These books are so called, because they contain the history of the people of God under the command of Judas Machabeus and his brethren: and he, as some will have it, was surnamed Machabeus, from carrying in his ensigns, or standards, those words of Exodus 15.11, Who is like to thee among the strong, O Lord: in which the initial letters, in the Hebrew, are M. C. B. E. I. It is not known who is the author of these books. But as to their authority, though they are not received by the Jews, saith St. Augustine, (lib. 18, De Civ. Dei, c. 36,) they are received by the church: who, in settling her canon of the scriptures, chose rather to be directed by the tradition she had received from the apostles of Christ, than by that of the scribes and Pharisees. And as the church has declared these two Books canonical, even in two general councils, viz., Florence and Trent, there can be no doubt of their authenticity.

 

 

 

 

[7] Divided his kingdom: This is otherwise related by Q. Curtius; though he acknowledges that divers were of that opinion, and that it had been delivered by some authors, lib. 10. But here we find from the sacred text, that he was in error.

 

[11] Antiochus the Illustrious: Epiphanes, the younger son of Antiochus the Great, who usurped the kingdom, to the prejudice of his nephew Demetrius, son of his elder brother Seleucus Philopater.-- Ibid.

[11] Of the kingdom of the Greeks: Counting, not from the beginning of the reign of Alexander, but from the first year of Seleucus Nicator.

 

[30] The chief collector: Apollonius.

 

[35] The city of David: That is, the castle of Sion.

 

[38] An evil devil: That is, an adversary watching constantly to do harm, as the evil spirit is always watching and seeking whom he may devour.

 

[57] The abominable idol: Viz., the statue of Jupiter Olympius.

 

 

 

 

[42] The Assideans: A set of men that led a religious life; and were zealous for the law and worship of God.

 

[48] They yielded not the horn: That is, they suffered not the power of Antiochus, that man of sin, to abolish the law and religion of God.

 

[55] Jesus: That is, Josue.

 

 

 

 

[4] The army was dispersed: That is, in different divisions, not altogether encamped.

 

[6] Who neither had armour nor swords: Such as they wished for.

 

 

 

 

[31] But they sallied forth: That is, the citizens of Bethsura sallied forth and burnt them, that is, burnt the engines of the besiegers.

 

[36] These before the time: That is, these were ready for every occasion.

 

 

 

 

[2] They heard: What is here set down of the history and character of the ancient Romans, is not an assertion, or affirmation of the sacred writer: but only a relation of what Judas had heard of them.

[5] Ceteans: That is, the Macedonians.

 

[8] Eumenes: King of Pergamus.

 

[16] To one man: There were two consuls: but one only ruled at one time, each in his day.-- Ibid.

[16] No envy: So Judas had heard: and it was so far true, with regard to the ancient Romans, that as yet no envy or jealousy had divided them into such open factions and civil wars, as they afterwards experienced in the time of Marius and Sylla, etc.

 

 

 

 

[51] Ptolemee: Surnamed Philometer.

 

 

 

 

[34] Apherema: is found only in the Greek version.

 

 

 

 

[20] Whithersoever they went: That is, whithersoever Tryphon and his horsemen went in order to oppose them.

 

 

 

 

16] Ptolemee: Surnamed Physeon, brother and successor to Philometer.

 

[22] Attalus: Attalus was king of Pergamus; Ariarathes was king of Cappadocia; and Arsaces was king of the Parthians.

 

 

 

 

[1] John: He was afterwards surnamed Hircanus, and succeeded his father in both his dignities of high priest and prince. He conquered the Edomites, and obliged them to a conformity with the Jews in religion; and destroyed the schismatical temple of the Samaritans.

 

[6] He: Viz., John.

[9] Cedron: Otherwise called Gedon, the city that Cendebeus was fortifying.