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2 Maccabees 15:17-19
New Catholic Bible
2 Maccabees 15:17-19
New Catholic Bible
17 Preparations for Combat.[a] Encouraged by the noble words of Judas, which had the power to inspire valor and stir up courage in the hearts of the young, the Jews resolved not to delay but to bravely take the offensive and engage in hand-to-hand combat, inasmuch as their city, their holy things,[b] and their temple were in danger. 18 Their concern was not so much for their wives and children or their brothers and sisters and kindred as it was for the consecrated sanctuary. 19 Those who remained in the city experienced a similar anxiety, for they were anxious about the battle that was about to take place in the open country.
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- 2 Maccabees 15:17 North of Jerusalem, the pagan forces are deployed in impressive array. However, the Jews face them with the ardor that comes from heroic faith—with complete trust in God. Judas prays for a victory like the one that God granted the Jews over Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, in the time of Hezekiah (Isa 37:36; 2 Ki 19:35)—and his prayers are heard.
- 2 Maccabees 15:17 Holy things: the expression ta hagia usually designates the temple or the sanctuary. Here it seems obvious that it refers to religious institutions, to the laws on which the Jewish life was based.
