2nd Maccabees Chapter 8

V: The Victory of Judaism

The death of the persecutor and the purification of the Temple

Judas Maccabeus and the resistance

8:1 Then Judas Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here, and his associates secretly entered the villages and assembled their fellow-countrymen together, and recruited those who had remained faithful to Judism, and assembled about six thousand men.
8:2 And they called on YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here, to look on the people who were oppressed on all sides; and to take pity on the Temple profaned by the godless;
8:3 so that he would have mercy on the city that was being destroyed and about to be leveled to the ground; and hear the blood of the victims that cried aloud to him,
8:4 And remember too the wicked slaughter of innocent babies, and the blasphemies executed against his name; and to show his hatred of evil.
8:5 As soon as Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here had his army organized, he proved to be invincible to the nationsהַגּוֹיִם‎
Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Absolute (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—the Gentiles, the heathen, the nations, the people. For more info click here: because the anger of YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here had turned into mercy.
8:6 Making surprise attacks, and burning up towns and cities; He captured strategic positions and inflicted very heavy losses on the enemy.
8:7 But particularly taking advantage of the cover of night for such attacks, And talk of his bravery spread far and wide.

Campaign of Nicanor and Gorgias

8:8 So when Philip saw that Judasיהודה  המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here was making steady progress, and winning more and more with more frequent successes, he wrote to Ptolemy, the governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, asking for more aid in the king’s interest.
8:9 Ptolemy chose Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his best friends*‎ Philoi (Ancient Greek: φίλοι; plural of φίλος philos “friend”) is a word that roughly translates to “friend.” This type of friendship is based on the characteristically Greek value for mutual dependence as opposed to a friendship that exists as an end to itself. For more info click here, he sent him without delay at the head of an international force of at least twenty thousand men, to wipe out the entire nation of Jews; and his associate with him Gorgias a general and a man experienced in military service.
8:10 So Nicanor took upon himself to make so much money from the sale of captive Jews, as it should fund the tax of two thousand talents The Biblical weight of a talent is equal to approximately 34 kilograms or 74.96lbs For more info click here, that the king was suppose to pay to the Romans.
8:11 So he immediately sent an invitation to the towns on the sea coast, announcing the sale of the captive Jews, and promising the delivery of ninety bodies for one talent The Biblical weight of a talent is equal to approximately 34 kilograms or 74.96lbs For more info click here, not expecting the judgement from El Shaddaiאֵל שַׁדַּי
romanized: ʾĒl Šaddāy; or just Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty (Deus Omnipotens in Latin, Arabic: الله عزوجل, romanized: ʾAllāh ʿazzawajal), but its original meaning is unclear.One of God’s names
— The Almighty God (EL= Almightyness, Shaddai = Exhaustless Bounty) For more info click here that would soon overtake him.
8:12 When the word reached Judas Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here about Nicanor’s advance, and when he warned his men of the arrival of the army,
8:13 Those who were cowardly and lacked confidence in the justice of Elohimהָאֱלֹהִים
the God – Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Construct root word is Elohim for more info on the word click here, took off, and ran away.
8:14 the rest sold all their remaining property, and at the same time begged YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here to rescue those who had been sold by the ungodly Nicanor even before he met them:
8:15 And if not for their own sake, then at least out of consideration for the covenants he had made with their forefathers, and because he had called them by his holy and glorious name.
8:16 So Maccabaeusיהודה המכבי
romanized: Yehudah HaMakabi Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabaeus /mækəˈbiːəs/, also spelled Maccabeus was a Jewish priest (kohen) and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed all of the statues depicting Greek gods and goddesses and purified it. For more info click here called his men together who were about six thousand, and encouraged them not to be alarmed by the enemy and not to fear the great numbers of the gentilesהַגּוֹיִם‎
Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Absolute (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—the gentiles, the heathen, the nations, the people. For more info click here, who advanced wickedly against them; but to fight bravely,
8:17 keeping their eyes on the lawless outrage that they had unjustly done to the holyקָדְשׁוֹ‎
Transliteration qōḏeš Pronunciation ko’-desh a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:—consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (× most) holy (× day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. For more info click here place, and the torture and of the mockery of the city, not to mention the destruction of their forefathers way of life:
8:18 Because they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in Shaddaiשַׁדַּי
romanized: Šaddāy; or Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel. El Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty (Deus Omnipotens in Latin, Arabic: الله عزوجل, romanized: ʾAllāh ʿazzawajal), but its original meaning is unclear. One of God’s names Shaddai = Exhaustless Bounty click here who is able with a single nod to overthrow those who are coming against us, and the whole world with them.
8:19 He reminded them of the occasions that their forefathers had received help, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib a hundred eighty-five thousand men had perished.
8:20 and the time of the battle against the Galatians that took place in Babylon (Iraq), how when eight thousand Jews fought along with four thousand Macedonians, yet when the Macedonians were hard pressed, the eight thousand had destroyed a hundred and twenty thousand thanks to the help that they had received from Heaven, and took a great amount of booty.
8:21 With these words he filled them with courage and made them ready to die for their laws*‎ The expression belongs to the Greek jurisprudence, but for the author “the laws” are fundamentally “the Law” or “the Torah” – From the New Jerusalem Bible and their country, then he divided his army into four parts;
8:22 putting his own brothers, Simonשִׁמְעוֹן הַתַּסִּי
Šīməʿōn haTassī; died 135 BC The name “Thassi” has a connotation of “the Wise”, a title which can also mean “the Director”, “the Guide”, “the Man of Counsel”, and “the Zealous”. This Simon is also sometimes distinguished as Simon the Hasmonean, Simon Maccabee, or (from Latin) Simon Maccabeus. For more info click here, and Joseph, and Jonathanיוֹנָתָן‎ אַפְּפוּס‎
Jonathan Apphus Yōnāṯān ʾApfūs; Ancient Greek: Ἰωνάθαν Ἀπφοῦς, Iōnáthan Apphoûs) was one of the sons of Mattathias and the leader of the Hasmonean dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE. For more info click here, in command of one division giving each one fifteen hundred men.
8:23 Also he appointed Eleazar (or Esdrias) to read the Holy Book aloud: and when he had given them this watchword, “Victory from Elohimאֱלֹהִים
the God – Hebrew Noun: Common Masculine Plural Construct root word is Elohim for more info on the word click here“*‎ Similar strategies were used in the hellenistic and Roman armies, and are also mentioned in the Qumran War Rule. – From the New Jerusalem Bible
; he put himself at the head of the first division, then he attacked Nicanor.
8:24 With  Shaddaiשַׁדַּי
romanized: Šaddāy; or Shaddai is one of the names of the God of Israel.  Shaddai is conventionally translated into English as The Almighty (Deus Omnipotens in Latin, Arabic: الله عزوجل, romanized: ʾAllāh ʿazzawajal), but its original meaning is unclear. One of God’s names Shaddai = Exhaustless Bounty click here as their ally, they killed over nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and crippled the most part of Nicanor’s army, and forced them all to retreat;
8:25 They captured the money of those who had come to buy them as slaves. After pursuing them for some distance, they turned back because the hour was late:
8:26 Because it was the eve of the Sabbathשַׁבָּת‎
romanized: Šabbāṯ, [ʃa’bat], lit. ’rest’ or ‘cessation’) is Judaism’s day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the creation of the heavens and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Since the Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday For more info click here, and for that reason they would no longer pursue them.
8:27 When they had collected the arms of the enemy and stripped them of their plunder, they occupied themselves with the Sabbath שַׁבָּת‎
romanized: Šabbāṯ, [ʃa’bat], lit. ’rest’ or ‘cessation’) is Judaism’s day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the creation of the heavens and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Since the Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday For more info click here, giving great praise and thanks to YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here, who had saved them to that day, and chosen it for the beginning of his mercy.
8:28 After the Sabbathשַׁבָּת‎
romanized: Šabbāṯ, [ʃa’bat], lit. ’rest’ or ‘cessation’) is Judaism’s day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the creation of the heavens and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt, and look forward to a future Messianic Age. Since the Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday For more info click here, when they had given part of the plunder to the victims of the persecution, and the widows, and orphans, the rest they divided among themselves and their children.
8:29 When they had done this, they joined public prayer and implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants forever.

The defeat of Timotheus (Timothy) and Balakros

8:30 They also challenged the forces of Timotheus (Timothy) and Balakros, they killed over twenty thousand of them, and very easily took high  strong holds, and divided the plunder equally among themselves, and made the victims of the persecution , orphans, widows, not forgetting the aged.
8:31 They collected the arms of the enemy, they stored them carefully in suitable places, and the rest of the plunder they took to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַם‎
Transliteration: yᵊrûšālam – Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im – proper locative noun meaning “teaching of peace” or possession of peace – also called the city of David and Zion – the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split For more info click here.
8:32 They killed the commander of Timothy’s forces,  that wicked man, and had greatly troubled the Jews many ways.
8:33 While they were celebrating the victory in Jerusalem they burnt Callisthenes and some others, that had set the Holyקָדְשׁוֹ‎
Transliteration qōḏeš Pronunciation ko’-desh a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:—consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (× most) holy (× day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary. For more info click here Gates on fire, they had escaped into a little house; and so received a fitting reward for their wickedness.

The flight and testimony of Nicanor

8:34 The triple-accursed Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,
8:35 having been humbled with the help of YAHWEH יְהֹוָה‎
Hebrew Yəhōwā, one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton יהוה‎ (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. It is considered one of the seven names of God in Judaism and a form of God’s name in Christianity. Covenant making covenant keeping GOD. For more info click here brought down by them, of whom he thought of made little account; and stripped of his robes of state, made his way alone across the country, like a runaway slave, reached Antioch, having succeeded mainly in the downfall of his own army!.
8:36 So the man, that had promised to make good their tribute to the Romans by selling the captives in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלַם‎
Transliteration: yᵊrûšālam – Pronunciation: yer-oo-shaw-lah’-im – proper locative noun meaning “teaching of peace” or possession of peace – also called the city of David and Zion – the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split For more info click here, proclaimed that the Jews had an Elohimאֱלֹהִים
romanized: ʾĔlōhīm: [(ʔ)eloˈ(h)im]), the plural of אֱלוֹהַּ‎ (ʾĔlōah), is a Hebrew word meaning “gods”. Although the word is plural, in the Hebrew Bible it most often takes singular verbal or pronominal agreement and refers to a single deity particularly the God of Israel In other verses it refers to the singular gods of other nations or to deities in the plural A name for GOD — God The Creator. For more info click here to fight for them, and so they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws*‎ The expression belongs to the Greek jurisprudence, but for the author “the laws” are fundamentally “the Law” or “the Torah” – From the New Jerusalem Bible that He gave them.