“Suddenly,
There was
With this angel
A multitude
Of the heavenly host.
They were
Praising God.”
καὶ ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο σὺν τῷ ἀγγέλῳ πλῆθος στρατιᾶς οὐρανίου αἰνούντων τὸν Θεὸν
Luke said that suddenly (καὶ ἐξαίφνης), a whole choir or a heavenly host of angels came to join this one angel (ἐγένετο σὺν τῷ ἀγγέλῳ πλῆθος στρατιᾶς οὐρανίου). They were all praising God (αἰνούντων τὸν Θεὸν). This one angel became a multitude of angels.
“‘Sing!
Rejoice!
O daughter Zion!
Look!
I come!
I will dwell
In your midst.’
Says Yahweh.
Many nations
Shall join themselves
To Yahweh
In that day.
‘They shall be my people.
I will dwell
In your midst.’
You shall know
That Yahweh of hosts
Has sent me to you.
Yahweh will inherit Judah
As his portion
In the holy land.
He will again choose
Jerusalem.”
Yahweh wanted daughter Zion to sing and rejoice. He was going to come to dwell in their midst, among them. Many nations or people from many different countries would join with Yahweh on that day. Yahweh said that they would be his people. He was going to live among them. Yahweh would inherit Judah, since he had sent his prophet to his Holy Land. This was the first use of this term that was later used in 2 Maccabees, chapter 1. Yahweh had chosen Jerusalem again.
“All the people
Of the land
Shall join
With the prince in Israel,
In making this offering.
But this shall be
The obligation
Of the prince
Regarding
The burnt offerings,
The grain offerings,
The drink offerings,
At the festivals,
The new moons,
The Sabbath,
All the appointed festivals
Of the house of Israel.
He shall provide
The sin offerings,
The grain offerings,
The burnt offerings,
The peace offerings,
To make atonement
For the house of Israel.”
The prince in Israel would be responsible for providing the animals and grains for the sacrifices and sin offerings at the various festivals. All the people of the land would join with the prince for these offerings. However, it was the obligation of the prince to make sure that there were animals, grains, and oils available for these burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the drink offerings at all these religious festivals, including the new moons and the Sabbath. The prince was to provide for these various offerings, including the peace offerings, in order to make atonement for the house of Israel.
“The word of Yahweh
Came to me.
‘Son of man!
Take a stick!
Write on it!
‘For Judah,
With the Israelites
Associated with him.’
Then take another stick!
Write on it!
‘For Joseph,
The stick of Ephraim,
With all
The house of Israel
Associated with it.’
Join them together
Into one stick.
Thus,
They may become
One
In your hand.’”
As usual, the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, the son of man. Yahweh wanted Ezekiel to take two sticks and join them together. Ezekiel was to write on the first stick Judah and everyone associated with him. This was an obvious reference to Judah and the collapsed kingdom of the south. The second stick was a reference to the Israelite kingdom of the north that fell in 721 BCE, a couple of centuries earlier. However, the written title on the second stick was Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, one of Joseph’s sons. All those associated with the northern kingdom were included with the house of Israel. Ezekiel was then to take these two sticks and put them together in his hand, so that they would become one stick. This was an obvious reference that Yahweh wanted the people of both the old northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah to come together, just like what had happened in Ezekiel’s hand.
“Says Yahweh.
‘In those days,
At that time,
The people of Israel
Shall come together
With the people of Judah.
They shall come
Weeping.
They shall seek
Yahweh,
Their God.
They shall ask
The way to Zion,
With faces turned
Toward it.
They shall join themselves
To Yahweh
By an everlasting covenant
That will never be forgotten.’”
Clearly this is a future time, when both the Israelites and Judeans would return to Zion together, not separately. They would come weeping as they sought Yahweh, their God. They would want to know the way to Jerusalem while facing towards Zion. At the same time, they would join themselves to Yahweh with an everlasting covenant that would never be forgotten. There was always a lot of talk of an unforgettable covenant, and then a little forgetfulness would happen.
“Yahweh will have compassion
On Jacob.
He will again choose Israel.
He will set them
In their own land.
Aliens will join them.
They will attach themselves
To the house of Jacob.
The nations will take them.
They will bring them
To their place.
The house of Israel
Will possess these nations,
As male and female slaves,
In Yahweh’s land.
They will take captive
Those who were their captors.
They will rule over
Those who oppressed them.”
Obviously this oracle assumes that the Israelites were in Exile, which did not happen during the life of Isaiah. Yahweh was going to have compassion on Jacob, the Israelites. He was going to set them in their own land with the help of other nations. Other non-Israelites would join them, the so called aliens or strangers. Then the house of Israel would have its own male and female slaves from the other countries. In fact, their former captors would become their captives. Thus they would rule over those who oppressed them. I am not so sure whether this last part ever happened. They were allowed to have slaves and other countries helped them. Those aliens in Israel would have to follow the Israelite law if they wanted to stay in Israel.
“Seven women
Shall take hold of one man
In that day.
Saying.
‘We will eat our own bread.
We will wear our own clothes.
Just let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace.’”
In order to avoid dishonor and disgrace, seven young widows would join a harem so that they can have something to eat and clothes to wear. They will even take the name of their new protector or husband. They do not want to be reproached for being celibate or sterile, since the single woman was considered outside the pale of society.
“When Alcimus had said this, the rest of the king’s friends, who were hostile to Judas Maccabeus, quickly inflamed King Demetrius still more. He immediately chose Nicanor, who had been in command of the elephants. He appointed him governor of Judea. He sent him off with orders to kill Judas Maccabeus and scatter his troops. He was to install Alcimus as high priest of the great temple. The gentiles throughout Judea, who had fled before Judas Maccabeus, flocked to join Nicanor. They thought that the misfortunes and calamities of the Jews would mean prosperity for themselves.”
Once again, this is similar but not quite the same as 1 Maccabees, chapter 7. There is no mention of Bacchides here. Instead the leader of the troops and the governor of Judea was Nicanor. Apparently, Nicanor had been in charge of the elephants that seem to have been a big deal in the Syrian army. He may also have been with King Demetrius I when he was in jail in Rome. Now this meant that there was a separate governor for Judea whose sole purpose was to kill Judas Maccabees and disperse his troops. Alcimus was officially made the high priest. The gentiles in the area were happy so that they eagerly joined with Nicanor. The assumption of the gentiles was a zero sum game that if the Jews were in trouble, it would be better for them.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 