1 Maccabees
Verse 1. Nations. They were always ready to oppress the Jews. Thus God punished or tried his people. Calmet.—Judas, or his brethren, here gains eight victories over them. Worthington.
EXPLANATIONS
1 Maccabees 5
Historical chapter commentary
1 Maccabees
Verse 3. Idumea. Alexandrian MS. has, “Judea.” Both may be right. The country had been wrested from Juda by the Idumeans.—Acrabathane is “the ascent of scorpions,” (hakrabim) which were probably numerous, to the south of the Dead Sea. Numbers 34:4. Deuteronomy 8:15.
1 Maccabees
Verse 4. Bean; perhaps Beon, near the sea of Sodom, ( Calmet.) or Bathaner, beyond the Jordan. Serar.
1 Maccabees
Verse 5. Destruction. Sometimes the people were spared. All depended on the wording of the vow. Leviticus 27:28. Numbers 21:1. See other particulars, 2 B. 10:16 to 23. Calmet.
1 Maccabees
Verse 8. Gazer, in Ephraim. But Jazer, in the tribe of Gad, seems to be meant, as the Greek expresses it. Menochius.—Towns. Lit. “daughters,” or dependant ( Bible.) villages. Worthington.—Afterwards Judas returned and defeated Timotheus. 2 B. 10:24.
1 Maccabees
Verse 9. Galaad. Most of the towns had been seized by the Ammonites, and so forth After the return of the captives, they were probably driven out. They attempted to regain possession, when Epiphanes declared against the Jews.—Datheman; Petra, ( Calmet.) or perhaps Rathma. Numbers 33:18. Drus.
1 Maccabees
Verse 11. Timotheus. Another of this name had been slain the preceding year, 3840, at Gazara. 2 B. 10:37.
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Verse 13. Tubin, or Tob, to the south of Gad. Judges 11:3. Calmet.
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Verse 15. Is filled. Greek Alex. “All Galilee of the Gentiles to destroy us.” Bible.—This part of Galilee was occupied by pagans, who were excited by Epiphanes to fall upon the Jews. 2 B. 6:8.
1 Maccabees
Verse 23. Arbatis. Arboth means “deserts” uncultivated, here probably denoting the valley of Jezrahel. Simon wisely concentrated the people, as Judas did in Galaad. verse 45.
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Verse 24. Desert; probably from Bethsan to Bosor, marching with all secrecy.
1 Maccabees
Verse 25. Nabutheans; descendants of Ismael’s eldest son, whose capital was Petra. They continued friends to the Jews.
1 Maccabees
Verse 26. Barasa; probably the Bozra of Moab. Greek “Bosorra.” Jos.—Bosor means a fortress. It is not wonderful that there should be many places of this name in Arabia, to defend the people from robbers.—Alima; Elim, or Almon. Isaiah 15:8.—Casphor, or rather Casbon, (verse 36.) the famous Hesebon. Numbers 21:26. Calmet.—Mageth, or Machati; (Grot.) though it seems too far off. Deuteronomy 3:14.—Carnaim, “horns,” being sacred to the moon, ( Calmet.) called Astaroth. Genesis 14:5. Bible.—Strabo styles it Carna.
1 Maccabees
Verse 29. Fortress of Datheman. verse 9.
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Verse 36. Bosor, or Bosra. verse 26. Bosor was taken before. verse 28.
1 Maccabees
Verse 37. After. Judas had in the mean time defeated Lysias. 2 B. 11:1. and so forth Calmet.—Raphon, or Raphana; (Grot.) or as that was too remote, probably Saphon. Numbers 32:35. Calmet.
1 Maccabees
Verse 41. Afraid. He interpreted the delay in this sense, which was very precarious, ( Bible.) as nothing could be more superstitious. Jonathan begged for a similar proof of God’s favour. But Timotheus consulted only himself. 1 Kennicott. 14:9. Calmet.
1 Maccabees
Verse 42. Scribes; tribunes, who kept a register of the soldiers. Menochius.—They were officers of great power.
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Verse 44. Temple of Atergata, or Astarte. Judas slew 55,000. Timotheus was spared. 2 B. 12:20. 26.
1 Maccabees
Verse 46. Ephron, beyond the Jordan. The situation is unknown. With regard to the right which Judas had to treat it with such severity, see Numbers 20:18. Judges 8:5. Calmet.—It probably belonged to God’s people, and was unjustly detained. Bible.
1 Maccabees
Verse 52. Plain, extending beyond Jezrahel.
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Verse 53. Hindmost: the place of danger. Calmet.—A good general takes care of the weakest, and exhorts all to behave valiantly. Worthington.
1 Maccabees
Verse 54. Not one. The 12,000 who defeated the Madianites, were preserved by God in like manner. Numbers 31:49. Bible.
1 Maccabees
Verse 56. And Azarias. These two are known only for the disobedience and misconduct. In holy wars, God does not favour those who are actuated by base motives. verse 18. 60. Calmet.—Men who depend on themselves, and who are not properly authorized, receive not assistance from above; so these failed, as they were not chosen like those who were to save Israel, ( Worthington.) of the family of the Machabees. Menochius.
1 Maccabees
Verse 58. Jamnia, a maritime city of the Philistines near Joppe. Gorgias, an experienced warrior, had retired thither. Calmet. 4:5. and 2 B. 8:9. Calmet.
1 Maccabees
Verse 62. Israel. The late Rev. Robert Bannister applied this to Protestant writers of sermons, to dissuade young divines from applying to such authors as Tillotson, and so forth It may also shew the reason why heretics succeed so ill in their foreign missions. Bible.—They know how to pervert Catholics, not how to convert infidels. Tert.
1 Maccabees
Verse 63. Men. Greek “man, Judas, and his brethren were,” and so forth Bible.—See a similar expression Exodus 14:3 respecting Moses.
1 Maccabees
Verse 65. Chebron, or Hebron, which the Idumeans had seized. Judas retook it after he had defeated Gorgias. 2 B. 12:32.
1 Maccabees
Verse 66. Aliens; Philistines, verse 68.—Samaria. This seems too remote. Some substitute Saraia; (Joshua 15:35) others Maresa, (2 B. 12:35.) Marissa, (Jos.) the same as Ressa. Numbers 33:21.
1 Maccabees
Verse 67. Desiring. They were only too brave. This quality was not incompatible with the priesthood. Greek Alex. has, “while he (Judas) was desiring,” and so forth Others have, “priests of the cities, while they,” and so forth The Rom. edit. agrees with us, ( Calmet.) and Grabe prints accordingly. Bible.
1 Maccabees
Compare 2 Maccabees 10:18-23.
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Greek daughters. Compare Numbers 21:25.
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Compare 2 Maccabees 12:17.
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Greek foreigners.
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Compare 2 Maccabees 12:13.
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compare 2 Maccabees 12:21.
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See 1 Maccabees 5:26
1 Maccabees
See 1 Maccabees 5:26.
1 Maccabees
Greek daughters. Compare Numbers 21:25.
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Greek foreigners.
1 Maccabees
Or, Marisa See Josephus, Antiquities 12:8. 6, and 2 Maccabees 12:35.
1 Maccabees
Greek foreigners.