“The decree was issued.
The wise men
Were about to be executed.
They looked for Daniel
With his companions,
To execute them.”
Guess what! The king’s decree was issued. All the wise men in Babylon were to be executed. Daniel and his companions were part of this royal court of the wise men of Babylon, so that they too would be killed.
“‘Why do I see them terrified?
They have fallen back.
Their warriors are beaten down.
They have fled in haste.
They do look not back.
Terror is all around!’
Says Yahweh.
The swift cannot flee away.
The warrior cannot escape.
In the north,
By the Euphrates River,
They have stumbled.
They have fallen.”
How quickly things turn. Jeremiah explains what happens when defeat occurs. These strong warriors were terrified and fell back. They were beaten down and fled in haste, without looking back. Terror was all around them. Yahweh has issued this oracle for Jeremiah. The swift cannot go fast enough to escape. Finally, in the north, by the Euphrates River, they stumbled and fell.
“‘Let the prophet
Who has a dream
Tell the dream.
But let the one
Who has my word,
Speak my word faithfully.
What has straw
In common with wheat?’
Says Yahweh.
‘Is not my word
Like fire?’
Says Yahweh.
‘Is not my word
Like a hammer
That breaks
A rock in pieces?’”
Yahweh, via Jeremiah, issued a series of oracles about the power of his word. If a prophet had a dream, let him tell that dream. However, anyone who had the word of Yahweh should also speak the word faithfully. Straw is dried up and useless, but wheat or grain is full of nourishment. The word of Yahweh was like fire or a hammer that could break any rock into pieces.
“Says Yahweh.
‘This is your lot.
This is the portion
I have measured out to you.
Because you have forgotten me.
You trusted in lies.
I myself will lift up your skirts
Over your face.
Your shame will be seen.
I have seen your abominations.
I have seen your adulteries.
I have seen your neighing.
I have seen your shameless prostitution
On the hills of the countryside.
Woe to you!
O Jerusalem!
How long will it be
Before you are made clean?’”
Yahweh was really upset, as Jeremiah indicates. Yahweh has chosen their lot and measured the size of it. They had forgotten Yahweh, but trusted in lies. Thus Yahweh was going to violate them by lifting up their skirts over their face, so that everyone could see the shame of their nakedness. Yahweh had seen enough of their abominations that included adultery, complaining, and senseless prostitution on the hills in the countryside. Thus Yahweh issued his curse on them. He had no idea how long it would take to make them clean.
“On the monthly celebration of the king’s birthday, the Jews were taken, under bitter constraint, to partake of the sacrifices. When a festival of Dionysus was celebrated, they were compelled to wear wreaths of ivy and to walk in the procession in honor of Dionysus. At the suggestion of the people of Ptolemais, a decree was issued to the neighboring Greek cities that they should adopt the same policy toward the Jews. They should make them partake of the sacrifices. They should kill those who did not choose to change over to the Greek customs. One could see, therefore, the misery that had come upon them.”
Here we have in some detail, the various pagan worship services that were introduced in Jerusalem instead of the generic comments of 1 Maccabees, chapter 1. First they had to celebrate the king’s birthday on a monthly basis with sacrifices. Then they had to celebrate the feast of Dionysius, the god of wine and grapes by processing with ivy wreaths on their heads. On top of that, the people of Ptolemais on the seacoast sent a decree that all the Greek cities should have the Jews participate in the Greek sacrifices. If they did not change to the Greek ways, they would be killed. This is something like what happened in the later Roman Empire times, when the emperor wanted to be worshiped as a divinity. Those Christians who failed to do so were killed and became Christian martyrs. Perhaps there was some Jewish martyrs but their names are not mentioned here.
“A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province, and published to all peoples. The Jews were to be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. So the couriers, mounted on their swift royal horses hurried out, urged by the king’s command. The decree was issued in the citadel of Susa.”
Now we are back at the Hebrew text, which summarizes the letter. A copy of this decree was sent to every one of the 127 provinces so that all the people knew about this. The Jews were to be ready on the 13th of Adar to take revenge against their enemies. This word went out by the royal couriers with their swift royal horses. The king had urged them on, since this decree came from the Persian capital of Susa.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 