Hearing the Cry Within the Siege: From Suffering to Comfort

Wars with Neighboring Peoples When the Gentiles round about heard that the altar had been built and the sanctuary dedicated as it was before, they became very angry, and they determined to destroy the descendants of Jacob who lived among them. So they began to kill and destroy among the people. But Judas made war on the sons of Esau in Idume′a, at Akrabatte′ne, because they kept lying in wait for Israel. He dealt them a heavy blow and humbled them and despoiled them. He also remembered the wickedness of the sons of Baean, who were a trap and a snare to the people and ambushed them on the highways. They were shut up by him in their towers; and he encamped against them, vowed their complete destruction, and burned with fire their towers and all who were in them. Then he crossed over to attack the Am′monites, where he found a strong band and many people with Timothy as their leader. He engaged in many battles with them and they were crushed before him; he struck them down. He also took Jazer and its villages; then he returned to Judea. Liberation of Galilean Jews Now the Gentiles in Gil′ead gathered together against the Israelites who lived in their territory, and planned to destroy them. But they fled to the stronghold of Dath′ema, and sent to Judas and his brothers a letter which said, “The Gentiles around us have gathered together against us to destroy us. They are preparing to come and capture the stronghold to which we have fled, and Timothy is leading their forces. Now then come and rescue us from their hands, for many of us have fallen, and all our brethren who were in the land of Tob have been killed; the enemy have captured their wives and children and goods, and have destroyed about a thousand men there.” While the letter was still being read, behold, other messengers, with their garments rent, came from Galilee and made a similar report; they said that against them had gathered together men of Ptolema′is and Tyre and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, “to annihilate us.” When Judas and the people heard these messages, a great assembly was called to determine what they should do for their brethren who were in distress and were being attacked by enemies. Then Judas said to Simon his brother, “Choose your men and go and rescue your brethren in Galilee; I and Jonathan my brother will go to Gil′ead.” But he left Joseph, the son of Zechari′ah, and Azari′ah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces, in Judea to guard it; and he gave them this command, “Take charge of this people, but do not engage in battle with the Gentiles until we return.” Then three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and eight thousand to Judas for Gil′ead. so Simon went to Galilee and fought many battles against the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were crushed before him. He pursued them to the gate of Ptolema′is, and as many as three thousand of the Gentiles fell, and he despoiled them. Then he took the Jews of Galilee and Arbat′ta, with their wives and children, and all they possessed, and led them to Judea with great rejoicing. Judas and Jonathan in Gilead Judas Maccabe′us and Jonathan his brother crossed the Jordan and went three days’ journey into the wilderness. They encountered the Nabate′ans, who met them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their brethren in Gil′ead: “Many of them have been shut up in Bozrah and Bosor, in Al′ema and Chaspho, Maked and Car′naim”—all these cities were strong and large— “and some have been shut up in the other cities of Gil′ead; the enemy are getting ready to attack the strongholds tomorrow and take and destroy all these men in one day.” Then Judas and his army quickly turned back by the wilderness road to Bozrah; and he took the city, and killed every male by the edge of the sword; then he seized all its spoils and burned it with fire. He departed from there at night, and they went all the way to the stronghold of Dath′ema. At dawn they looked up, and behold, a large company, that could not be counted, carrying ladders and engines of war to capture the stronghold, and attacking the Jews within. So Judas saw that the battle had begun and that the cry of the city went up to Heaven with trumpets and loud shouts, and he said to the men of his forces, “Fight today for your brethren!” Then he came up behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets and cried aloud in prayer. And when the army of Timothy realized that it was Maccabe′us, they fled before him, and he dealt them a heavy blow. As many as eight thousand of them fell that day. Next he turned aside to Al′ema, and fought against it and took it; and he killed every male in it, plundered it, and burned it with fire. From there he marched on and took Chaspho, Maked, and Bosor, and the other cities of Gil′ead. After these things Timothy gathered another army and encamped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream. Judas sent men to spy out the camp, and they reported to him, “All the Genti

1 Maccabees 5:1-20 (ESV) sets the stage for Judas Maccabeus's campaigns against the surrounding nations. Verse 14 introduces the Galilean plea, 'Come and rescue us from their hands,' which becomes the hinge on which the rest of the chapter (and the Maccabean wars) turns. The passage is deuterocanonical; many Protestants read it for devotional and historical insight even though it is not regarded as canonical.