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Letter (first) of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptians (1–9). The second letter is of the same kind (10–36). 2Mac.1:1 To the brethren of Judah in Egypt, rejoice; the brothers of Judah in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judea wish a happy world. The letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptians begins with a greeting, which is expressed in both the Greek form (χαίρειν) and the Hebrew form (ειρήνην αγαθήν - happy world!). 2 Mac.1:2 May God do good to you and may He remember His covenant with His faithful servants: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! “May God do good to you...” is more closely defined through the further expression “may He remember His covenant with... Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” that is, in relation to their descendants. 2 Mac 1:3 May he give you all a heart to honor Him and do His will with all your heart and diligent soul! “Let him give... a heart to honor Him...”, that is, “a heart that honors Him,” devoted to Him. - “His will” - τά θελήματα αυτού, - glorified: His will, expressed in His commandments. – “With all my heart” – καρδία μεγαλη – glorified: with a great heart. 2Mac 1:4 Let your heart be opened to His law and commandments and give peace! “For His law and commandments” - έν τω νόμω αυτού - glorified: in His law, that is, in the area of ​​His law, in the days of its fulfillment. 2Mac 1:5 May he hear your prayers and be merciful to you, and may he not forsake you in time of trouble! “In times of disaster” - έν καιρω πονηρω, glav.: in evil times, in unfortunate times. 2Mac 1:6 So now here we pray for you. “So now...” και νύν (cf. v. 9), and now, that is, in accordance with the wishes expressed. 2 Mac. 1:7 During the reign of Demetrius, in the one hundred and sixty-ninth year, we Jews wrote to you in the sorrow and suffering that befell us in those years when Jason and his companions revolted from the holy land and kingdom. 2Mac.1:7–8. The message is that the sorrow and misfortune that befell the Jews under Demetrius (in 169 CE Sel. - 144-143 BC), which they previously wrote about, has now ceased. Here, of course, Demetrius II Nicator, who reigned after the death of Alexander Valas and Ptolemy Philometor in 167 AD. Sat down. (see 1 Mac XI: 15–19). – “From the holy land...” – ή αγία γη Zechariah II: 12 – this is the name of Judea, as the place of the predominant presence of God and the manifestations of His power. - “And the kingdom,” that is, the holy one of God: such a name is assigned to the Old Testament people and their place of residence only in this place of the Old Testament. - “Deposition”, or the falling away of Jason and his accomplices from the holy land and kingdom - the writer calls the well-known act of Jason, when he decided to buy the high priesthood from the Syrian king for money and permission to introduce pagan customs in Jerusalem. 2Mac 1:8 They burned the gates and shed innocent blood. Then we prayed to the Lord and were heard, and brought sacrifices and seven-handed stones, and lit lamps, and offered bread. “They (burned the gates)…”, that is, in general the enemies of the Jews, the Syrians, especially Antiochus Epiphanes and his accomplices. – “Gate” – τον ​​πυλώνα, in the singular, but probably in the collective meaning – church gates, or sacred (πυλώνες ιεροί), the burning of which is spoken of in 1 Mac IV: 38 and 2 Mac VIII: 33. – “They shed innocent blood...” corresponds to 1 Mac I: 37, 60, etc.; 2Mac V: 13 et c. 26. This expression can also denote the generally disastrous life of the people in those years of Jason’s departure from the holy land and kingdom, that is, not only during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, but also his successors. – “The sacrifice and the semidal...” – θυσίαν καί σεμίδαλιν – corresponds to the Hebrew – “zevah uminha” – a slaughter and grain sacrifice. Semidal (σεμίδαλις) - pure wheat flour, as the main component of a bloodless grain sacrifice, is often used in the LXX, instead of denoting the whole, in the sense of Heb. "mincha". – About lighting lamps and offering bread – 1Mac IV: 50–51. 2Mac 1:9 And now ye shall keep the Feast of Tabernacles in the month of Haslev. “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in the month of Haslev” - that is, not the Feast of Tabernacles itself, but the Feast of the Cleansing of the Church - in the likeness or manner of the Feast of Tabernacles (cf. 2 Mac. 10:6), celebrated in the month of Tishri. Calling the holiday of “cleansing the church” “the feast of tabernacles in the month of Haslev,” the authors of the letter show that although the celebration of the cleansing of the church immediately became an annual widespread custom, however, its real name, as the holiday of “cleansing the church,” was established not simultaneously with the establishment of the holiday, but somewhat later. 2Mac 1:10 In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year those who lived in Jerusalem and Judea, and the elders and Judas, to Aristobulus, the teacher of King Ptolemy, who came from a line of anointed priests, and to the Jews who were in Egypt, rejoice and be well. The first half of verse 2 Mac. 1:10, containing the chronological date (“in 188” E. Sel. - 124 BC), - according to interpreters, should be attributed to the first, and not to the second letter given below. In support of this, we can point to the letters cited further in Chapter XI, where the date of time is actually placed at the end of the letter, and not at the beginning (XI: 21, 33 and 38). 2 Mac.1:10–36 ff - the second letter of the Palestinian Jews to the Egyptians does not have a specific date, but from its contents it can be concluded that it was compiled shortly after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes. Among the authors of the second letter, the “elders” are mentioned - γερουσία (1 Mac XII: 6), that is, probably the later Sanhedrin, and Judas, undoubtedly Maccabeus, who was then at the head of his people, as can be seen from II: 14. He outlived Antiochus Epiphanes by four years. In agreement with this is the mention, among the addressees, of “Aristobulus, teacher of King Ptolemy,” a famous peripatetic during the reign of Ptolemy Philometor (reign 180–145 BC). The name of this Aristobulus - διδάσκαλος of King Ptolemy - should not be understood in the proper sense of the word. Aristobulus is named so only as the author of an allegorical interpretation of the Pentateuch, which he compiled for Ptolemy - in order to acquaint the king with the laws and wisdom of the Jews. Aristobulus’ closeness to the king could have been greatly facilitated by the fact that he was “from a line of anointed priests,” i.e. the high priest, to whom this designation was especially adopted (Lev IV: 3, 5), due to the special rite of his anointing, in contrast to other priests. This position of Aristobulus sufficiently makes it natural for a letter to be addressed to him, which has such an important ritual significance. 2Mac 1:11 Delivered by God from great dangers, we solemnly thank Him, as if we had fought against a king, “As if they fought against the king” - ώς αν ... παρατασσόμενοι - as if they were ready to fight if it were necessary. The Jews give thanks here, therefore, for the safe passage of the danger of a battle that seemed inevitable. 2Mac 1:12-13 because He drove out those who took hostage against the holy city. For when the king went to Persia and with him an army that seemed invincible, they were defeated in the church of Nanea through the deception used by the priests of Nanea. “In the church of Nanea” – Ναναίας, option – ‘Avav αίας, Sir.: Nani, Latin: Naneae. This Nanea is considered identical with that mentioned by Strabo, XI, 532, as Nomen patrium of the Persians, and also revered by the Medes, Armenians and many inhabitants of Asia Minor - Anaitis or A ναια and A νείτις (Plut.), which the ancients also called Artemis (Taurian) and Tanais. 2Mac 1:14 It was when Antiochus, as if intending to marry her, came to that place, and the friends who were with him came to take money as a dowry, “As a dowry” – είς φερνής λόγον – glor.: “under the name of vein”, in account of the dowry. 2Mac 1:15-17 And the priests of Nanaea offered them, and Antiochus with a few entered the interior of the church - then they closed the church, as soon as Antiochus entered, and, having opened a secret hole in the vault, they began to throw stones, and struck the leader and those with him, and, cutting them into pieces and cutting off their heads, threw them out to those who were outside. In all things, blessed is our God, who betrayed the wicked. In the description of the death of Antiochus, a considerable misunderstanding here is caused by a contradiction with 1 Mac VI: 3 etc. and even with 2 Mac IX: 1 etc. Some interpreters tried to eliminate this contradiction by the fact that by ηγεμών A ντίοχος they meant Antiochus III the Great, others - Antiochus VII Sidetes; Both interpretations do not have sufficient grounds - at least, ancient historians do not say anything about the plunder of churches by Antiochus Sidetes. These same historians speak differently about the circumstances of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes. According to Flavius ​​and Justin - he was killed in a battle with the Parthians and Persians; according to Appian - taken prisoner, Antiochus killed himself; according to others, he was killed by his brother Demetrius, who was released by Arsakh. – About Antiochus III the Great, some historians (Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Justin) actually say that he died while trying to plunder the Elymaid Church of Bel, with his entire detachment, at the hands of local residents; but, on the other hand, this Antiochus, as is known, had a good attitude towards the Jews, and therefore it can hardly be understood in this place of the book. It would be more accurate to assume that the author of the book here mixes up the kings and similar events in their history. 2Mac 1:18 Therefore, intending to celebrate the cleansing of the church on the twenty-fifth day of Haslev, we thought it necessary to inform you that you too would celebrate the festival of tabernacles and fire, just as Nehemiah, having built the church and the altar, offered sacrifice. “Intending... to celebrate the cleansing of the church...” 3 This does not mean establishing a celebration for the first time, but only repeating the already established custom of previous years, in memory of the cleansing, and inviting the Egyptian Jews of Palestine to introduce this custom among them, for the purpose of closer mutual communication and greater concentration of the hearts of all Jews around their native shrine. – “The Feast of Tabernacles and Fire is like Nehemiah...” – ' άγητε τής σκηνοπηγίας καί τού πυρός , ' ότε Νεεμίας ... Instead of translating the Greek ' ότε - for Russians, just as here it is more correct to retain the exact meaning of ' ότε - when (glory. ever), - and this whole sentence should be understood not in a comparative sense, but in an explanatory sense to του πυρός - fire: “the feast of Tabernacles and fire (established in memory of that) when Nehemiah ... made a sacrifice,” etc. ... (received heavenly fire again). About the connection with the celebration of the cleansing of the church - the festival of fire, 1 Mac IV: 52 etc. says nothing. Probably, such a connection was not established immediately. – “Nehemiah, having built the church and the altar...” – Greek: οίκοδομήσας then ιερόν ... The construction of the church and altar, completed by Zerubbabel himself, is here adopted by Nehemiah - obviously, for the sake of his merits, which were as important for the Jews and Jerusalem as the work of Zerubbabel, and were, as it were, a continuation of this work. 2 Mac. 1:19 For when our fathers were led away into Persia, then the pious priests, taking fire from the altar secretly, hid it in the depths of a well that had a waterless bottom, and there they kept it safely, since no one knew this place. “When our fathers were taken to Persia...” - εις την περσικήν, i.e. χώραν. According to later usage, the lands on the other side of the Euphrates are often called Persia (see 1 Mac III: 31); this was also fundamental because the Jews in Babylonian captivity came under the rule of the Persians, and were freed from captivity by the Persian king Cyrus. 2Mac 1:20 After many years, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, sent by the king of Persia, sent for this fire the descendants of those priests who hid it. When they told us that they had found no fire, but only thick water, The Persian king who sent Nehemiah was Artaxerxes Longimanus, according to the book of Nehemiah himself (I). - “When they told us” - ημίν, i.e., to the Jews in Jerusalem. - “Thick water” - ύδωρ παχή, that is, a thick liquid like thick oil or honey (Jos. Gorion. I, 21, 1), something, perhaps, like oil (see Art. 36). – “(A large) fire was ignited...” – πυρά (ή) – hearth, combustible mass (cf. VII: 5), bonfire. 2Mac.1:21-23 Then he ordered them to draw it and bring it; and when the sacrifices were then prepared, Nehemiah commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid on them with this water. When this was done, and the time came when the sun, previously covered by clouds, shone, then a great fire was ignited, so that everyone was surprised. The priests, while the sacrifice was burning, prayed, priests and all; Jonathan began, and the others chanted, as did Nehemiah. "Jonathan" mentioned here and in Neh. XII: 11 is undoubtedly a mistake instead of Heb. Jochanan - Jochanan, as Josephus also calls this high priest (Antt. XI, 7, 1). 2 Mac. 1:24 The prayer was this: “Lord, Lord God, Creator of all, awesome and powerful, just and merciful, only King and benefactor, Doubled - “Lord, Lord ...” - in imitation of Ps LXX: 5 etc. (Κύριε Κύριε; cf. Matthew VII: 21; XXV: 11). The subsequent epithets designate God as the omnipotent Creator and Ruler of the world: φοβερός καί ίσχυρός - designate His omnipotence; δίκαιος καί ελεήμων - His properties as a Judge; ό μόνος βασιλεύς - the absoluteness of His dominion (like μόνος δυνάστης 1 Tim VI: 15), και χρηστός - His goodness, as His main property. 2Mac 1:25 one giver of all things, one righteous and omnipotent and eternal, who redeemed Israel from all evil, who chose the fathers and sanctified them! ' Ο μόνος χορηγός - a single “round dance” of all, as the Greeks called the keepers and managers of choirs that were completely dependent on them. – ' Ο μόνος δίκαιος και παντοκράτωρ και αιώνιος – expressions of the absoluteness, comprehensiveness and eternity of God. The following expressions of the 25th verse indicate the relationship of God, as omnipotent and eternal, Creator and Lord of the whole world, to Israel: “who redeemed Israel from all evil, who chose the fathers and sanctified them...” The original and Slavic texts here more accurately and meaningfully express the second thought: ποιείν εκλεκτούς means much more than just εκλέγειν: not just to choose, but to make the chosen, to honor the special state of his chosen ones (“the fathers who created are chosen”), through special leadership and favor towards the chosen ones. - “He who sanctified them...” Here we mean external separation and separation from unclean paganism and cleansing of the heart from pagan customs. 2 Mac.1:26 Accept this sacrifice for all Your people Israel, and preserve this Your inheritance, and sanctify it; “All Your people are Israel...”, that is, not only those living in Jerusalem and Judea, but also in the dispersion. – “Thy destiny...”, μερίς αυτύ – Deut. XXXII: 9. 2Mac 1:27 Gather together our scattering, free those who are enslaved by the Gentiles, look upon the lowly and despised, and let the Gentiles know that You are our God; Further prayers express the hopes of the people: the gathering of the scattered (“gather our dispersion” - ή διασπορά, abstractum pro concreto), the liberation of those enslaved by the pagans and merciful contempt for the humiliated and despised. In the concept - διασπορά one should distinguish οί δουλεύοντες, that part of the diaspora that consisted of pagan service, while it is also known that many other Jews of the dispersion in some pagan countries even enjoyed the rights of citizenship. 2Mac 1:28-29 Punish those who oppress and use us with arrogance, and plant Your people in Your holy place, as Moses said.” “As Moses said” - Exodus XV: 17: “Plant it on the mountain of Your heritage, in the place that You have made Your dwelling place...” (cf. 2 Kings VII: 10; Jer XXIV: 6). 2Mac.1:30-31 At this the priests sang solemn songs. When the sacrifice was burned, Nehemiah ordered the remaining water to be poured over the large stones. After burning the sacrifice, Nehemiah orders “to pour the remaining water over the large stones...”, both in order to consume the sacred moisture, and so that its sacredness and miraculousness would be revealed to everyone. And indeed, what happened next eliminated any suspicion that it was some ordinary flammable liquid like oil or petroleum. The power of God immediately revealed itself, shining from the altar in the form of light that covered the flame of this moisture. 2Mac 1:32-34 As soon as this was done, a flame burst out, but the light that shone from the altar made it disappear. When this event became known, and it was reported to the king of the Persians that in the place where the displaced priests hid the fire, there was water, with which Nehemiah and those with him blessed the sacrifices; The king, after studying the matter, fenced off this place as sacred. “He fenced off this place as sacred” - περιφράξας ... ιερόν έποίησε ( τον τόπον), glav.: “Having fenced the king, make (that place) holy...” - declared this place sacred. 2 Mac 1:35-36 And to those whom the king favored, he gave away many gifts, which he himself received. Those who were with Nehemiah called this place Nephtar, which means “purification”; many call it Neftai. 2Mac.1:36. The interpreters nicknamed this verse crux interpretum (cross of interpreters). Instead of Νεφθαεί - found in the lists - Νεφθαί, Νεφθα, lat. Nephi, sire. Nephti, while in others Νεφθάρ is repeated (only with a different emphasis - instead of Νέφθαρ of the 1st half of this verse). The word, apparently, is of Medo-Persian origin, to which the people adopted the Semitic ending and subordinated it to the laws of their etymology. Perhaps the culprit here is νάφθα, mountain oil, oil, which the Greeks called Μηδείας ελαιον, Median oil, the amazing properties of which - to burn even in water - caused the superstitious worship of the ancients (the remnants of this worship are still preserved in our Caucasian fire worshipers).