Chapter Fifteen

1–7. The Jews pursue and strike the enemy. 8–10. The high priest and elders of Jerusalem come “to see Judith and greet her” with blessings. 11–14. Popular celebrations on account of the victory.

Judith 15:1. When those in the tents heard what had happened, they were troubled, Judith 15:2. and fear and trembling came upon them, and no one among them remained in the sight of another, but they all rushed off fleeing along all the roads of the plain and the hill country. 1–2. “No one among them remained in the sight of another.” Each saw in the other an increase of his own fear, and in solitary flight thought to find the surest salvation, making it easier for the Jews to complete the defeat in separate small groups. Such is the meaning these words may convey. One may understand them also to mean that the flight was universal, with no exceptions and equally hasty and disorderly in all.

Judith 15:3. And those camped in the hill country about Bethulia also turned to flight. Then the sons of Israel, each of them a warlike man, pursued them. 3. “Those camped in the hill country about Bethulia”—that is, the Idumeans and Ammonites; see Jdt 7:18.

Judith 15:4. Uzziah sent to Betomasthem, Bebai, Khoba, and Khola and all the borders of Israel, to report what had happened and so that all would pursue the enemy to destroy them. 4. “Uzziah sent to Betomasthem, Bebai, Khoba, and Khola”—see above, to Jdt 4:4.

Judith 15:5. As soon as the sons of Israel heard of it, they all fell upon them and struck them down all the way to Khoba; likewise those coming from Jerusalem and from all the hill country—for they had been told what had happened in the camp of their enemies—and those from Gilead and Galilee fell upon them from all sides and dealt them a great blow, as long as they had not passed beyond Damascus and its borders. Judith 15:6. The remaining inhabitants of Bethulia fell upon the Assyrian camp, plundered it, and became very rich. Judith 15:7. And the sons of Israel, returning from the slaughter, took possession of the rest; and the villages and towns in the hill country and on the plain received great spoils, because there was very much plunder. Judith 15:8. The great priest Joiakim and the elders of the sons of Israel living in Jerusalem came to see what good the Lord had done for Israel, and to see Judith and greet her. 8. The high priest and elders of Jerusalem “came to see what good the Lord had done for Israel,” that is, they came to the place to learn about the deed, especially “to see Judith and greet her”—Greek: lalēsai meta autēs eirēnēn—literally: “to speak with her peace” (peaceful, friendly)—to converse with her friendly and kindly, and also: “to pronounce a blessing upon her.”

Judith 15:9. As soon as they came to her, they all blessed her with one accord and said to her: “You are the glory of Israel, you are the great joy of Israel, you are the great honor of our people. Judith 15:10. All this you have done with your own hand; you did good to Israel, and God has approved it; may you be blessed by the Lord Almighty forever.” And all the people said: “Amen! 10. The name “the Lord Almighty” in later Hebrew books commonly constitutes a replacement for the proper name Jehovah, which, out of reverence, was not pronounced or used by the post-exile Jews.

Judith 15:11. For thirty days the people plundered the camp, and they gave to Judith the tent of Holofernes and all his silver vessels and beds and cups and all his furniture. She took them, loaded them on her mule, hitched her chariots, and loaded them upon them. 11. “For thirty days the people plundered the camp.” Some critics considered this report incredibly exaggerated. However, there is nothing impossible here. One must not forget how many lands and cities Holofernes passed through on the way to Bethulia, carrying away all the best from them as military spoils. It was these spoils that could have provided enough for the plundering by the not so numerous inhabitants of Bethulia for a whole month, especially since they were undoubtedly scattered over a very vast area and could be found only by a kind of search, not all at once. “Beds”—tas klinas—couches, sofas, on which they reclined at meals and which were an ornament of the dining room and the tent of Holofernes generally.

Judith 15:12. And all the women of Israel came to see her, and blessed her, and formed a choir for her; and she took in her hands vine-wreathed wands and gave them to the women with her, 12. “Vine-wreathed wands” (thyrsous)—these could have been simple shoots of grape vines, for holding in the hands during dances. Such “wands” (thyrsae) were also used at pagan celebrations, such as at the festivals of Bacchus, where the “wands” were made of ivy or grape vine wrapped at the top with ivy.

Judith 15:13. and crowned themselves with olive wreaths—she and those with her. She went before all the people leading the choir and bringing all the women with her; after her followed all the men of Israel, armed, with wreaths and with triumphant songs on their lips. 13. “Olive wreaths”—as signs of peace and joy. “The men of Israel” took part in the celebrations “armed” as a sign that the festival of victory was being celebrated.

Judith 15:14. Judith began singing a hymn of thanksgiving before all Israel, and all the people joined in singing this hymn. Our Telegram channel