1 Maccabees 4

Then Gorgias took five thousand foot soldiers and a thousand of the best horsemen, and they moved out of the camp at night.

1Then took Gorgias five thousand footmen, and a thousand of the best horsemen, and removed out of the camp by night;

NoteGorgias was one of the generals of the Seleucid kingdom, the Greek-ruled empire based in Syria that controlled Judea at this time. The "king" named through this chapter is Antiochus IV, whose officers were trying to crush the Jewish revolt led by Judas Maccabeus. "Footmen" are infantry, soldiers who fight on foot, as against horsemen, who fight mounted.

2His purpose was to rush in on the camp of the Jews and strike them suddenly. The men of the fortress served as his guides.

2To the end he might rush in upon the camp of the Jews, and smite them suddenly. And the men of the fortress were his guides.

NoteThe fortress, often called the citadel, was a walled strongpoint the Seleucids had built in Jerusalem near the temple and manned with their own troops together with Jews who supported them. Its men knew the local hill roads, which is why they could lead a night march to Judas's camp.

3When Judas heard about this, he moved out himself, along with the brave men who were with him, to strike the king's army at Emmaus

3Now when Judas heard thereof he himself removed, and the valiant men with him, that he might smite the king’s army which was at Emmaus,

NoteEmmaus was a town in the low hills roughly twenty miles west of Jerusalem, sitting on the road that climbs from the coastal plain up into Judea.

4while its forces were still spread out away from the camp.

4While as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.

5Meanwhile Gorgias came into the camp of Judas at night and found no one there. He looked for them in the mountains, for he said, "These men are running away from us."

5In the mean season came Gorgias by night into the camp of Judas: and when he found no man there, he sought them in the mountains: for said he, These fellows flee from us

6But as soon as it was day, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men. Even so, they did not have the armor and swords they wanted.

6But as soon as it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men, who nevertheless had neither armour nor swords to their minds.

Note"Neither armour nor swords to their minds" does not mean they had none at all. "To their minds" is older English for "to their liking," so the sense is that they lacked the weapons and armor they would have wished to have.

7They saw the camp of the Gentiles, that it was strong and well equipped, with horsemen all around it, and these men were skilled in war.

7And they saw the camp of the heathen, that it was strong and well harnessed, and compassed round about with horsemen; and these were expert of war.

Note"Heathen" is the regular King James word for Gentiles, meaning simply people who are not Jews; it is a statement of nationality, not a comment on how religious anyone was. "Well harnessed" means well equipped with armor and gear, nothing to do with harness for horses.

8Then Judas said to the men who were with him, "Do not fear how many they are, and do not be afraid when they charge.

8Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

9Remember how our fathers were rescued at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh chased them with an army.

9Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.

NoteThe reference is to the escape from Egypt in Exodus 14, when Israel crossed the sea and Pharaoh's pursuing chariots were lost in it. It is cited here as the standard example of a hopelessly outmatched force being saved.

10So now let us cry out to heaven. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on us, and remember the covenant he made with our fathers, and destroy this army in front of us today,

10Now therefore let us cry unto heaven, if peradventure the Lord will have mercy upon us, and remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this host before our face this day:

NoteThe covenant is the binding agreement God was understood to have made with Israel's ancestors, with obligations on both sides. Judas is appealing to it as one would appeal to the terms of a standing treaty.

11so that all the Gentiles may know that there is one who rescues and saves Israel."

11That so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and saveth Israel.

12Then the foreigners looked up and saw them coming toward them.

12Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them.

Note"Strangers" here means foreigners, not people who happen to be unknown. The underlying Greek word is the one the Greek Old Testament regularly uses for the Philistines, so in this book it can mean foreigners in general or the peoples of the coastal plain in particular.

13So they went out of the camp to fight; but those who were with Judas blew their trumpets,

13Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets.

NoteThese are the straight metal signal trumpets used both in worship and on the battlefield to give orders and to mark the start of an engagement, not instruments played for music.

14and the two sides came together in battle. The Gentiles were beaten and fled into the plain.

14So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited fled into the plain.

15But all the ones at the back were killed with the sword. They chased them as far as Gazera, and to the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, and about three thousand of them were killed.

15Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.

NoteGazera is Gezer, and Azotus and Jamnia are the coastal towns of Ashdod and Yavneh; all three lie west of the battlefield, down toward the sea. Idumea is the region immediately south of Judea, settled by Edomites. Naming them marks how far in each direction the rout carried.

16When this was done, Judas came back with his army from chasing them,

16This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them,

17and he said to the people, "Do not be greedy for the plunder, since there is a battle ahead of us,

17And said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoil inasmuch as there is a battle before us,

18and Gorgias and his army are near us on the mountain. Stand now against our enemies and defeat them, and after that you can take the spoils without fear."

18And Gorgias and his host are here by us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after this ye may boldly take the spoils.

19While Judas was still speaking these words, some of them appeared, looking out from the mountain.

19As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them looking out of the mountain:

20They saw that the Jews had put their army to flight and were burning the tents, for the smoke that could be seen showed what had happened.

20Who when they perceived that the Jews had put their host to flight and were burning the tents; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done:

21So when they saw these things, they were very afraid. They also saw the army of Judas in the plain, ready to fight,

21When therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight,

22and every one of them fled into the land of the Philistines.

22They fled every one into the land of strangers.

23Then Judas went back to plunder the tents, and there they took much gold and silver, blue cloth, sea purple, and great riches.

23Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.

NoteBlue cloth and "purple of the sea" were dyed fabrics, the purple made from a secretion of murex shellfish gathered on the Phoenician coast. Both dyes were extremely expensive and marked out royal and high-ranking dress, so listing them signals the value of what was taken.

24After this they went home and sang a song of thanks, and praised the Lord in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy lasts forever.

24After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised the Lord in heaven: because it is good, because his mercy endureth forever.

Note"Because it is good, because his mercy endureth forever" is a fixed refrain from the temple psalms of thanksgiving, such as Psalms 106, 118 and 136. Readers of the time would have recognized it as a set formula rather than a fresh composition.

25So Israel had a great rescue that day.

25Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

26Now all the foreigners who had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened.

26Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened:

NoteLysias was the nobleman Antiochus IV left behind as regent when he campaigned in the east, put in charge of the western half of the kingdom and made guardian of the king's young son. The campaign against Judea was his responsibility to deliver.

27When he heard of it, he was dismayed and discouraged, because what he wanted had not been done to Israel, and what the king had commanded him had not come about.

27Who, when he heard thereof, was confounded and discouraged, because neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things as the king commanded him were come to pass.

28So the next year Lysias gathered sixty thousand picked foot soldiers and five thousand horsemen, so that he might bring them under his control.

28The next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

29They came into Idumea and set up their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

29So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

NoteBethsura is Beth-zur, a fortified town about eighteen miles south of Jerusalem that commanded the road running up from Idumea. An army coming at Judea from the south had to deal with it first.

30When he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, "Blessed are you, Savior of Israel. You crushed the attack of the mighty man by the hand of your servant David. You gave the army of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and his armor-bearer.

30And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst quell the violence of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host of strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armourbearer;

Note"The mighty man" is Goliath, the champion David killed in 1 Samuel 17. The second reference is to 1 Samuel 14, where Jonathan son of Saul and his armor-bearer climbed alone into a Philistine outpost and routed it. An armor-bearer was the attendant who carried a warrior's shield and spare weapons and fought alongside him. Both examples are chosen because a tiny force beat a large one.

31Shut this army up in the hand of your people Israel, and let them be put to shame in their strength and their horsemen.

31Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen:

Note"Shut up this army in the hand of thy people" is a military image: to hem the enemy in so they cannot maneuver or escape, and so hand them over to the other side's power.

32Take away their courage. Make the boldness of their strength melt away, and let them shake at their own destruction.

32Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction:

33Strike them down with the sword of those who love you, and let all who know your name praise you with thanks."

33Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.

34So the two sides fought, and about five thousand men of the army of Lysias were killed; they fell right in front of them.

34So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.

Note"Even before them were they slain" means the enemy dead fell right in front of the Jewish line, at close quarters, rather than being cut down scattered in flight.

35When Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the courage of the soldiers of Judas, and how they were ready either to live or to die bravely, he went to Antioch. There he gathered hired soldiers, and, having made his army larger than before, he planned to come again into Judea.

35Now when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas’ soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he went into Antiochia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into Judea.

NoteAntioch, in Syria, was the capital of the Seleucid kingdom. The "company of strangers" he gathered there were mercenaries, professional foreign soldiers hired for pay, a standard way of rebuilding an army quickly.

36Then Judas and his brothers said, "Look, our enemies are beaten. Let us go up to cleanse the holy place and dedicate it."

36Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.

NoteThree years earlier Antiochus IV had stopped the temple's regular worship and had pagan sacrifice performed on its altar. Under Jewish law a place used that way could not simply be reopened: it had to be ritually purified and then formally dedicated again before it could serve.

37So the whole army gathered together and went up to Mount Sion.

37Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.

Note"Mount Sion" here means the temple hill in Jerusalem itself, the raised platform with the sanctuary on it, not the separate southwestern ridge that later carried the name Zion.

38They saw the holy place lying empty, the altar made unclean, the gates burned, shrubs growing in the courtyards as in a forest or on one of the mountains, and the priests' rooms pulled down.

38And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests’ chambers pulled down;

Note"Profaned" means put to common or foreign use so that it could no longer count as holy. The priests' chambers were the rooms built around the temple courts where priests on duty lodged and where offerings, vessels and vestments were stored.

39They tore their clothes, mourned loudly, and threw ashes on their heads.

39They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,

NoteTearing one's clothes and pouring ashes or dust on the head were the ordinary public signs of grief in this culture, done openly and expected at a death or a disaster, much as wearing black later was.

40They fell flat on the ground on their faces, blew an alarm on the trumpets, and cried out toward heaven.

40And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.

NoteThe "alarm" was a specific pattern of short blasts on the signal trumpets, distinct from the long notes used to call an assembly. It was the sound used in war and at moments of crisis.

41Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those who were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the holy place.

41Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.

NoteThis is the Seleucid citadel of verse 2, still held by enemy troops and overlooking the temple. Work on the sanctuary had to be screened by a holding force because the garrison was within striking distance.

42So he chose priests whose way of life was blameless, men who took delight in the law.

42So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:

Note"Conversation" in 1611 English meant a person's whole manner of life and conduct, not speech. "Priests of blameless conversation" are priests whose behavior was above reproach.

43They cleansed the holy place and carried the defiled stones out to an unclean place.

43Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.

NoteAn "unclean place" was a designated spot outside the sacred area where ritually defiled material was dumped, so that its impurity would not be carried back into the sanctuary.

44Then they talked over what should be done with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been made unclean.

44And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;

NoteThe altar of burnt offerings was the large open-air altar standing in the temple courtyard, where animals were burned whole rather than eaten. "Burnt offering" is the standard term for that kind of sacrifice.

45They decided it was best to pull it down, so that it would not be a shame to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it. So they pulled it down,

45They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,

46and they laid the stones away on the temple hill in a suitable place, until a prophet should come to say what should be done with them.

46And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.

NoteThey neither destroyed the stones nor reused them, because no one had authority to settle the question; the stones were stored as a problem deferred. The phrase "until there should come a prophet" reflects a view widely held in this period that no prophet was then active in Israel to give a ruling.

47Then they took whole stones, as the law says, and built a new altar like the one before.

47Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;

Note"Whole stones" are uncut stones, shaped by no iron tool. Exodus 20:25 and Deuteronomy 27:5 to 6 required an altar to be built of stones that no tool had touched.

48They rebuilt the holy place and the parts inside the temple, and they made the courtyards holy.

48And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.

49They also made new holy vessels, and they brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

49They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.

Note"Candlestick" is the King James word for the lampstand, a seven-branched stand that held oil lamps; candles are not involved. The altar of incense was a small altar standing inside the temple building, distinct from the large altar of burnt offerings out in the courtyard, and the table is the one on which the loaves of verse 51 were set.

50On the altar they burned incense, and they lit the lamps that were on the lampstand, so that they would give light in the temple.

50And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.

51They also set out the loaves on the table, hung up the curtains, and finished all the work they had begun to do.

51Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.

NoteThe loaves are the twelve loaves of the "bread of the Presence," laid out fresh each week on the table inside the sanctuary. The "veils" are heavy curtains hung across the temple doorways to screen the inner rooms.

52Now on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month called Casleu, in the hundred and forty-eighth year, they got up early in the morning

52Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,

NoteCasleu, usually spelled Chislev, is the ninth month of the Jewish year and falls in November or December. The "hundred forty and eighth year" is reckoned on the Seleucid calendar, which counts from 312 BC, so the date is December of 164 BC.

53and offered a sacrifice, as the law says, on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made.

53And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.

54At the very time and on the very day that the Gentiles had defiled it, it was dedicated with songs, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals.

54Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.

Note"Citherns" are stringed instruments of the lyre family, plucked by hand. "Look, at what time and what day" means that the rededication fell on the exact calendar anniversary of the day the temple had been defiled.

55Then all the people fell on their faces, worshiping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.

55Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.

56So they kept the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

56And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

NoteThe "sacrifice of deliverance and praise" is the shared offering, often called a peace or thanksgiving offering, in which only part of the animal was burned and the rest was eaten by the worshipers as a celebratory meal.

57They also decorated the front of the temple with crowns of gold and with small shields. They repaired the gates and the rooms and hung doors on them.

57They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.

NoteThe "crowns of gold" are gold wreaths, and the shields are small ornamental ones fixed to the building's face. Hanging captured or commemorative shields and gilded wreaths on a public front was a common way of decorating temples and civic buildings in this period.

58So there was very great gladness among the people, because the shame the Gentiles had brought was taken away.

58Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.

59Also Judas and his brothers, with the whole assembly of Israel, ordered that the days of the dedication of the altar be kept at their proper time from year to year, for eight days, starting on the twenty-fifth day of the month Casleu, with joy and gladness.

59Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.

NoteThis is the origin of the eight-day festival later known as Hanukkah, a word that simply means "dedication." The text is explaining why an annual observance not commanded in the law of Moses came to be kept.

60At that time they also built up Mount Sion with high walls and strong towers all around, so that the Gentiles would not come and trample it down as they had done before.

60At that time also they builded up the mount Sion with high walls and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it down as they had done before.

61And they placed a group of soldiers there to guard it, and they fortified Bethsura to keep it safe, so that the people would have a stronghold facing Idumea.

61And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

NoteA garrison is a body of soldiers permanently stationed to hold a place, as opposed to an army in the field. Bethsura faced Idumea to the south, so holding it blocked the southern approach to Judea.