1st Maccabees Chapter 7

Demetrius I becomes king, and sends Bacchides and Alcimus to Judaea

7:1 In the hundred fifty first year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men to a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.
7:2 And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had captured Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.
7:3 For that reason, when he found out, he said, I don’t want to see their faces.
7:4 So his army killed them. And when Demetrius ascended the throne of his kingdom,
7:5 There came to him all the evil and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was eager to be high priest, for their captain:
7:6 And they accused the people to the king, saying, 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 and his brothers have killed all your friends, and driven us out of our own land.
7:7 Now for that reaason send some man who you trust, and let him go and see what havoc he has made among us, and in the king’s land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.
7:8 Then 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,
7:9 And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.
7:10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to 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 and his brothers with deceitful words of peaceשָׁלוֹם‎
Transliteration šālôm Pronunciation shaw-lome’ shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, be well, prosperity For more info click here.
7:11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great force.
7:12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.
7:13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peaceשָׁלוֹם‎
Transliteration šālôm Pronunciation shaw-lome’ shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, be well, prosperity For more info click here of them:
7:14 For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.
7:15 So he spoke to them, peaceably, and soare to them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you or your friends.
7:16 On that they believed him: However he took sixty of them, and killed them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,
7:17 The flesh of your saints have they throw out, and their blood have they shed around Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
7:18 For that reason 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.
7:19 After this, left 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 killed them, he threw them in the great pit.
7:20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.
7:21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
7:22 And to him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Judah into their power, did much harm in Israel.
7:23 Now when 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 saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even more than the heathen,
7:24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea around, and took vengeance on them that had revolted from him, so that they didn’t dare go out into the country anymore.

Nicanor in Judaea and battle of Caphar-Salama

7:25 On the other side, when Alcimus 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 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.
7:26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man that bare deadly hate for Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.
7:27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent to 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 and his brothers deceitfully with friendly words, saying,
7:28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peaceשָׁלוֹם‎
Transliteration šālôm Pronunciation shaw-lome’ shalom – completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, be well, prosperity For more info click here.
7:29 He came for that reason to 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, and they saluted each other peaceably. However the enemies were prepared to capture 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 by force.
7:30 When 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 aware of it namely, that he came to him with deceit, he was fearful of him, and wouldn’t see him any more.
7:31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his plan was discovered, went out to fight against 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 beside Capharsalama:
7:32 When about five thousand men were killed from Nicanor’s side, the rest ran to the city of David.

Threats against the Temple

7:33 After this Nicanor went up to mount Zion, 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 show him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.
7:34 But he ridiculed them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spoke proudly,
7:35 And swore in his fury, saying, Unless 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 and his army is delivered into my hands now, if ever I make it to safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.
7:36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,
7:37 You, O Adonaiאֲדֹנָי
Hebrew pronunciation: [ʾăḏōnāy], lit. transl. My Lords, Pluralis majestatis taken as singular) is the possessive form of adon (“Lord”), along with the first-person singular pronoun enclitic. As with Elohim, Adonai’s grammatical form is usually explained as a plural of majesty.For more info click here, did choose this house to be called by your name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for your people:
7:38 Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to live any longer.

The Day of Nicanor at Adasa

7:39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an army out of Syria met him.
7:40 But 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 camped in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,
7:41 O Adonaiאֲדֹנָי
Hebrew pronunciation: [ʾăḏōnāy], lit. transl. My Lords, Pluralis majestatis taken as singular) is the possessive form of adon (“Lord”), along with the first-person singular pronoun enclitic. As with Elohim, Adonai’s grammatical form is usually explained as a plural of majesty.For more info click here, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, Your angel went out, and struck one hundred eighty five thousand of them.
7:42 Even so You destroy this army before us today, that the rest may know that he has spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary, and judge you him according to his wickedness.
7:43 So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the armys joined battle: but Nicanor’s army was unnerved, and he himself was the first killed in the battle.
7:44 Now when Nicanor’s army saw that he was dead, they threw away their weapons, and ran.
7:45 Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa to Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.
7:46 On which they came out of all the towns around Judea surrounded and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon those that pursued them, were all killed with the sword, and not one of them was left.
7:47 Afterwards they took the plunder, and the prey, and cut off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and took them away, and hung them up toward Jerusalem.
7:48 For this reason the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.
7:49 Then they designated to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.
7:50 So the land of Judah was in rest a little while.