“God
Has helped
His servant!
Israel!
In remembrance
Of his mercy.”
ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ, μνησθῆναι ἐλέους,
This canticle takes on a different tone as there was now an emphasis on Israel, the country. Luke indicated that Mary said that God had helped Israel (ἀντελάβετο Ἰσραὴλ), his servant or male slave (παιδὸς αὐτοῦ), by remembering his mercy (μνησθῆναι ἐλέους). Mary was a true daughter of Israel. She wanted God’s mercy for her country.
“After this,
Jesus appeared
In another form
To two of them,
As they were going walking
Into the country.”
Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα δυσὶν ἐξ αὐτῶν περιπατοῦσιν ἐφανερώθη ἐν ἑτέρᾳ μορφῇ πορευομένοις εἰς ἀγρόν·
This appearance of Jesus to these 2 men walking in the country is somewhat similar to Luke, chapter 24:13-35, with the 2 disciples walking near the village of Emmaus, but in an abbreviated form. This long ending of Mark said that after this initial announcement by Mary Magdalene (Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα), Jesus appeared in another form (ἐφανερώθη ἐν ἑτέρᾳ μορφῇ) to 2 of his disciples as they were walking (δυσὶν ἐξ αὐτῶν περιπατοῦσιν) into the country (πορευομένοις εἰς ἀγρόν). These disciples are not named, nor is there any mention of where they are.
“They compelled
A passer-by,
Who was coming in
From the country,
To carry his cross.
It was
Simon of Cyrene,
The father
Of Alexander
And Rufus.”
καὶ ἀγγαρεύουσιν παράγοντά τινα Σίμωνα Κυρηναῖον ἐρχόμενον ἀπ’ ἀγροῦ, τὸν πατέρα Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Ῥούφου, ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ.
This is similar to Matthew, chapter 27:32, and Luke, chapter 23:26, but who had no mention of Simon being the father of Alexander and Rufus. John, chapter 19:17, on the other hand, had no mention of Simon at all, since he said that Jesus carried his cross by himself. Mark said that they compelled a passer-by who was coming from the country (καὶ ἀγγαρεύουσιν παράγοντά τινα…ἐρχόμενον ἀπ’ ἀγροῦ) to carry the cross for Jesus (ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ). This passerby was Simon of Cyrene (Σίμωνα Κυρηναῖον), the father of Alexander and Rufus (τὸν πατέρα Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Ῥούφου). Cyrene had a large Jewish community in current day Libya. This Simon may have been in Jerusalem for the Passover. Mark seemed to indicate that this Simon was well known with two sons, but Matthew and Luke did not mention the sons. However, there was a Rufus mentioned at the end of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, chapter 16:13, that could be this son of Simon.
“Thus,
You shall divide
This land
Among you,
According
To the tribes
Of Israel.”
Now that the boundaries of the country of Israel were established, it remained to distribute the land to the various tribes of Israel. Like the boundaries of the country, it sounded easier in theory than in reality. Much of this had been laid out in Numbers, chapter 34, and Joshua, chapters 13-19.
“Says Yahweh.
‘Therefore,
The time is surely coming.
When I will punish
Her idols.
The wounded shall groan
Through all her land.
Though Babylon should
Mount up to heaven,
Destroyers would come
Upon her,
From me.
Though she should fortify
her strong heights,
Destroyers would come
Upon her,
From me.’
Says Yahweh.”
Yahweh was going to destroy Babylon and her idols. The time was coming when Yahweh would destroy all their idols throughout the country. The wounded ones would groan. Even if Babylon would mount prayers to heaven, her destroyers would come upon her from Yahweh. Even if she would fortify herself with strong high walls, these destroyers from Yahweh would descend upon her. Babylon and her idols were doomed. Yahweh was sending his destroyers.
“Flee from Babylon!
Go out of the land
Of the Chaldeans!
Be like male goats!
Lead the flock!”
Yahweh via Jeremiah has a series of commands. Get out of town! They were to get out of the city of Babylon. They were to get out of the country of the Chaldeans. They should act like male goats, leading their flocks, not like lost sheep.
“Concerning the Ammonites!
Thus says Yahweh!
‘Has Israel no sons?
Has he no heir?
Why then has Milcom
Dispossessed Gad?
Why has he dispossessed
His people?
Why has he settled
In its cities?’”
The Ammonites, like the Moabites, were considered the descendants of the incest of Lot with his second daughter from the story in Genesis, chapter 19. The country of Ammon was north of Moab, but south of Aram and Damascus. The country of Ammon existed from about the 10th century to the 4th century BCE in what would have been the Gad territory as outlined in Joshua chapter 13. Today it is part of the country of Jordan. Yahweh seems upset at Ammon. Did not Israel have sons and heirs to live in this Gad territory? Milcom, the god of the Ammonites, was a lot like Molech, the god of the Moabites. Some believe it was the same god with slightly different spellings for each country. This god Milcom had dispossessed the people of Yahweh and settled in their cities. In the Septuagint Greek translation, this is chapter 30, not chapter 49 as here.
“‘Terror!
Pit!
Trap!
They are before you!
O inhabitants of Moab!’
Says Yahweh.
‘Everyone
Who flees from the terror
Shall fall into the pit.
Everyone who climbs
Out of the pit
Shall be caught in the trap.
I will bring these things
Upon Moab,
In the year of their punishment.’
Says Yahweh.
In the shadow of Heshbon,
Fugitives stop exhausted.
A fire has gone out
From Heshbon,
A flame from
The house of Sihon.
It has destroyed
The forehead of Moab,
The scalp of the people
Of tumult.
Woe to you!
O Moab!
The people of Chemosh
Have perished.
Your sons
Have been taken captive.
Your daughters
Have been taken into captivity.”
There would be terror to hit Moab, like the terror of the apocalypse judgment day of Isaiah, chapter 24. Terror was all around with pits and snares to catch people. If they fled, they would fall into a pit. Even if they crawled out of the pit, they would be caught in a trap. There was no escape. They tried to flee to Heshbon, the capital of Ammon, the country north of Moab. However, they were surprised to learn that Heshbon was also on fire. This was the capital city of King Sihon, or house of Sihon, dating back to the days of Joshua, chapter 21. The Moabites would have problems with their foreheads and scalps. They would be cursed, and then perish. The people with their god Chemosh would lose their sons and daughters to captivity.
“Yahweh sent his servant Moses whom he had chosen.
He sent Aaron whom he had chosen.
They performed his signs among them.
They performed miracles in the land of Ham.
He sent darkness.
He made the land dark.
They rebelled against his words.
He turned their waters into blood.
He caused their fish to die.
Their land swarmed with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
He spoke.
Then there came swarms of flies.
There were gnats throughout their country.
He gave them hail for rain.
He gave them lightning that flashed through their land.
He struck their vines.
He struck their fig trees.
He shattered the trees of their country.
He spoke.
Then the locusts came.
There were young locusts without number.
They devoured all the vegetation in their land.
They ate up the fruit of their ground.
He struck down the entire first born in their land.
He struck down the first issue of all their strength.”
This section is based on Exodus, chapters 3-10. First, Yahweh chose Moses and Aaron. Then he performed signs and miracles in the land of Ham, Egypt. He sent darkness. He turned waters into blood so that the fish died. He sent swarms of frogs, flies, and gnats throughout the country, even in the royal chambers. He sent hail and lightning instead of gentle rain. He struck down the vines, fig trees, and shattered all the trees. He then sent numerous locusts that ate all the vegetation and fruits of the land. Finally, he struck down the first born through the country, both among humans and animals. This was just about total destruction to the land of Ham, the Egyptians.
“After consulting privately with the elders, he determined to march out and decide the matter by the help of God before the king’s army could enter Judea and get possession of the city. So, committing the decision to the Creator of the world, he exhorted his troops to fight nobly to the death for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the commonwealth. He pitched his camp near Modein. He gave his troops the watchword.
‘God’s victory.’
He picked a force of the bravest young men. He attacked the king’s pavilion at night. He killed as many as two thousand men in the camp. He stabbed the leading elephant and its rider. In the end they filled the camp with terror and confusion as they withdrew in triumph. This happened, just as day was dawning, because the Lord’s help protected him.”
Clearly the success of Judas Maccabeus came because of divine intervention on his side. Everything was done with the help of God. He first consulted with the elders, which seems to be a common practice. He committed his decision to the Creator, not the God of Israel. He wanted his troops to defend the laws, the Temple, the city, and the country. This took place near Modein, where his father was from, although there is no mention of his father Mattathias in 2 Maccabees. The key word was ‘God’s victory.’ He picked a few brave young men to lead the attack on the king’s pavilion at night. He killed 2,000 that night as well as the lead elephant. This led to confusion in the camp, another common biblical theme.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 