They came to Holofernes’ tent, and said to him that was over all that he had, “Wake our lord up, now, for the slaves have been bold to come down against us to battle, that they may be utterly destroyed.”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 13. Into. Greek “In, knocked at the hall, (αυλη, or antichamber) of the tent, for he suspected that he was sleeping with Judith. But as no one answered, he opened and went into the bed-chamber, and found him thrown upon the floor, dead, and his head taken from him, and he cried,” and so forth—Curtain, which separated this apartment from the rest, ( Bible.) and hung before the door, as Heraclides describes the tent of the Persian kings. Holofernes assumed the like importance, and was treated almost as a deity. Calmet.—Hence he must not be awaked, in a rude manner. Bible.—Civility requires that we should knock modestly at the doors of the great. Calmet.