3 Maccabees chapter 2
[This chapter is in Orthodox Bibles] The prayer of Simon the high priest. The LORD God punishes Ptolemy. Ptolemy assaults the Jewish people.
Note. The Book of Third Maccabees is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Orthodox Churches
THE PRAYER OF SIMON THE HIGH PRIEST
VERSE 1. Now it was that the high priest Simon bowed his knees near the holy place, spread out his hands in reverent form, and uttered the following prayer:
the high priest Simon. He was Simon II, called “the Just.”
VERSE 2. “O Lord, Lord, King of the heavens, and Ruler of the whole creation, Holy among the holy, sole Governor, Almighty, give ear to us who are oppressed by a wicked and profane one, who celebrates in his confidence and strength.
VERSE 3. It is you, the Creator of all, the Lord of the universe, who are a righteous Governor, and judge all who act with pride and insolence.
VERSE 4. It was you who destroyed the former workers of unrighteousness, among whom were the giants, who trusted in their strength and daring, by covering them with a measureless flood.
the giants. The Nephilim are mysterious hybrids of angels and humans. They are giants. And mighty heroes. Read more »
VERSE 5. It was you who made the Sodomites, those workers of exceedingly iniquity, men notorious for their vices, an example to later generations, when you covered them with fire and brimstone.
the Sodomites. In this context, the word means “people who live in the city of Sodom.”
those workers of exceedingly iniquity. What was the sin of Sodom? Why was destroyed? Many people assume it was due to homosexual activity. However, the Bible provides a different answer. Read more »
brimstone. Or sulfur.
VERSE 6. You made known your power when you caused the bold Pharaoh, the enslaver of your people, to pass through the ordeal of many and diverse inflictions.
VERSE 7. You rolled the depths of the sea over him when he pursued with chariots and with a multitude of followers, and gave a safe passage to those who put their trust in you, the Lord of the whole creation.
VERSE 8. These saw and felt the works of your hands, and praised you, the Almighty.
VERSE 9. You, O King, when you created the immeasurable and measureless earth, chose this city. You made this place sacred to your name, even though you need nothing. You glorified it with your illustrious presence, after constructing it to the glory of your great and honorable name.
this place. That is, Jerusalem.
your illustrious presence. Or your magnificent manifestation.
This alludes to the glory of the LORD God.
VERSE 10. You promised, out of love for the people of Israel, that if we fall away from you, become afflicted, and then come to this house and pray, you would hear our prayer.
VERSE 11. Truly you are faithful and true.
VERSE 12. When you often aided our fathers when hard pressed and humiliated, and delivered them out of great dangers,
VERSE 13. see now, holy King, how through our many and great sins we are crushed and made subject to our enemies, and have become weak and powerless.
our many and great sins. The high priest is confessing the sins of the nation.
However, in this case the fault rests with Pharaoh Ptolemy.
VERSE 14. In our low condition, this bold and profane man seeks to dishonor this your holy place, consecrated out of the earth to the name of your Majesty.
VERSE 15. Your dwelling place, the heaven of heavens, is indeed unapproachable to men.
VERSE 16. But since it seemed good to you to exhibit your glory among your people Israel, you sanctified this place.
VERSE 17. Don’t punish us by means of the uncleanness of their men, and don’t chastise us by means of their profanity, lest the lawless ones should boast in their rage, and exult in exuberant pride of speech, and say,
VERSE 18. ‘We have trampled upon the holy house, as idolatrous houses are trampled upon.’
VERSE 19. Blot out our iniquities, do away with our errors, and show your compassion in this hour.
VERSE 20. Let your mercies quickly go before us. Grant us peace, that the downcast and broken hearted may praise you with their mouth.”
THE LORD GOD PUNISHES PTOLEMY
VERSE 21. At that time God, who sees all things, who is beyond all Holy among the holy, heard that prayer, so suitable, and scourged the man who was greatly uplifted with scorn and insolence.
scourged.
2 Maccabees 3:26. Two others also appeared to him, young men notable in their strength, and beautiful in their glory, and splendid in their apparel, who stood by him on either side, and scourged him unceasingly, inflicting on him many sore stripes.
2 Maccabees 9:5. But the All-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with a fatal and invisible stroke. As soon as he had finished speaking this word, an incurable pain of the bowels seized him, with bitter torments of the inner parts—
3 Maccabees 2:21. At that time God, who sees all things, who is beyond all Holy among the holy, heard that prayer, so suitable, and scourged the man who was greatly uplifted with scorn and insolence.
VERSE 22. Shaking him back and forth as a reed is shaken with the wind, he threw him down on the pavement, powerless, with limbs paralyzed, and by a righteous judgment deprived of the ability to speak.
VERSE 23. His friends and bodyguards, seeing the swift recompense which had suddenly overtaken him, struck with exceeding terror, and fearing that he would die, speedily removed him.
VERSE 24. When in course of time he had come to himself, this severe punishment caused no repentance within him, but he departed with bitter threatenings.
caused no repentance within him. Ptolemy by no means repented.
PTOLEMY ASSAULTS THE JEWISH PEOPLE
VERSE 25. He proceeded to Egypt, grew worse in wickedness through his previously mentioned companions in wine, who were lost to all goodness,
his previously mentioned companions in wine. They were not mentioned previously in this Book.
VERSE 26. and not satisfied with countless acts of impiety, his audacity so increased that he raised evil reports there, and many of his friends, watching his purpose attentively, joined in furthering his will.
VERSE 27. His purpose was to inflict a public stigma upon our race. Therefore he erected a stone pillar in the courtyard, and caused the following inscription to be engraved upon it:
he erected a stone pillar. In those days, decrees were often displayed on the walls of the palace.
VERSE 28. “Entrance to this temple is to be refused to all those who would not sacrifice. All the Jews were to be registered among the slaves. Those who resisted are to be forcibly seized and put to death.
all those who would not sacrifice. That can only refer to the Jewish people.
All the Jews were to be registered among the slaves. All Jewish people are hereby made into slaves.
Those who resisted are to be forcibly seized and put to death. This is Ptolemy’s first step in exterminating the Jewish people.
VERSE 29. Those who are thus registered are to be marked on their persons by the ivy-leaf symbol of Dionysus, and to be reduced to these limited rights.”
marked on their persons by the ivy-leaf symbol of Dionysus. The author may have confused branding in honor of Dionysus with the branding of slaves.
Greeks and Romans often confused Judaism with the cult of Dionysus. That was because of the Festival of Tabernacles at the height of the vintage, and because of the Jewish ritual use of wine.
VERSE 30. To do away with the appearance of hating them all, he had it written underneath, that if any of them should elect to enter the community of those initiated in the rites, these should have equal rights with the Alexandrians.
The Jewish people in Egypt very much wanted equal status with the Alexandrians.
But citizenship required them to perform a pagan religious acts. Most Jewish people were unwilling to do that.
VERSE 31. Some of those who were over the city, therefore, abhorring any approach to the city of piety, unhesitatingly gave in to the king, and expected to derive some great honor from a future connection with him.
unhesitatingly gave in to the king. Whenever a religious minority is persecuted, a small fraction of the members will give in.
VERSE 32. A nobler spirit, however, prompted the majority to cling to their religious observances, and by paying money that they might live unmolested, these sought to escape the registration,
A nobler spirit, however, prompted the majority. The majority of Jewish people acted in accord with the dictates of their faith.
VERSE 33. cheerfully looking forward to future aid, they abhorred their own apostates, considering them to be national foes, and depriving them of common fellowship and mutual help.
3 MACCABEES
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, The Greatest God
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