This verse, "And they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones," from 1 Maccabees 5:47, describes a hostile act of defiance against the Maccabees and their forces. Let's break it down:
"And they of the city...": This refers to the inhabitants of a specific city or town that the Maccabees were approaching or besieging. It indicates that the local population, not necessarily just soldiers, were involved in the action.
"...shut them out...": This means they closed the city gates to prevent the Maccabees' forces from entering. The action implies fear, hostility, and a refusal to submit to the Maccabees' authority.
"...and stopped up the gates with stones.": This is the crucial part of the verse. It means they barricaded the city gates using stones or large rocks. This action would make it even more difficult for the Maccabees to breach the gates.
Therefore, the verse illustrates an act of resistance by a city's inhabitants against the Maccabees. They physically barricaded the gates to prevent the Maccabees from entering, indicating a clear rejection of their authority or agenda.
Context is key:
To understand the full significance, you need the surrounding verses in 1 Maccabees 5. It's likely that the Maccabees were engaged in military campaigns to protect Jewish populations or reassert Jewish control in certain regions. The city in question probably sided with the Seleucid Greeks or with opposing Jewish factions. The action described in the verse shows that the city was willing to defend itself against the Maccabees, even through physical confrontation.
This verse, "And they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones," from 1 Maccabees 5:47, describes a hostile act of defiance against the Maccabees and their forces. Let's break it down:
"And they of the city...": This refers to the inhabitants of a specific city or town that the Maccabees were approaching or besieging. It indicates that the local population, not necessarily just soldiers, were involved in the action.
"...shut them out...": This means they closed the city gates to prevent the Maccabees' forces from entering. The action implies fear, hostility, and a refusal to submit to the Maccabees' authority.
"...and stopped up the gates with stones.": This is the crucial part of the verse. It means they barricaded the city gates using stones or large rocks. This action would make it even more difficult for the Maccabees to breach the gates.
Therefore, the verse illustrates an act of resistance by a city's inhabitants against the Maccabees. They physically barricaded the gates to prevent the Maccabees from entering, indicating a clear rejection of their authority or agenda.
Context is key:
To understand the full significance, you need the surrounding verses in 1 Maccabees 5. It's likely that the Maccabees were engaged in military campaigns to protect Jewish populations or reassert Jewish control in certain regions. The city in question probably sided with the Seleucid Greeks or with opposing Jewish factions. The action described in the verse shows that the city was willing to defend itself against the Maccabees, even through physical confrontation.
