara and the plains of Idumea, Azotus, and Jamnia, and about three thousand of them fell. Some interpreters find it hard to accept that so small a company of Judas’s men—three thousand, and moreover unarmed—could so rout and put to panicked flight an enemy force twice as strong (five thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry). This difficulty is considerably eased once we take as more reliable the figure in 2 Macc 8:9, 16, where the Jewish force on this occasion is reckoned not at three thousand but at six thousand men. Perhaps even this figure is not entirely exact, seeing that somewhat later (see chapter 5) Judas’s army is reckoned at eight thousand plus three thousand men plus the remnant, which would bring the total strength of that army to at least twelve to fifteen thousand. It is true that this was already after Judas had won such successful victories, which had greatly raised the people’s spirit and made it possible even to cleanse and restore the temple and its worship; but it is enough, even granting the doubters their point, to note at least that the figure of six thousand of Judas’s troops in 2 Macc 8:16 is more reliable than the three thousand of 1 Macc 4:6. “While all the rest fell by the sword…” — hoi eschatoi, more accurately rendered in the Slavonic as “the last,” meaning those who could not flee and fell behind. — “Gazara”—Gazeron, more correctly Gazeron or Gazaron, the genitive plural of Gazera (cf. 13:53; 15:28; Josephus, Antt. I, 3); in Josephus and in Strabo (XII, 759) also Gadara (in the Aramaic pronunciation)—on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim. — “The plains of Idumea…” — some regard the variant reading “of Judea” as correct here, reasoning that even if the Idumeans could at that time press into the southern part of Palestine, their territory could hardly have extended far enough to lie between Gazara, Azotus, and Jamnia. — “Azotus,” or more precisely Ashdod, the chief Philistine city, present-day Esdud, roughly four geographical miles southwest of Emmaus in a straight line. — “Jamnia”—Jabneh in 2 Chron 26:6, Jabneel in Josh 15:11 — likewise a Philistine city, present-day Yebna, a large village on a low rise four and a half hours’ journey south of Joppa, three hours north of Ashdod, and an hour and a half from the sea. — The genitives “of Azotus and of Jamnia” depend not on the preceding “as far as,” but on the genitive “plains” immediately governing them; and the sense in this case would be that the Jews pursued their enemies not as far as the cities of Azotus and Jamnia themselves, but “as far as the plains” on which those cities lay—that is, as far as the Shephelah, west of the plain of Judea. Taking as more correct the reading “as far as the plains of Judea, Azotus, and Jamnia” (cf. the Slavonic text), we arrive at a wholly plausible picture: that the enemy, broken at Emmaus, was pursued by the Jews as far as Gazara, which lay at least half a mile northeast of the battlefield, and further, westward and southwestward, into the plain of Judea and toward the cities of Ashdod and Jamnia—that is, at least five or six hours’ journey. Bearing in mind that the battle began early in the morning, one can readily allow that it, together with the pursuit and the subsequent plundering of the enemy camp, could well have been concluded within a single day, on the day following which—according to 2 Macc 8:26 and following—the Jews could no longer continue the pursuit, because it was the Sabbath.

1 Maccabees 4:16–22. And Judas and his army turned back from pursuing them, and he said to the people: Do not fall upon the plunder, for a battle still awaits us; Gorgias and his army are on the mountain close by us; stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward you may boldly take the plunder. While Judas was still saying this, a company appeared, coming out from the mountain. And he saw that his own men had been put to flight and that the camp was burning, for the rising smoke showed what had happened. When they saw this, they were greatly afraid; and seeing also the army of Judas on the plain, ready for battle, they all fled into the land of the Philistines. “Into the land of the Philistines…” — ge allophylon, as in 3:41—that is, into the land of the Philistines.

1 Maccabees 4:23. Then Judas turned to the plunder of the camp, and they seized much gold and silver, garments of blue and purple, and great wealth. “Garments of blue and purple…” — hyakinthos kai porphyra thalassia—the Slavonic renders more precisely, “of hyacinth and of sea-purple.” Hyakinthos denotes precious fabrics of a bluish or violet color. Porphyra thalassia—“sea” purple—is the bright crimson dye taken from the finest sea shells, that is, true purple, as distinct from dye imitated by artificial coloring.

1 Maccabees 4:24. And as they returned, they sang and blessed the Lord of heaven, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever. “They sang…, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever”—cf. Ps 118:1, 29; 126:1 and following (LXX numbering: Ps 117; 125).

1 Maccabees 4:25–28. And on that day there was great deliverance for Israel. But the foreigners who had survived came to Lysias and reported everything that had happened. Hearing this, he was dismayed and grieved, for things had not gone with Israel as he had wished, and had not turned out as the king had commanded him. And the following year Lysias gathered sixty thousand picked men and five thousand cavalry to defeat them. “The following year…” — that is, in 164 B.C.

1 Maccabees 4:29. And they came into Idumea and encamped at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men. “They came… into Idumea and encamped… at Beth-zur…” — instead of “Idumea,” some read “Judea.” — Beth-zur—often mentioned in the Old Testament—lay south of Jerusalem toward Hebron, approximately where present-day Beit Sur stands near Halhul, in the hill country of Judea (Josh 15:58). Judas later fortified this city strongly, to threaten Idumea from it (v. 61), whose border lay not far off (14:33), and through which—by a roundabout route across the Jordan beyond the Dead Sea—Judea’s northern enemies could also invade (6:31). It is possible that Lysias now approached Beth-zur by this very route, in which case there is no need to resort to the variant reading “Judea” in place of “Idumea.” — “At Beth-zur…” — that is, not in the city itself, but in the district or region of Beth-zur.

1 Maccabees 4:30–36. Seeing the strong force, he prayed and said: Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who broke the assault of the mighty one by the hand of your servant David, and gave the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, son of Saul, and his armor-bearer. Deliver this army into the hands of your people Israel, and let them be put to shame in their strength and their cavalry; strike them with fear and crush the boldness of their strength; let them be shaken by their own defeat; cast them down by the sword of those who love you, that all who know your name may praise you in songs. And they joined battle, and about five thousand of Lysias’s army fell before them. Lysias, seeing the flight of his own army and the valor of Judas’s men, and that they were ready either to live or to die bravely, departed for Antioch, enlisted foreign troops, and, having increased his former army, intended to march into Judea again. But Judas and his brothers said: Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary. “Cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary…” — the first, katharisai, consisted in removing everything pagan and defiled by pagan use (vv. 43–46); the second, enkainisai, in replacing everything with what was new and consecrated for liturgical use, through a special sacrifice and prayer of dedication (vv. 47–55).

1 Maccabees 4:37. And the whole army assembled, and they went up to Mount Zion. “They went up to Mount Zion…” — that is, to the temple mount; see at 1:33.

1 Maccabees 4:38. And they saw that the sanctuary was laid waste, the altar defiled, the gates burned, and that in the courts, as in a forest or on some mountainside, growth had sprung up wild, and the chambers were in ruins, A description of the temple’s desolation: “the altar defiled”—through the setting up of a pagan altar upon it, 1:54; “the gates burned…” — this happened in part during the attack on the city by the chief collector of tribute, 1:31, cf. 2 Macc 1:8, and according to 2 Macc 8:33, specifically during another attack by a certain Callisthenes; “the chambers were in ruins”—these chambers served partly for storing the temple’s furnishings, and partly as gathering places for the temple’s ministers and visitors.

1 Maccabees 4:39–41. and they tore their garments, wept bitterly, and put ashes on their heads, and they fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal trumpets, and cried out to heaven. Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel, until he should have cleansed the sanctuary. While this cleansing of the temple was taking place, a separate detachment besieged the Syrians entrenched in the citadel, so that they could not interfere with the cleansing.

1 Maccabees 4:42–46. And he chose priests without blemish, devoted to the law. They cleansed the sanctuary and carried out the defiled stones to an unclean place. Then they deliberated over the defiled altar of burnt offering, what should be done with it. And a good thought came to them, to tear it down, lest it should ever become a reproach to them, since the Gentiles had defiled it; and they tore down the altar, and laid up the stones on the temple mount in a fitting place, until a prophet should come and give an answer concerning them. “Until a prophet should come…” — what is meant here is not the Messiah, but simply some prophet sent by God, who as such could make known to them the will of God concerning the use of the altar stones. This remark shows, as does 14:41, that at that time there were no longer any prophets, and had not been for quite some time—since 9:27, since the death of Malachi, with whom, by the unanimous testimony of the Jewish synagogue, prophecy had ceased in Israel.

1 Maccabees 4:47. They took unhewn stones, according to the law, and built a new altar like the former one; “Unhewn stones, according to the law…” — that is, uncut stones, in accordance with Exod 20:25; Deut 27:6.

1 Maccabees 4:48. then they restored the holy places and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts; “They restored the holy places and the interior of the temple…” — that is, they repaired and put right all the damage and deficiencies in them.

1 Maccabees 4:49–52. they made new sacred vessels and brought into the temple the lampstand, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offerings, and the table; and they burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and they gave light to the temple; and they set the loaves on the table, and hung up the curtains, and finished all the work they had undertaken. On the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month—that is, the month of Chislev—in the hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose very early The twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev, in the year 148, equals 165 B.C. (cf. at 1:54).

1 Maccabees 4:53. and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of burnt offerings they had built. “They offered sacrifice according to the law”—that is, the morning sacrifice prescribed by the law (Exod 29:38–42; Num 28:3–7). This sacrifice, like all those established for new moons and feast days, was usually joined with a sin offering (Num 28:15, 22, 30 and following). Since the law of Moses contains no special sacrifice for the cleansing and consecration of the altar, this was accomplished together with the consecration of the priests, through the sprinkling of sacrificial blood, according to Lev 8:15.

1 Maccabees 4:54. At that time, on the very day on which the Gentiles had defiled the altar, it was rededicated with songs, harps, lyres, and cymbals. “With songs, harps, lyres, and cymbals”—cf. 1 Chron 16:42. — The rededication and cleansing of the temple and altar took place “on the very day” on which its defilement had once occurred—that is, the 25th of Chislev. This coincidence is also noted at 2 Macc 10:5 and by Josephus, Antt. XII, 7, 6. — The interval of time from the defilement to the cleansing is reckoned at three years (cf. 1:54; 4:52); the two-year interval given for this in 2 Macc 10:3 must be regarded as mistaken.

1 Maccabees 4:55–56. And all the people fell on their faces, and worshiped and gave thanks to heaven, to him who had granted them success. So they kept the dedication of the altar for eight days with gladness, offering burnt offerings and bringing the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. “The sacrifice of deliverance and praise”—thysian soteriou kai aineseos—that is, the sacrifice of deliverance, or, what is the same thing, of praise. This offering was divided into three kinds: the sacrifice of praise, the votive sacrifice, and the freewill sacrifice of devotion (Lev 7:12, 16), of which the sacrifice of praise was specifically thysia aineseos soteriou—the “peace offering of thanksgiving” (Lev 7:13, 15), or simply thysia aineseos—the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Lev 7:12). — The singular “thysian” (“the sacrifice of deliverance and praise”) alongside the plural holokautomata (“burnt offerings”) does not denote a single offering of this kind alone, but is used in a general sense: these were chiefly family offerings, which together also formed the festal meal of those bringing the sacrifice, so that the number of offerings of this kind was determined by the number of those wishing to bring one.

1 Maccabees 4:57–59. And they adorned the front of the temple with golden crowns and shields, restored the gates and the chambers, and fitted them with doors. And there was very great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away. And Judas and his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept with gladness and joy at their appointed time each year, for eight days, from the twentieth day of the month of Chislev. The feast established by Judas received the name katharismos tou hierou—the feast of the cleansing, or dedication, of the temple (2 Macc 1:18), or more briefly, ta enkainia (John 10:22). In Josephus we find this feast called phota—that is, “the feast of lights” or “of light,” a name given, in Josephus’s view, to correspond to the “rays of grace of freedom,” as it were, with which the Jews, beyond all expectation, had been illumined from that time on. Among other explanations of this name it is worth noting the one based on 2 Macc 1:18 and following, and 10:3—deriving it from the miraculously rekindled sacrificial fire; others explain the name of the feast simply from the Jewish custom of marking it with an abundance of light or illuminations. — The eight-day length of the feast rested on the precedent of ancient ordinances for similar occasions (Lev 8:33; 1 Kings 8:65–66; 2 Chron 7:9), with an eighth day added in imitation of the Feast of Tabernacles, in which the sixth day formed the closing solemnity, or conclusion, of the seventh month’s cycle of feasts. This imitation of the Feast of Tabernacles is expressly indicated at 2 Macc 10:6 and following, where the feast itself is even called “the days of the Feast of Tabernacles of the month of Chislev” (2 Macc 1:9), to distinguish it from the Feast of Tabernacles kept in the month of Tishri. In the passage cited, 2 Macc 10:6 and following, it is noted that the Jews “spent eight days in gladness, after the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering how not long before, during that time, they had kept the Feast of Tabernacles like wild animals, in the mountains and caves…” This remark seems to be given to explain why the Jews celebrated the rededication of the temple after the pattern specifically of the Feast of Tabernacles—because in its proper season they had been unable to keep that feast as they should have. But it is even more likely that the Feast of Tabernacles was chosen here because it commemorated the original establishment of the covenant with God and the consecration of the people as the people of the Lord; it was natural now to celebrate precisely this feast, as a sign of the renewal of that covenant with God and of the people’s return to God’s former favor and good will.

1 Maccabees 4:60. At the same time they built up Mount Zion all around with high walls and strong towers, so that the Gentiles, should they ever come again, might not trample it down as they had done before. “They built up Mount Zion…” — that is, the temple mount; see at 1:33.

1 Maccabees 4:61. And Judas stationed a garrison there to guard the mount, and they fortified Beth-zur for its protection, so that the people might have a stronghold against Idumea. “They fortified Beth-zur for its protection”—see at v. 29. Beth-zur, both by its natural position and by its fortifications, was meant to serve as a bulwark for the temple mount, not only against Idumea but also against Syria, which by the roundabout route through Idumea and Beth-zur could always threaten Jerusalem and the temple; see at v. 29.