“Be silent!
All people!
Before Yahweh!
He has roused himself
From his holy dwelling.”
When Yahweh was in his holy place, everyone had to be silent before the presence of Yahweh. He was aroused in his holy dwelling place, both in heaven and on earth in his Temple.
“Says Yahweh God!
‘On that day,
When Gog comes
Against the land
Of Israel,
My wrath
Will be aroused.
In my jealousy,
In my blazing wrath,
I declare.
‘On that day
There shall be
A great shaking
In the land
Of Israel.’”
The mood of Yahweh changed as Gog actually attacked Israel. Up to this point, Yahweh had been egging Gog on to attack Israel. But now, there was a complete reversal. On the day of the attack, Yahweh would be angry and jealous, as his wrath would be aroused. There would be a great tumult in Israel. Let us see what happens next.
“The blood
That she shed
Is inside it.
She placed it
On a bare rock.
She did not pour it out
On the ground
To cover it
With earth.
To rouse my wrath!
To take vengeance!
I have placed
The blood
That she shed
On a bare rock.
Thus this blood
May not be covered.”
Yahweh was upset about the blood being shed in Jerusalem since it was being placed on a bare rock. No one was pouring the blood out on the ground or covering it up. Was this an attempt to get Yahweh’s wrath aroused? Did someone need to take vengeance? Thus Yahweh also agreed to leave the blood in the city on the bare rocks instead of covering it up.
“‘The people of Israel!
The people of Judah!
They have done nothing
But evil
In my sight
From their youth.
The people of Israel
Have done nothing
But provoke me to anger
By the work of their hands.’
Says Yahweh.
‘This city has aroused
My anger,
My wrath,
From the day it was built
Until this day.
Thus I will remove it
From my sight.
Because of all the evil
Of the people of Israel,
Of the people of Judah.
They provoked me to anger.
This includes
Their kings,
Their officials,
Their priests,
Their prophets,
The citizens of Judah,
The inhabitants of Jerusalem.
They have turned
Their back to me.
They have not turned
Their face to me.
Even though
I have taught them persistently,
They would not listen.
They would not accept correction.’”
Yahweh includes both Israel and Judah in this diatribe against all the Israelites, since they have done nothing but evil since their youth. By the work of their hands, they have provoked Yahweh to anger. The city of Jerusalem also aroused his anger, since the day that it was built. Yahweh was going to remove it because of all the evil that they had done. No one would be exempt, since their kings, officials, priests, prophets, citizens, and inhabitants of both Judah and Jerusalem had turned their backs on Yahweh, not their faces to Yahweh. He had tried to teach them persistently, but they would not listen and accept correction.
“But you indeed are awesome!
Who can stand before you?
When once your anger is roused?
From the heavens
You uttered judgment.
The earth feared.
The earth was still.
God rose up to establish judgment.
He wanted to save all the oppressed of the earth.”
Selah
God was awesome! No one could stand before him once his anger was aroused. From heaven he uttered his judgment. Thus the earth feared and was still. God established his judgment. He wanted to save all the oppressed of the earth. This section ends with the musical interlude meditative pause of Selah.
“Thus Nicanor in his utter boastfulness and arrogance had determined to erect a public monument of victory over Judas and his forces. But Judas Maccabeus did not cease to trust with all confidence that he would get help from the Lord. He exhorted his troops not to fear the attack of the gentiles. Rather, they should keep in mind the former times when help had come to them from heaven. They were now to look for the victory which the All powerful would give them. Encouraging them from the law and the prophets, he reminded them also of the struggles they had won. He made them the more eager. When he had aroused their courage, he issued his orders. At the same time he pointed out the perfidy of the gentiles and their violation of oaths. He armed each of them not so much with confidence in shields and spears as with the inspiration of brave words. He cheered them all by relating a dream, a sort of vision, which was worthy of belief.”
Nicanor was so confident that he wanted to create a public monument of his victory over Judas Maccabeus that not yet happened. On the other hand, Judas Maccabeus was confident that his help would come from the Lord. He told his troops not to feat the attack of the gentiles. They should remember the former times when help came from heaven. Victory would come from the all powerful God. He encouraged them by reading from the Law and the prophets and all their struggles. The troops became more eager to fight as their courage was aroused. Judas also pointed out the lying and the violations of the gentiles. They had confidence in their shields and spears, but his troops would have confidence in the inspired words of God. He cheered them all by talking about a visionary dream.
“Many acts of sacrilege had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the connivance of Menelaus. When the report of them had spread abroad, the populace gathered against Lysimachus because many of the gold vessels had already been stolen. The crowds were becoming aroused and filled with anger. Lysimachus armed about three thousand men. He launched an unjust attack, under the leadership of a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less advanced in folly. But when the Jews became aware that Lysimachus was attacking them, some picked up stones, some blocks of wood, and others took handfuls of the ashes that were lying around. They threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men. As a result, they wounded many of them. They killed some. They put all the rest of them to flight. The temple robber himself they killed close by the treasury.”
Lysimachus was the brother of Menelaus who was the second in command to the high priesthood of Menelaus. He had stolen the golden vessels from the Temple and committed other acts of sacrilege. The Jerusalem crowds became aroused and filled with anger. Lysimachus decided to get about 3,000 people led by a foolish old man named Auranus to attack the crowds. The crowds fought back by heaving, stones, wood, and ashes. I am not so sure about the value of throwing ashes. Anyway, they wounded many and killed some of these 3,000 men including Lysimachus. The rest fled. Finally, they were rid of the Temple robbers.
“When Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, his spirit was aroused. He chose ten thousand men and set out from Jerusalem. His brother Simon met him to help him. He encamped before Joppa, but the men of the city closed its gates. Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa. So they fought against it. Then the people of the city became afraid. They opened their gates so that Jonathan gained possession of Joppa.”
When Jonathan heard the words of the message from Apollonius who represented King Demetrius II, he was annoyed. This time Jonathan had a large force of 10,000 men when he also met with his brother Simon. He decided to go to Joppa, one of the ancient Mediterranean seaports, about 35 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Apollonius had a garrison there, but Jonathan fought against them. The people in the city became afraid so that they opened the gates and let Jonathan take over.
“Judith proceeded to dress herself in all her woman’s finery. Her maid went ahead of her to spread for her, on the ground before General Holofernes, the lambskins that she had received from Bagoas for her daily use in reclining. Then Judith came in and lay down. General Holofernes’ heart was ravished with her. His passion was aroused. He had been waiting for an opportunity to seduce her from the day he first saw her. He said to her.
‘Have a drink!
Be merry with us!’
Judith said.
‘I will gladly drink, my lord,
Because today is the greatest day in my whole life.’
Then she took what her maid had prepared. She ate and drank before him. He was greatly pleased with her. He drank a great quantity of wine, much more than he had ever drunk in any one day since he was born.”
Judith prepared to go to meet General Holofernes. She put on her best female clothes, at least for that day. Her maid preceded her with lambskins that Bagoas the eunuch had prepared so that that she could sit on the ground to eat and drink. She then went in and reclined or lay down in front of the good general. His heart was going pitter-patter as he was aroused at the sight of her. He had been waiting for an opportunity to seduce her since he first met her. He offered her a drink of wine, which she did not refuse. He wanted her to be merry. She replied that it was greatest day of her life. She had never mentioned her dead husband or if she had children. There was never any mention of them, so maybe she had no children. Then she ate the meal that her maid had provided. Although he was pleased with her, he drank more wine than he had ever drunk in his whole life. This could be a problem.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 