Historical chapter commentary
Verse 2. Twenty. Greek seventy; Syr. sixty-two. Calmet.—Two, and so forth Greek twelve, as above. Calmet. 2:7. Menochius.—Syr. twenty-two. Some of these texts must be inaccurate. Calmet.—Yet the cavalry of Holofernes ( Bible.) might be increased, since he began the war.—Taken. Syr. “servants, and those who had joined them in great numbers.”
Verse 3. Hill side, on the coast of the Mediterranean, leaving the mountains of Ephraim, ( Calmet.) which were so strait, ( Bible.) on the left, as well as Jerusalem, as he intended to go into Egypt. Bethulia alone opposed his progress. Calmet. 6:7.
Verse 4. Of them. Greek adds, “were greatly afraid, and each one said to his neighbour: Now these will consume (Complut. shut up) the face of the earth, and neither the high mountains, nor the vales, nor the hills, will bear their weight. Then taking their arms, and lighting fires upon their towers, they kept guard all that night: but the second day, Holofernes brought out all his cavalry against the Israelites, in Bethulia, and he reconnoitred the ascent of thier city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them; and leaving a guard of soldiers, he returned to his men,” and so forth verse 8. Bible.—The Syr. is also silent about the aqueduct and the small springs. Calmet.—The servants of God first humble themselves, and then take arms, confiding in God. Worthington.
Verse 6. An aqueduct: the fountain must therefore have been on a higher ground than the city, though the latter was on an eminence. Calmet.—Yet water may be forced to ascend by pipes. Bible.
Verse 8. Children of. Greek and Syr. “the chiefs of the sons of Esau,” as Idumea had been conquered. Calmet. 3:14. They omit Ammon, and after Moab subjoin “the generals of the maritime countries;” Tyrians and Philistines. Bible.
Verse 10. Spring. Greek and Syr. intimate that the Ammonites and Moabites, with 5,000 Assyrian infantry, guarded the springs: the rest of the army, according to the old Vulg. was stationed in the plain. Greek and Syr. specify over-against Dothaim, which seems too remote; ( Calmet.) though such an immense army might cover a great part of the country, as all would not be necessary to besiege Bethulia; and it was agreed only to blockade the place, in order that no men might be lost, and the army might be ready to march against the more distant and powerful nations of Egypt. Another detachment was ( Bible.) “southward, at Ecrebel, (Syr. Ekarbat, probably Akrabim, the ascent of the scorpions) near Cush, (or Arabia) which is above the torrent Mochmur, (Syr. Peor, or Bezor. Calmet.) and the rest of the army of the Assyrians encamped in the plain, and covered the face of the earth.” Bible.
Verse 11. Days. Greek “and all the collection of the Assyrians continued round them … thirty-four days.” Bible.—Old Vulg. “twenty-four days.” Syr. “two months and four days.”—Measure. Greek adds, “the infants, women, and young men fainted, and fell down dead.” Bible.
Verse 13. Hands. We shall be treated as miserable slaves. Calmet.
Verse 15. Assemble. Greek “call them, and give up all the city to plunder to the,” and so forth
Verse 17. Conjuring. Greek “and the sins of our parents, that he may not treat us thus to-day,” and deliver us up to death. Bible.
Verse 18. Saying. Greek “And Ozias said to them: Take courage, brethren.,” verse 23. Bible.
Verse 23. Five. Sulpitius reads, fifteen. Calmet.—But instead of decim, we should read demum. Bible.
Verse 25. Spoken. Greek and Syr. add, “and he dispersed the people to their tents, and they went upon the walls and towers of the city, and sent their wives and children home. And they were under great humiliation in the city.”