1 Maccabees 5

The nations living around Judea heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary, the holy place in the temple, had been made new again as it was before. This made them very angry.

1Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much.

Note"The nations round about" renders the Greek word for Gentiles, the non-Jewish peoples living in and around Judea. The altar and sanctuary look back to the previous chapter: the Jerusalem temple had been taken over for foreign worship and its altar defiled, and Judas had just cleansed the building, built a new altar and rededicated it, the events remembered in the festival of Hanukkah.

2So they planned to destroy the family of Jacob that lived among them, and they began to kill people and to destroy them.

2Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that was among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy the people.

Note"The generation of Jacob" means the Jewish people. Jacob, renamed Israel, was the ancestor from whom the twelve tribes were reckoned; "generation" here carries its older sense of race or stock, not an age group.

3Then Judas fought against the descendants of Esau in Idumea, at Arabattine, because they had Israel under siege. He defeated them badly, humbled them, and took the goods they had.

3Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils.

NoteEsau was Jacob's twin brother, and the Edomites were counted his descendants. Idumea was the territory south of Judea they occupied in this period; Arabattine (Akrabattine) was a district there, named from the Ascent of Akrabbim, the "scorpion pass." The Greek manuscripts differ over whom they besieged: most read "Israel," meaning the Jews settled among them, while the reading behind the KJV's "Gael" makes it a place name.

4He also remembered the harm done by the sons of Bean, who had been a trap and a danger to the people, lying in wait for them along the roads.

4Also he remembered the injury of the children of Bean, who had been a snare and an offence unto the people, in that they lay in wait for them in the ways.

NoteThe children of Bean were a local clan or tribe on Judea's borders, not otherwise known. "An offence" in 1611 English meant a stumbling block, something set in the path to trip a person up, not an insult.

5So he shut them up in their towers, camped against them, and destroyed them completely. He burned the towers of that place with fire, along with everyone inside them.

5He shut them up therefore in the towers, and encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burned the towers of that place with fire, and all that were therein.

NoteThese towers were isolated stone strongholds in open country, used both as refuges and as bases from which to raid travelers on the roads.

6After that he crossed over to the Ammonites, where he found a strong force and many people, with Timotheus as their commander.

6Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, with Timotheus their captain.

NoteThe Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, around what is now Amman. Timotheus is a Greek-speaking commander in the service of the Seleucid kingdom, the empire ruling the region; he reappears through the chapter.

7He fought many battles with them until at last they were defeated in front of him, and he struck them down.

7So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him; and he smote them.

Note"Discomfited" in 1611 meant utterly beaten in battle, routed. It has nothing to do with discomfort.

8When he had captured Jazar and the villages that belonged to it, he went back to Judea.

8And when he had taken Jazar, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea.

NoteJazar is Jazer, a town in the borderlands east of the Jordan.

9Then the nations who lived in Galaad joined together against the Israelites who were in their territory, meaning to destroy them. But those Israelites fled to the fortress of Dathema.

9Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema.

Note"The heathen" is the KJV's word for Gentiles, the non-Jewish peoples of the region; it is a label for nationality, not a comment on their beliefs. Galaad is Gilead, the hill country east of the Jordan. "In their quarters" means in their districts, the areas where they lived.

10They sent letters to Judas and his brothers that said: "The nations around us have joined together against us to destroy us.

10And sent letters unto Judas and his brethren, The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us:

11They are getting ready to come and take the fortress we have fled to. Timotheus is the commander of their army.

11And they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled, Timotheus being captain of their host.

12So come now and rescue us from their hands, because many of us have already been killed.

12Come now therefore, and deliver us from their hands, for many of us are slain:

13All our fellow Jews who lived in the region of Tobie have been put to death. Their wives and children have been carried off as prisoners, and their belongings taken away. About a thousand men were killed there."

13Yea, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyed there about a thousand men.

Note"The places of Tobie" is the land of Tob or Tubias, a district east of the Jordan associated with the Tobiad family. "Their stuff" in 1611 meant household goods and possessions in general; the word was not dismissive.

14While these letters were still being read out, other messengers arrived from Galilee with their clothes torn, and they gave a report much like the first one.

14While these letters were yet reading, behold, there came other messengers from Galilee with their clothes rent, who reported on this wise,

NoteTearing your own clothes was the customary public sign of grief or disaster; the messengers' torn clothes announced catastrophe before they said a word. "On this wise" means in this manner.

15They said, "The people of Ptolemais, of Tyrus, and of Sidon, and all of Galilee of the Gentiles, have joined together against us to wipe us out."

15And said, They of Ptolemais, and of Tyrus, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, are assembled together against us to consume us.

NotePtolemais is the coastal port earlier called Acco, modern Acre. Tyrus is Tyre; Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician harbor cities on the coast of what is now Lebanon. "Galilee of the Gentiles" is an old phrase, borrowed from Isaiah 9:1, for the northern region where Jews lived surrounded by a largely non-Jewish population.

16When Judas and the people heard these words, a large assembly gathered to decide what they should do for their fellow Jews, who were in trouble and under attack.

16Now when Judas and the people heard these words, there assembled a great congregation together, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in trouble, and assaulted of them.

Note"Congregation" here means simply a public assembly called to take a decision, not a gathering for worship.

17Then Judas said to his brother Simon, "Pick out men for yourself and go rescue your people in Galilee. My brother Jonathan and I will go into the country of Galaad."

17Then said Judas unto Simon his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren that are in Galilee, for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the country of Galaad.

NoteSimon and Jonathan are brothers of Judas; they and their father Mattathias began the revolt, and each of the brothers in turn leads it in this book.

18So he left Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias as leaders of the people, with the rest of the army, in Judea to guard it.

18So he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it.

Note"The host" means an army; the word is used in this sense throughout the chapter.

19He gave them this order: "Take charge of these people, and do not go to war against the nations until we come back."

19Unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Take ye the charge of this people, and see that ye make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again.

20Three thousand men were given to Simon to go into Galilee, and eight thousand men were given to Judas for the country of Galaad.

20Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee, and unto Judas eight thousand men for the country of Galaad.

21Then Simon went into Galilee and fought many battles with the nations there, and they were defeated by him.

21Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him.

22He chased them all the way to the gate of Ptolemais. About three thousand of them were killed, and he took the goods they left behind.

22And he pursued them unto the gate of Ptolemais; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took.

23Then he took with him the Jews who were in Galilee and in Arbattis, along with their wives, their children, and everything they owned, and brought them into Judea with great joy.

23And those that were in Galilee, and in Arbattis, with their wives and their children, and all that they had, took he away with him, and brought them into Judea with great joy.

NoteArbattis is a district whose location is uncertain, somewhere in the north within reach of Galilee.

24Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and traveled three days through the wilderness.

24Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days’ journey in the wilderness,

Note"Maccabeus" was Judas's nickname, generally understood to come from a Semitic word for hammer. The family later ruled Judea and is known as the Hasmoneans.

25There they met the Nabathites, who came to them peacefully and told them everything that had happened to their fellow Jews in the land of Galaad.

25Where they met with the Nabathites, who came unto them in a peaceable manner, and told them every thing that had happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad:

NoteThe Nabathites are the Nabateans, an Arab trading people whose territory lay south and east of the Dead Sea and whose later capital was Petra. Here they are on friendly terms with Judas.

26They said that many of them were shut up in Bosora, Bosor, Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim, and that all these cities were strong and large.

26And how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great:

NoteThese six towns lay scattered across Gilead and the plateau northeast of it. Carnaim is the Ashteroth-Karnaim known from the Old Testament.

27They said the rest were shut up in the other cities of Galaad, and that the enemy had set the next day to bring their army against the strongholds, take them, and destroy all these people in a single day.

27And that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of Galaad, and that against to morrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day.

Note"Against to morrow they had appointed" means they had fixed the next day as the date of the attack.

28At this Judas and his army turned suddenly and went by the wilderness road to Bosora. He captured the city, killed all the males with the sword, took everything of theirs, and burned the city with fire.

28Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bosora; and when he had won the city, he slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned the city with fire,

Note"With the edge of the sword" is a fixed biblical phrase for putting a place to the sword; the underlying Hebrew idiom speaks of the sword's "mouth." Killing the male population and taking the rest as plunder was the standard treatment of a city stormed after it refused to surrender.

29He left there at night and kept going until he came to the fortress.

29From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to the fortress.

30Early in the morning they looked up and saw a crowd of people too many to count, carrying ladders and other siege machines to capture the fortress. They were already attacking it.

30And betimes in the morning they looked up, and, behold, there was an innumerable people bearing ladders and other engines of war, to take the fortress: for they assaulted them.

Note"Betimes in the morning" means early in the morning. "Engines of war" are siege machines: battering rams, movable towers, and catapults.

31Judas saw that the fighting had started and that the noise from the city was going up to heaven, with trumpets and a great sound.

31When Judas therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets, and a great sound,

Note"The cry of the city went up to heaven" is a set phrase for a noise so great it seemed to reach the sky.

32He said to his army, "Fight today for your own people."

32He said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren.

33So he came up behind the enemy in three companies. They blew their trumpets and cried out in prayer.

33So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and cried with prayer.

NoteDividing a force into three companies was standard tactics, letting the attack come from more than one direction at once.

34When the army of Timotheus knew it was Maccabeus, they ran from him. He struck them with a heavy slaughter, and about eight thousand of them were killed that day.

34Then the host of Timotheus, knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him: wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men.

35After that Judas turned aside to Maspha. He attacked it, captured it, killed all the males in it, took everything of theirs, and burned it with fire.

35This done, Judas turned aside to Maspha; and after he had assaulted it he took and slew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof and and burnt it with fire.

NoteMaspha is Mizpeh, a town in Gilead; the name means watchtower.

36From there he went on and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

36From thence went he, and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

37After these things Timotheus gathered another army and set up camp near Raphon, on the far side of the brook.

37After these things gathered Timotheus another host and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook.

NoteRaphon was a town on the plateau east of the Jordan. "The brook" is a wadi, a stream bed that runs in the rainy season and can be dry at other times; here it lies between the two armies and neither wants to be the one caught crossing it.

38Judas sent men to spy out that army, and they brought him this report: "All the nations around us have joined them. It is a very large army.

38So Judas sent men to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host.

Note"To espy" means to scout or spy out.

39He has also hired Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents on the far side of the brook, ready to come and fight against you." So Judas went out to meet them.

39He hath also hired the Arabians to help them and they have pitched their tents beyond the brook, ready to come and fight against thee. Upon this Judas went to meet them.

NoteNomadic Arab fighters commonly hired themselves out as mercenaries, serving for pay or a share of the plunder.

40Then Timotheus said to the officers of his army, "When Judas and his army come near the brook, if he crosses over to us first, we will not be able to stand against him, for he will surely beat us.

40Then Timotheus said unto the captains of his host, When Judas and his host come near the brook, if he pass over first unto us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevail against us:

41But if he is afraid and makes camp on the far side of the river, we will cross over to him and beat him."

41But if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him.

42When Judas came near the brook, he stationed the scribes of the people beside it and gave them this order: "Let no one stay behind in the camp. Everyone is to come to the battle."

42Now when Judas came near the brook, he caused the scribes of the people to remain by the brook: unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Suffer no man to remain in the camp, but let all come to the battle.

NoteThe scribes of the people were the officials who kept the army's rolls and passed on orders. Stationing them at the water made sure the command was enforced and no one stayed behind on the near bank. "Suffer no man" means allow no man.

43So he crossed over to them first, and all the people followed him. All the nations were defeated in front of him. They threw down their weapons and fled to the temple at Carnaim.

43So he went first over unto them, and all the people after him: then all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto the temple that was at Carnaim.

NoteTemples were regarded as places of asylum, where a fugitive could not lawfully be touched; that is why beaten soldiers ran to one. The shrine at Carnaim is identified in 2 Maccabees 12:26 as the temple of the goddess Atargatis.

44But Judas and his men took the city and burned the temple with everyone inside it. So Carnaim was brought down, and they could not stand up against Judas any longer.

44But they took the city, and burned the temple with all that were therein. Thus was Carnaim subdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas.

45Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites who were in the country of Galaad, from the least to the greatest, along with their wives, their children, and their belongings, a very great company, so that they could come into the land of Judea.

45Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the country of Galaad, from the least unto the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their stuff, a very great host, to the end they might come into the land of Judea.

Note"From the least unto the greatest" is an idiom meaning everyone, of every rank, without exception. "Their stuff" again means their household goods.

46When they came to Ephron, a large city on the road they had to take, and very well fortified, they could not go around it on the right or the left. They had to pass straight through the middle of it.

46Now when they came unto Ephron, (this was a great city in the way as they should go, very well fortified) they could not turn from it, either on the right hand or the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it.

NoteEphron was a fortified town sitting on the road west toward the Jordan crossing. A walled city's main street ran from one gate to the other, so passing "through the midst" meant being let in at one gate and out at the far one.

47But the people of the city shut them out and blocked the gates with stones.

47Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones.

48So Judas sent them a peaceful message: "Let us pass through your land to get to our own country. No one will do you any harm. We will only walk through on foot." But they would not open the gates to him.

48Whereupon Judas sent unto them in peaceable manner, saying, Let us pass through your land to go into our own country, and none shall do you any hurt; we will only pass through on foot: howbeit they would not open unto him.

Note"We will only pass through on foot" is an undertaking to walk straight through, taking nothing and doing no damage; "howbeit" means but.

49So Judas ordered an announcement to be made throughout the army that every man should pitch his tent right where he stood.

49Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host, that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was.

NoteOrdering every man to pitch his tent where he stood meant the march stopped on the spot and turned into a siege.

50The soldiers made camp and attacked the city all that day and all that night, until at last the city was handed over to him.

50So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at the length the city was delivered into his hands:

51He killed all the males with the sword, tore the city down to the ground, took everything of value in it, and marched through the city over the bodies of the dead.

51Who then slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and rased the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain.

Note"Rased" is razed, leveled to the ground. It is the opposite of raised, which the spelling can suggest to a modern eye.

52After this they crossed the Jordan into the great plain in front of Bethsan.

52After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan.

NoteBethsan is Beth-shan, later called Scythopolis, standing where the Jezreel valley meets the Jordan; the "great plain" is that valley.

53Judas kept gathering up those who lagged behind, and he encouraged the people the whole way, until they came into the land of Judea.

53And Judas gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all the way through, till they came into the land of Judea.

54So they went up to Mount Sion with joy and gladness, and there they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them had been killed; they had come back safely.

54So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace.

NoteMount Sion is Mount Zion, used in this book for the temple hill in Jerusalem. A burnt offering was a sacrifice burned whole on the altar rather than shared out as food; here it marks the safe return of the whole company.

55Now during the time when Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and their brother Simon was in Galilee in front of Ptolemais,

55Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,

56Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias, the officers in charge of the troops left behind, heard about the brave deeds and the fighting that the others had done.

56Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done.

NoteThese are the officers Judas had left behind in verse 18 to hold Judea while the brothers were away.

57So they said, "Let us make a name for ourselves too. Let us go and fight the nations around us."

57Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us.

Note"Let us also get us a name" means let us win a reputation for ourselves too.

58So they gave orders to the troops that were with them and marched toward Jamnia.

58So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia.

NoteJamnia is Jabneh, a city on the coastal plain southwest of Judea.

59Then Gorgias and his men came out of the city to fight them.

59Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them.

NoteGorgias is a Seleucid general who had commanded against Judas in the earlier campaigns and held the coastal district.

60And it turned out that Joseph and Azarias were driven back and chased as far as the borders of Judea. About two thousand men of Israel were killed that day.

60And so it was, that Joseph and Azaras were put to flight, and pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men.

61So there was a great defeat among the people of Israel, because they did not obey Judas and his brothers, but thought they would do some brave deed of their own.

61Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel, because they were not obedient unto Judas and his brethren, but thought to do some valiant act.

Note"Overthrow" here means a defeat suffered, not a government brought down.

62Besides that, these men did not come from the family of those men through whom Israel had been rescued.

62Moreover these men came not of the seed of those, by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel.

NoteThe family meant is that of Mattathias and his sons, the line to which this book credits Israel's deliverance; Joseph and Azarias did not belong to it.

63But the man Judas and his brothers won great honor in the sight of all Israel and of all the nations, wherever their name was heard.

63Howbeit the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel, and of all the heathen, wheresoever their name was heard of;

64People gathered around them and cheered them.

64Insomuch as the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations.

Note"Joyful acclamations" are shouts of welcome and praise called out by a crowd.

65Afterward Judas went out with his brothers and fought the descendants of Esau in the land toward the south. He struck Hebron and its villages, pulled down its fortress, and burned the towers all around it.

65Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south, where he smote Hebron, and the towns thereof, and pulled down the fortress of it, and burned the towers thereof round about.

NoteHebron is an ancient town in the hills south of Jerusalem, in this period held by the Idumeans.

66From there he set out to go into the land of the Philistines, and he passed through Samaria.

66From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Samaria.

Note"The land of the Philistines" is the coastal plain southwest of Judea; the old name stuck to the region long after the Philistines themselves had ceased to exist as a distinct people. Samaria is the region lying between Judea and Galilee.

67At that time some priests who wanted to show how brave they were went out to fight without taking counsel, and they were killed in the battle.

67At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly.

NotePriests served at the altar in Jerusalem; fighting was not their office. "Unadvisedly" means without orders and without taking counsel, acting on their own initiative rather than under command.

68So Judas turned toward Azotus in the land of the Philistines. He pulled down their altars, burned their carved images with fire, took the goods of their cities, and returned to the land of Judea.

68So Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled down their altars, and burned their carved images with fire, and spoiled their cities, he returned into the land of Judea.

NoteAzotus is Ashdod, one of the five old Philistine cities, near the coast. The "carved images" are the statues of the gods worshiped there.