This verse from 1 Maccabees 4:26 refers to the aftermath of a battle between the Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus, and the forces of the Seleucid Empire, specifically those under the command of Gorgias.
"But the strangers...": The term "strangers" is likely used to refer to the Seleucid soldiers, who were foreign to the Jewish people in Judea. In this context, it emphasizes their outsider status and the conflict between them and the Jewish rebels.
"...as many as had escaped...": This indicates that the Seleucid forces suffered a significant defeat, and only a portion of them managed to flee the battlefield.
"...came and told Lysias all the things that had happened:": Lysias was a high-ranking Seleucid official, serving as a regent or governor under the young King Antiochus V Eupator. The surviving soldiers reported the disastrous defeat and the events of the battle to Lysias, likely to inform him of the unexpected strength and success of the Maccabean revolt.
In summary, the verse is saying that after a battle where the Maccabees were victorious, the surviving Seleucid soldiers ("strangers") reported the unexpected defeat and all the details of the battle to Lysias, a high-ranking Seleucid leader. This report would have alerted Lysias to the seriousness of the Maccabean revolt and the need for a stronger response.
This verse from 1 Maccabees 4:26 refers to the aftermath of a battle between the Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus, and the forces of the Seleucid Empire, specifically those under the command of Gorgias.
"But the strangers...": The term "strangers" is likely used to refer to the Seleucid soldiers, who were foreign to the Jewish people in Judea. In this context, it emphasizes their outsider status and the conflict between them and the Jewish rebels.
"...as many as had escaped...": This indicates that the Seleucid forces suffered a significant defeat, and only a portion of them managed to flee the battlefield.
"...came and told Lysias all the things that had happened:": Lysias was a high-ranking Seleucid official, serving as a regent or governor under the young King Antiochus V Eupator. The surviving soldiers reported the disastrous defeat and the events of the battle to Lysias, likely to inform him of the unexpected strength and success of the Maccabean revolt.
In summary, the verse is saying that after a battle where the Maccabees were victorious, the surviving Seleucid soldiers ("strangers") reported the unexpected defeat and all the details of the battle to Lysias, a high-ranking Seleucid leader. This report would have alerted Lysias to the seriousness of the Maccabean revolt and the need for a stronger response.
