Chapter Fourteen
Demetrius — king of Syria. His incitement to war against the Jews by the deposed high priest Alcimus. The dispatch of Nicanor to Judea (2 Macc 14:1-14). The clash of the Jews with enemies; the peace treaty of Judas with Nicanor (2 Macc 14:15-25). The intrigues of Alcimus, the king’s dissatisfaction with Nicanor, attempts to seize Judas (2 Macc 14:26-36). The exploit of the elder Razis (2 Macc 14:37-46).
The content of both final chapters of the book corresponds to 1 Macc 7, with some differences, as before, which have the same explanation.
2 Maccabees 14:1. Three years later, news reached Judas and those with him that Demetrius, son of Seleucus, had sailed into the port of Tripolis with a strong land and naval force “Three years later...” — that is, after XIII:1, the campaign of Eupator against Judea. This expression should be understood as the Evangelic “after three days” — that is, counting even partial years; hence “three years later” is not 149+3, but the 149th, 150th, and 151st years, which accords with the statement in v. 4: “in the one hundred and fifty-first year” (consistent with 1 Macc 7:1). — Tripolis — a Phoenician coastal city north of Sidon, between Byblos and Aradus, located at the foot of the highest part of Lebanon, and so named because it was formed from three colonies that had settled there from three neighboring cities — Sidon, Tyre, and Aradus (Strab. XVI, 754).
2 Maccabees 14:2–3. and, having seized the country, killed Antiochus and his guardian Lysias. A certain Alcimus, who had formerly been high priest but had willingly defiled himself in the time of troubles, reflecting that there was no way for him to be saved and no access for him to the holy altar, On Alcimus, see on 1 Macc 7:5. — “In the time of troubles...” Here is meant the period from the removal of the high priest Onias by Jason under Antiochus Epiphanes to the execution of Menelaus. — “No way for him to be saved...” When religious freedom was granted to the Jews under Antiochus Eupator, Alcimus could no longer rely on the support of his Syrian friends, nor could he earn the due respect and recognition of the Jews for his half-pagan way of life and convictions. — “No way for him to be saved...” ούκ αυτώ σωτηρία — not “for him,” or “salvation is not for him” — that is, there was no possibility for him to occupy the high-priestly office.
2 Maccabees 14:4. in the one hundred and fifty-first year came to King Demetrius and brought him a golden crown and a palm branch, and besides that, the olive branches that were considered appurtenances of the Temple — and on that day Alcimus undertook nothing. “And besides that, the olive branches that were considered appurtenances of the Temple...” προς δέ τούτοις τών νομιζομένων θαλλων του ιερού — Slavonic: “and besides these, branches that were held to belong to the sanctuary...” The meaning is that Alcimus, so to speak, overdid his show of reverence for the king. What was used as a token of veneration in the Temple he used in relation to a mere mortal, thereby debasing what was holy. On that first visit to the king Alcimus undertook nothing because the first solemn audience was not the most suitable occasion for complaints and petitions — he needed to wait for the right moment and first win over those close to the king.
2 Maccabees 14:5–6. Having found an opportunity favorable to his mad scheme, when he was summoned by Demetrius into the royal council and asked about the disposition and mood of the Jews, he said in reply: “Those among the Jews called Hasideans, whose leader is Judas Maccabeus, are sustaining the war and stirring up seditions, not letting the kingdom attain prosperity. On the Hasideans, see on 1 Macc 2:29.
2 Maccabees 14:7. “Therefore I, stripped of my ancestral honor — that is, the high priesthood — have now come here, “Stripped of my ancestral honor...” αφελόμενος τήν προγονικήν δόξαν — Slavonic: “removed from my forefathers’ glory” — by reason of his descent from the line of Aaron.
2 Maccabees 14:8–11. “first, out of genuine concern for the interests of the king, and second, having in mind the welfare of my fellow citizens; for because of the folly of the persons named, our entire nation is suffering no small hardship. Now you, O king, learning all this, take care of the country and our oppressed nation, in accordance with the benevolence accessible to all that you have shown — for as long as Judas remains, there can be no peace.” When this had been said by him, the rest of the council members, who held hostile feelings toward Judas, inflamed Demetrius still more. “The rest of the council members...” οί λοιποί φίλοι — Slavonic, more precisely: “the rest of the friends.” Alcimus is thus counted among those friends. — “Inflamed still more” — πρασεπύρωσαν...; Slavonic: “kindled” — set ablaze, inflamed.
2 Maccabees 14:12–15. He at once summoned Nicanor, who was in charge of the elephants, and appointed him military commander of Judea and sent him off with orders to kill Judas, disperse his followers, and set up Alcimus as high priest of the great Temple. Then the pagans who had fled from Judea before Judas came flocking to Nicanor in crowds, hoping that the misfortunes and disasters of the Jews would become their own prosperity. When the Jews heard about Nicanor’s campaign and the joining of the pagans to him, they sprinkled earth on their heads and prayed to Him who had established His people from of old and always manifestly protected His own portion. “From of old...” άχρι αιώνος — Slavonic: “even to the ages” — for all eternity.
2 Maccabees 14:16. At their leader’s command they quickly set out from there and met the enemy at the village of Dessau. “Set out from there” — from the place where they had gathered, that is, probably from Jerusalem. The village of Dessau is mentioned nowhere else.
2 Maccabees 14:17–21. Simon, the brother of Judas, engaged in battle with Nicanor, but soon suffered a minor setback at the sudden advance of the enemy. However, Nicanor, hearing of the valor those with Judas possessed and the boldness they showed in battles for their homeland, was reluctant to decide the matter by bloodshed; therefore he sent Posidonius, Theodotus, and Mattathias to conclude peace with the Jews. After lengthy deliberation over this matter, and when the commander had communicated it to the people, a unanimous decision was reached and they agreed to negotiations; they appointed a day on which they might meet privately, and when it came, separate seats were set for each. 2 Maccabees 14:22–26. Judas stationed armed men in suitable positions in readiness, so that no treachery might suddenly come from the enemy — and they held a peaceful conference. Nicanor stayed in Jerusalem for some time, did nothing improper, and dismissed the assembled people. He kept Judas constantly in his company and became warmly attached to the man; he persuaded him to marry and have children. Judas married, settled down, and enjoyed life. But Alcimus, seeing their mutual affection and the bond that had formed between them, took heart, went to Demetrius, and said that Nicanor harbored intentions hostile to the kingdom, for he had designated Judas, a schemer against the kingdom, as his successor. “Had designated Judas as his successor...” Greek: διαδοχον ανέδειξεν… It is not known whether Alcimus produced factual evidence for this accusation, or whether it followed simply from the fact that Nicanor was treating Judas in a friendly manner and was taking no steps toward establishing Alcimus in the high-priestly office.
2 Maccabees 14:27–31. The king, angered and exasperated by these slanders of the villain, wrote to Nicanor, expressing that he found such an agreement intolerable, and ordered him to send Maccabeus at once to Antioch in chains. When Nicanor learned of this, he was troubled and distressed that he would have to break the established bond with a man who had done nothing unjust. But since there was no way to oppose the king, he waited for a favorable moment to carry this out by cunning. Maccabeus, however, noticing that Nicanor had begun to treat him more harshly and that his manner had become ruder in their usual meetings, and concluding that such harshness could not come from anything good, gathered a sizeable number of those with him and hid from Nicanor. When the latter learned that Judas had skillfully outmaneuvered his cunning, he came to the great and holy Temple while the priests were offering the prescribed sacrifices, and ordered them to hand over that man. 2 Maccabees 14:32–35. When they with an oath declared they did not know where the one he was seeking was to be found, he, stretching out his right hand toward the Temple, swore saying: “If you do not deliver Judas bound to me, I will level this sanctuary of God to the ground, tear down the altar, and erect here a splendid temple to Dionysus.” Having said this, he withdrew. The priests, stretching out their hands toward heaven, implored the perpetual Defender of our people and said: “You, O Lord, having need of nothing, were pleased that this house should be the place of Your dwelling among us. “You, O Lord, having need of nothing...” Greek: Σύ Κύριε τών όλων απροσδεής ᾿υπάρχων…; Slavonic: “You, O Lord of all, who lack nothing...” In the opinion of some, τών όλων here should be connected not with Κύριε but with απροσδεής ᾿υπαρχων, as the Russian translator does (cf. Jos. Ant. VIII, 3, 3; 3 Macc 2:7 ff., and also 1 Kgs 8:27).
2 Maccabees 14:36–38. “And now, O Holy Lord of all holiness, keep this house, so recently cleansed, free from defilement forever, and stop the mouths of the unjust.” Nicanor was told about a certain Razis from among the elders of Jerusalem as a friend of his fellow citizens, a man of excellent reputation, for his goodwill called the father of the Jews. He in the preceding time of troubles had stood by Judaism and had given both body and soul with all zeal for Judaism. ᾿Ην γαρέν τοίς εμπροσθεν χρόνοις τής αμιξίας κρίσιν εις ενηνεγμένος ιουδαισμού…; Slavonic: “For he in the preceding times of non-mixing had brought a judgment in Judaism...” The Russian translation is a very free paraphrase of this passage: “he in the preceding time of troubles had stood by Judaism...” χρόνοι τής αμιξίας — “times of non-mixing” — that is, the times when Judaism was especially endangered by mixing with paganism and therefore was especially on guard against such mixing. — Κρίσις ιουδαίσμού — that is, the separation of Judaism (from pagan customs), a decision in favor of Judaism. — Κρίσιν εισφερεσθαι — to introduce, to make plain, to prove “the separation” (of Judaism), to insist on the separation (of Judaism from paganism).
2 Maccabees 14:39–41. Nicanor, wishing to make plain the hatred he bore toward the Jews, sent more than five hundred soldiers to arrest him, for he thought that by seizing him he would do them injury. When the crowd was trying to take the tower and force entry through the gates of the courtyard, and the order had already been given to bring fire to burn the gates, he, now inescapably about to be seized, ran himself through with his sword, “Inescapably about to be seized...” περικατάληπτος γενόμενος — Slavonic, more precisely: “surrounded on all sides.”
2 Maccabees 14:42. preferring to die nobly rather than fall into the hands of the lawless and suffer indignity unworthy of his noble birth. 2 Maccabees 14:43–46. But as the blow had missed because of the haste, and the crowds were already bursting through the doors, he ran boldly up onto the wall and threw himself bravely down upon the crowd. But as those standing nearby quickly stepped aside and an empty space remained, he fell in the middle upon his stomach. While still breathing and ablaze with anger, despite the blood streaming down and the severity of his wounds, he got up, ran through the crowd, and stopped on a steep rock. Now completely drained of blood, he tore out his entrails and, taking them in both hands, threw them at the crowd and, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit to restore to him life and breath again, ended his life in this manner.