*H Now there were in his troops a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two and twenty thousand horsemen, besides the preparations of those men who had been taken, and who had been brought away out of the provinces and cities of all the youth.
Ver. 2. Twenty. Gr. seventy; Syr. sixty-two. C. — Two, &c. Gr. twelve, as above. C. ii. 7. M. — Syr. twenty-two. Some of these texts must be inaccurate. C. — Yet the cavalry of Holofernes (H.) might be increased, since he began the war. — Taken. Syr. "servants, and those who had joined them in great numbers."
*H All these prepared themselves together to fight against the children of Israel, and they came by the hillside to the top, which looketh toward Dothain, from the place which is called Belma, unto Chelmon, which is over against Esdrelon.
Ver. 3. Hill side, on the coast of the Mediterranean, leaving the mountains of Ephraim, (C.) which were so strait, (H.) on the left, as well as Jerusalem, as he intended to go into Egypt. Bethulia alone opposed his progress. C. vi. 7.
*H But the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, putting ashes upon their heads, praying with one accord, that the God of Israel would shew his mercy upon his people.
Ver. 4. Of them. Gr. adds, "were greatly afraid, and each one said to his neighbour: Now these will consume (Complut. shut up) the face of the earth, and neither the high mountains, nor the vales, nor the hills, will bear their weight. Then taking their arms, and lighting fires upon their towers, they kept guard all that night: but the second day, Holofernes brought out all his cavalry against the Israelites, in Bethulia, and he reconnoitred the ascent of their city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them; and leaving a guard of soldiers, he returned to his men," &c. v. 8. H. — The Syr. is also silent about the aqueduct and the small springs. C. — The servants of God first humble themselves, and then take arms, confiding in God. W.
*H Now Holofernes, in going round about, found that the fountain which supplied them with water, ran through an aqueduct without the city on the south side: and he commanded their aqueduct to be cut off.
Ver. 6. An aqueduct: the fountain must therefore have been on a higher ground than the city, though the latter was on an eminence. C. — Yet water may be forced to ascend by pipes. H.
*H But the children of Ammon and Moab came to Holofernes, saying: The children of Israel trust not in their spears, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defence, and the steep hills and precipices guard them.
Ver. 8. Children of. Gr. and Syr. "the chiefs of the sons of Esau," as Idumea had been conquered. C. iii. 14. They omit Ammon, and after Moab subjoin "the generals of the maritime countries;" Tyrians and Philistines. H.
*H And these words pleased Holofernes, and his officers, and he placed all round about a hundred men at every spring.
Ver. 10. Spring. Gr. and Syr. intimate that the Ammonites and Moabites, with 5,000 Assyrian infantry, guarded the springs: the rest of the army, according to the old Vulg. was stationed in the plain. Gr. and Syr. specify over-against Dothaim, which seems too remote; (C.) though such an immense army might cover a great part of the country, as all would not be necessary to besiege Bethulia; and it was agreed only to blockade the place, in order that no men might be lost, and the army might be ready to march against the more distant and powerful nations of Egypt. Another detachment was (H.) "southward, at Ecrebel, (Syr. Ekarbat, probably Akrabim, the ascent of the scorpions) near Cush, (or Arabia) which is above the torrent Mochmur, (Syr. Peor, or Bezor. C.) and the rest of the army of the Assyrians encamped in the plain, and covered the face of the earth." H.
*H And when they had kept this watch for full twenty days, the cisterns, and the reserve of waters failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was not within the city, enough to satisfy them, no not for one day, for water was daily given out to the people by measure.
Ver. 11. Days. Gr. "and all the collection of the Assyrians continued round them...thirty-four days." H. — Old Vulg. "twenty-four days." Syr. "two months and four days." — Measure. Gr. adds, "the infants, women, and young men fainted, and fell down dead." H.
*H Said: God be judge between us and thee, for thou hast done evil against us, in that thou wouldst not speak peaceably with the Assyrians, and for this cause God hath sold us into their hands.
Ver. 13. Hands. We shall be treated as miserable slaves. C.
* Footnote * Exodus 5 : 21
And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have, made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword, to kill us.*H And now assemble ye all that are in the city, that we may of our own accord yield ourselves all up to the people of Holofernes.
Ver. 15. Assemble. Gr. "call them, and give up all the city to plunder to the," &c.
*H We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who taketh vengeance upon us according to our sins, conjuring you to deliver now the city into the hand of the army of Holofernes, that our end may be short by the edge of the sword, which is made longer by the drought of thirst.
Ver. 17. Conjuring. Gr. "and the sins of our parents, that he may not treat us thus to-day," and deliver us up to death. H.
*H And when they had said these things, there was great weeping and lamentation of all in the assembly, and for many hours with one voice they cried to God, saying:
Ver. 18. Saying. Gr. "And Ozias said to them: Take courage, brethren.," v. 23. H.
* Footnote * Psalms 105 : 6
We have sinned with our fathers: we have acted unjustly, we have wrought iniquity.*H Ozias rising up all in tears, said: Be of good courage, my brethren, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.
Ver. 23. Five. Sulpitius reads, fifteen. C. — But instead of decim, we should read demum. H.
*H But if after five days be past there come no aid, we will do the things which you have spoken.
Ver. 25. Spoken. Gr. and Syr. add, "and he dispersed the people to their tents, and they went upon the walls and towers of the city, and sent their wives and children home. And they were under great humiliation in the city."