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2 Maccabees 8:22-24
New Catholic Bible
2 Maccabees 8:22-24
New Catholic Bible
22 placing his brothers, Simon, Joseph,[a] and Jonathan, in command of one division each and assigning them fifteen hundred men apiece. 23 Next, he appointed Eleazar[b] to read aloud from the holy book, and he gave them the rallying cry, “The help of God.” Then, taking command of the first division, he joined battle with Nicanor.
24 With the Almighty as their ally, they slaughtered more than nine thousand of the enemy, wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor’s army, and put all of them to flight.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Maccabees 8:22 Joseph: called John in 1 Mac 2:2; 9:36, 38. The story of Nicanor’s defeat is interrupted here and resumed in verse 34. The author seeks to group together the defeats that the Syrians suffered on various occasions. For the battles against Timothy, see 2 Mac 12:10-25; 1 Mac 5:37-44; for those against Bacchides, see 1 Mac 7:8-20.
- 2 Maccabees 8:23 Eleazar: another brother, who was killed at Beth-zechariah (1 Mac 2:5; 6:43-46). The help of God: a motto prescribed also in the War Scroll of Qumran for one of the banners of a returning army.
