3 Maccabees
Pharaoh Ptolemy hates the Jewish people and tries to exterminate them. But eventually, divine providence prevails. This Book is in Orthodox Bibles.
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, The Greatest God
The Book of Third Maccabees is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Orthodox Churches
SUMMARY
Title
The title is a misnomer. This Book has nothing to do with the Maccabees or their revolt against the Seleucid Empire, as described in 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees.
Instead it tells the story of persecution of the Jewish people under Pharaoh Ptolemy IV Philopator (222–205 BC).
The name of the book seems to have come from the similarities between this book and the stories of the martyrdom of Eleazar and the Maccabean youths in 2 Maccabees.
Author
This Book was written in Greek, probably in Alexandria in Egypt. It was most likely written during the Roman era (30 BC–70 AD).
Some parts of the narrative are clearly fictional. But other parts cannot be definitively proven or disproven.
Date
The book was presumably written some time after the events it describes.
Its use in the Orthodox Church suggests it was composed before the 1st century AD.
Purpose
The narrative has strong legendary features. It seems meant to edify and inspire, rather than to report accurately.
It tells the story of life in the Jewish Diaspora, where the Jewish people a religious minority in an alien land.
As such, they have divided loyalties. They are loyal servants of the king, but they are also strict observers of the Law of Moses.
The king of Egypt was Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–204 BCE). He hates the Jewish people and raises formidable trouble for them. He even tries to exterminate them. But eventually, divine providence prevails.
Ptolemy forgets his hatred of the Jewish people. He honors them with immunities and a banquet, then lets them return home.
OUTLINE
THE STAGE IS SET
3 Maccabees 1:1-7. The battle of Raphia
3 Maccabees 1:8-15. Ptolemy wants to enter the temple
3 Maccabees 1:16-29. The Jewish people resist
3 Maccabees 2:1-20. The prayer of Simon the high priest
3 Maccabees 2:21-24. The LORD God punishes Ptolemy
3 Maccabees 2:25-33. Ptolemy assaults the Jewish people
3 Maccabees 3:1-9. Allies of the Jewish people
THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE TO BE EXTERMINATED
3 Maccabees 3:10-30. Ptolemy’s decree
3 Maccabees 4:1-21. The Jewish people are imprisoned
3 Maccabees 5:1-29. Pharaoh Ptolemy orders a Holocust
3 Maccabees 5:30-35.Pharaoh Ptolemy recants
3 Maccabees 5:36-51. Pharaoh Ptolemy again orders a Holocaust
THE LORD GOD SAVES THEM
3 Maccabees 6:1-15. The prayer of Eleazar
3 Maccabees 6:16-29. Two angels rescue the Jewish people
3 Maccabees 6:30-41. The Jewish people celebrate
THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE SET FREE
3 Maccabees 7:1-9. Ptolemy’s letter
3 Maccabees 7:10-16. Revenge on apostates
3 Maccabees 7:17-23. They depart
MEMORIZE
Here are some great verses to memorize:
3 Maccabees 4:21. Now this was an active interference of the unconquerable Providence which assisted the Jews from heaven.
3 Maccabees 6:18. Then the all-glorious, all-powerful, and true God, displayed his holy countenance, and opened the gates of heaven, from which two angels, dreadful of form, came down and were visible to all but the Jews.
3 Maccabees 6:19. They stood opposite, and filled the enemies’ army with confusion and cowardice, and bound them with immoveable shackles.
SEE ALSO:
Great verses to memorize from the entire Bible
THE GREATEST GOD
The Greatest God. That expression occurs often in 3 Maccabees and also once in 2 Maccabees. It is Henotheistic.
Henotheism is the worship of a single, supreme god while not denying the existence or possible existence of other lower deities.
3 Maccabees 1:9. Having arrived at Jerusalem, sacrificed, and offered thank-offerings to the Greatest God, and done whatever else was suitable to the sanctity of the place, and entered the inner court,
3 Maccabees 1:16. When the priests fell down in their sacred vestments imploring the Greatest God to come and help in time of need, and to avert the violence of the fierce aggressor, and when they filled the temple with lamentations and tears,
3 Maccabees 4:16. The king was filled with great and constant joy, and celebrated banquets before the temple idols. His erring heart, far from the truth, and his profane mouth gave glory to idols, deaf and incapable of speaking or aiding, and uttered unworthy speech against the Greatest God.
3 Maccabees 5:25. The Jews, breathless with momentary suspense, stretched out their hands and prayed the Greatest God, in mournful strains, again to help them speedily.
3 Maccabees 7:22. Every man received back his own, according to inventory, those who had obtained their goods, giving them up with the greatest terror. For the greatest God made perfect wonders for their salvation.
2 Maccabees 3:36. He testified to all men the works of the greatest God, which he had seen with his eyes.
3 MACCABEES
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, The Greatest God
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.