1 maccabees 15:35 - But as touching Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they did great harm among the people throughout our country, we will give a hundred talents for them. And he answered him not a word,

Generated Verse: 1 maccabees 15:35

What does "1 maccabees 15:35" mean?


This verse from 1 Maccabees 15:35 describes a situation where the Seleucid king, Antiochus VII Sidetes, is being asked about the cities of Joppa and Gazara. Here's a breakdown of the meaning:

"But as touching Joppa and Gazara, which you demand": This indicates that someone (likely Simon Maccabeus, the Jewish leader) has requested or demanded that Joppa and Gazara be returned or given to Jewish control.
"they did great harm among the people throughout our country": This refers to the past actions of Joppa and Gazara. These cities (or the people within them) were responsible for causing significant damage and suffering to the Jewish population in the surrounding region. They were likely centers of conflict or oppression.
"we will give a hundred talents for them": This is Antiochus VII's offer. Instead of ceding control of Joppa and Gazara to the Jews, he proposes to pay a large sum of money (one hundred talents) as compensation for the harm that these cities caused. A talent was a unit of weight and a significant amount of money in those days.
"And he answered him not a word": This indicates that Simon Maccabeus did not respond to Antiochus' offer. This silence could mean several things:
Simon considered the offer insufficient or insulting compared to the value of the cities themselves.
Simon was not interested in monetary compensation; he wanted control of the cities for strategic or symbolic reasons.
Simon was preparing for war and did not want to engage in negotiations.

In summary, the verse depicts a negotiation (or attempted negotiation) where a Seleucid king offers a substantial payment instead of relinquishing control of two contentious cities. The lack of a response suggests that the offer was rejected, likely leading to further conflict. It reflects the ongoing struggle for control of territory and resources between the Jewish Maccabees and the Seleucid Empire.

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