1 Maccabees 7

In the year one hundred fifty-one, Demetrius the son of Seleucus left Rome and came with a few men to a city on the sea coast, and he ruled as king there.

1In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.

NoteThe date is counted in the Seleucid era, which began in 312 BC, so the hundred and fifty-first year is 161 BC. Demetrius had been sent to Rome years earlier as a hostage, a guarantee of his family's good behavior toward Rome, and he escaped without the Senate's permission. The coastal city is usually identified as Tripolis in Phoenicia.

2As he was going into the palace of his ancestors, his soldiers seized Antiochus and Lysias in order to bring them to him.

2And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.

NoteAntiochus here is the boy king Antiochus V, and Lysias was the general who governed in his name. Demetrius was the older and senior claimant to the Seleucid throne, so the two were rivals he could not leave alive. "The palace of his ancestors" is the royal residence at Antioch, the Seleucid capital.

3When he learned about it, he said, "Do not let me see their faces."

3Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.

4So his army killed them. Then Demetrius took his seat on the throne of his kingdom.

4So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,

5All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Their leader was Alcimus, who wanted to be high priest.

5There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:

NoteThe high priest presided over the temple in Jerusalem and, under foreign rule, was also the chief civil authority over the Jewish people, which is why the office was worth seeking from a king. "Lawless and ungodly men of Israel" is the writer's label for the party of Jews who favored Greek customs and Seleucid rule; the book is written from the opposing side.

6They brought charges against the people to the king. They said, "Judas and his brothers have killed all your friends, and they have driven us out of our own land.

6And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.

7So now send someone you trust. Let him go and see all the ruin that Judas has caused among us and in the king's land, and let him punish them and everyone who helps them."

7Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king’s land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.

8So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king's friends, who governed the region beyond the River. He was an important man in the kingdom and loyal to the king.

8Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,

Note"Friend of the king" is not a description of affection but a formal rank at the Seleucid court, a graded title that marked a man as a senior royal official. "Beyond the flood" in the King James means beyond the river, that is, the vast province west of the Euphrates, seen from the perspective of the Persian and Seleucid capitals farther east.

9The king sent him along with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and he ordered him to take revenge on the people of Israel.

9And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.

10So they set out and came into the land of Judea with a large army. They sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with words of peace, but the words were a trick.

10So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.

11Judas and his brothers paid no attention to what the messengers said, because they saw that these men had come with a large army.

11But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.

12Then a group of scribes gathered to meet Alcimus and Bacchides, to ask for justice.

12Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.

NoteScribes were the professional experts in the written law of Moses, men trained to copy, read and interpret it. They come as a delegation because a legal ruling about the priesthood was exactly their field.

13The Assideans were the first among the people of Israel to seek peace with them,

13Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:

NoteThe Assideans, or Hasideans, were a body of Jews known for strict observance of the law. They had fought alongside Judas, and their willingness to settle here marks a split in the revolt: their goal was religious freedom, which a lawful high priest seemed to offer, rather than political independence.

14because they said, "A man who is a priest from the family line of Aaron has come with this army. He will not treat us unfairly."

14For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.

NotePriests had to be descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses; that descent, not royal appointment, was what made a priest legitimate in Jewish eyes. Alcimus had it, which is why the Assideans judged him safe.

15So he spoke peaceably to them and gave them his oath, saying, "We will not try to harm you or your friends."

15So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.

16They believed him. But he took sixty of them and killed them in one day, in keeping with the words that he wrote:

16Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,

Note"According to the words which he wrote" points forward to the quotation in the next verse, which is taken from Psalm 79, verses 2 and 3. The writer means that the killing fulfilled what the psalmist had written, not that Alcimus wrote anything.

17"They have thrown out the bodies of your holy ones, and they have poured out their blood all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them."

17The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

NoteA quotation from Psalm 79. Leaving the dead unburied was among the worst things that could be done to them; burial was an obligation owed even to enemies.

18So fear and dread of these men came over all the people, who said, "There is no truth or fairness in them, because they have broken the agreement and the oath they swore."

18Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.

19After this Bacchides moved away from Jerusalem and set up camp at Bezeth. He sent out and seized many of the men who had deserted him, along with some of the people. When he had killed them, he threw them into the great pit.

19After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them into the great pit.

NoteBezeth was a place near Jerusalem that can no longer be identified with certainty. "The men that had forsaken him" is ambiguous in the Greek and may mean deserters from Judas who had joined Bacchides and were now suspected, or men who had gone over to Bacchides and then left him.

20Then he put Alcimus in charge of the country and left a body of troops with him to support him. Then Bacchides went back to the king.

20Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.

21But Alcimus kept struggling to hold on to the high priesthood.

21But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.

NoteThe high priesthood had become an office granted and revoked by the Seleucid king, and rival claimants competed for it. Alcimus held it by royal grant but not by the consent of the people or of the family that had held it for generations.

22Everyone who was making trouble for the people joined him. Once they had gotten the land of Judah under their control, they did great harm in Israel.

22And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.

23Judas saw all the harm that Alcimus and those with him had done among the people of Israel, more even than the nations had done.

23Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,

Note"The heathen" translates a Greek word meaning the nations, that is, all non-Jewish peoples. The charge is that Jews of Alcimus's party had done worse to their own people than foreign armies had.

24So he went out through all the borders of Judea round about and took revenge on the men who had deserted him, and they no longer dared to go out into the countryside.

24He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.

Note"Coasts" in the King James means borders or territory generally, with no reference to the sea. Judea has almost no coastline.

25On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and those with him were getting the upper hand, and knew that he could not stand up to their strength, he went back to the king and said the worst things about them that he could.

25On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.

26Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honored princes, a man who had a deadly hatred for Israel, with orders to destroy the people.

26Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.

NoteNicanor was a Seleucid officer who had already fought against Judas earlier in the revolt. "Princes" here means high officials of the court, not sons of the king.

27So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large army. He sent word to Judas and his brothers with friendly words, but it was a trick. He said,

27So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,

28"Let there be no fighting between me and you. I will come with only a few men, so that I may see you in peace."

28Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.

29So he came to Judas, and they greeted each other peaceably. But the enemies were ready to seize Judas by force.

29He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.

30When Judas found out about this, that Nicanor had come to him with deceit, he was very afraid of him and would not meet with him again.

30Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

31When Nicanor saw that his plan had been uncovered, he went out to fight against Judas near Capharsalama.

31Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:

32About five thousand of Nicanor's men were killed there, and the rest fled into the city of David.

32Where there were slain of Nicanor’s side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.

NoteThe King James "five thousand" follows a variant reading; most Greek manuscripts have five hundred, which better fits a skirmish. The city of David means the citadel in Jerusalem, a fortress held by a Seleucid garrison, so Nicanor's men fled to their own stronghold inside the city.

33After this Nicanor went up to Mount Sion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, along with some of the elders of the people, to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being offered for the king.

33After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.

NoteMount Sion, or Zion, is the temple hill in Jerusalem. A burnt offering was an animal burned whole on the altar; one offered on behalf of the foreign ruler was a recognized sign of loyalty, so the priests are showing Nicanor evidence that the temple was not a center of rebellion against him.

34But he made fun of them, and laughed at them, and treated them shamefully, and spoke with arrogance.

34But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,

35In his anger he swore this oath: "Unless Judas and his army are handed over to me right now, then if I ever come back safely, I will burn this house down." And with that he went out in a great rage.

35And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.

Note"This house" means the temple. An oath sworn in these terms called down consequences on the swearer if he failed to keep it, which is why the threat was taken with such seriousness in the verses that follow.

36Then the priests went in and stood in front of the altar and the temple, weeping and saying,

36Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,

37"You, O Lord, chose this house to be called by your name, and to be a house of prayer and of pleading for your people.

37Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:

38Take revenge on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember the insults they have spoken against you, and do not let them go on living any longer."

38Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.

Note"Blasphemies" here means insulting speech aimed at God and at his temple, the words Nicanor had just spoken. In the ancient sense the word covers abuse and contempt, not only the narrow modern sense of profanity.

39So Nicanor left Jerusalem and set up camp at Bethhoron, and an army from Syria met him there.

39So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.

NoteBethhoron was a pair of villages guarding a steep pass on the main road from the coastal plain up into the Judean hills, a route armies had fought over for centuries.

40But Judas camped at Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,

40But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,

41"O Lord, when the men sent by the king of the Assyrians spoke against you, your angel went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand of them.

41O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.

NoteThe reference is to the army of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, destroyed outside Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah, as told in 2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37. "Fourscore" is eighty, so the number is a hundred and eighty-five thousand. Some Greek manuscripts read only "the king" without naming the Assyrians.

42In the same way, destroy this army in front of us today, so that the rest may know that he has spoken insults against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness."

42Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

43So on the thirteenth day of the month Adar the armies met in battle. Nicanor's army was beaten, and he himself was the first to be killed in the fighting.

43So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor’s host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

NoteAdar is the last month of the Jewish year, falling in late winter, roughly February to March.

44When Nicanor's army saw that he had been killed, they threw down their weapons and ran away.

44Now when Nicanor’s host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.

45Then the Jews chased after them for a day's journey, from Adasa as far as Gazera, sounding the alarm behind them with their trumpets.

45Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.

NoteGazera is Gezer, a fortified town about twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem, at the edge of the hill country. The trumpets were signal instruments used to coordinate troops and to raise the countryside, not a celebration.

46People came out of all the towns of Judea round about and closed in on them. So the fleeing men were turned back on those who were chasing them, and they were all killed by the sword. Not one of them was left.

46Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.

47Afterward the Jews took the spoils and the plunder. They cut off Nicanor's head and his right hand, which he had stretched out so arrogantly, and they carried them away and hung them up facing Jerusalem.

47Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.

Note"Spoils" are what is stripped from the dead and "prey" is captured property generally. Displaying a defeated commander's head and hand was standard practice for proclaiming a victory; the right hand is singled out because it was the hand Nicanor had raised toward the temple when he swore to burn it.

48Because of this the people were very glad, and they kept that day as a day of great joy.

48For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.

49They also decided that this day should be kept every year, on the thirteenth of Adar.

49Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.

NoteThis annual observance was known as Nicanor's Day. It falls on the day before Purim, the thirteenth of Adar, and was kept for several centuries before dropping out of use.

50So the land of Judah was at rest for a little while.

50Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.

NoteThe Greek reads "a few days," a deliberately short measure; the next chapters show how quickly the fighting resumed.