1 maccabees 2:19 - And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken to him, to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers, and have made choice to follow his commandments,
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What does "1 maccabees 2:19" mean?
This verse from 1 Maccabees 2:19 is part of Mattathias's defiant speech against the Seleucid officials who are trying to enforce Hellenistic (Greek) religious practices on the Jewish people. Let's break it down:
"And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice...": This sets the scene. Mattathias is speaking publicly and emphatically, suggesting this is an important declaration.
"If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken to him...": This refers to the authority of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the extent of his power over many different nations within his kingdom. "Hearken to him" means to obey or listen to him.
"...to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers...": This is the core of the issue. The Seleucid king is demanding that all the people in his dominion abandon the religious practices of their ancestors. Specifically, he wants the Jewish people to forsake their worship of God and their observance of the Torah.
"...and have made choice to follow his commandments...": This contrasts the ancestral worship with the new directives issued by the king. The king wants everyone to adopt Hellenistic customs and religious practices.
In essence, Mattathias is acknowledging that the Seleucid king has a lot of power and that many people within his kingdom are choosing to obey him and abandon their traditional religious practices. However, this verse is setting up Mattathias's ultimate refusal to do so, and it is the opening for the following verse, which states who he and his sons will follow. The verse establishes the scope of the religious persecution and highlights the severity of the choice being forced upon the Jewish people.
1 maccabees 2:19 - And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken to him, to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers, and have made choice to follow his commandments,
What does "1 maccabees 2:19" mean?
This verse from 1 Maccabees 2:19 is part of Mattathias's defiant speech against the Seleucid officials who are trying to enforce Hellenistic (Greek) religious practices on the Jewish people. Let's break it down:
"And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice...": This sets the scene. Mattathias is speaking publicly and emphatically, suggesting this is an important declaration.
"If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken to him...": This refers to the authority of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the extent of his power over many different nations within his kingdom. "Hearken to him" means to obey or listen to him.
"...to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers...": This is the core of the issue. The Seleucid king is demanding that all the people in his dominion abandon the religious practices of their ancestors. Specifically, he wants the Jewish people to forsake their worship of God and their observance of the Torah.
"...and have made choice to follow his commandments...": This contrasts the ancestral worship with the new directives issued by the king. The king wants everyone to adopt Hellenistic customs and religious practices.
In essence, Mattathias is acknowledging that the Seleucid king has a lot of power and that many people within his kingdom are choosing to obey him and abandon their traditional religious practices. However, this verse is setting up Mattathias's ultimate refusal to do so, and it is the opening for the following verse, which states who he and his sons will follow. The verse establishes the scope of the religious persecution and highlights the severity of the choice being forced upon the Jewish people.