This verse from 1 Maccabees 6:49 refers to a specific event during the Maccabean Revolt, a Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire. Let's break down the meaning:
"And he made peace with them of Bethsura": This indicates that the Seleucid general (likely Lysias, regent for the young King Antiochus V) reached an agreement, a truce, or a peace treaty with the inhabitants of Bethsura. Bethsura was a strategically important fortified city in Judea.
"and he came out of the city": This probably refers to Lysias withdrawing his forces from the siege of Bethsura and departing from the city's vicinity.
"because they had no food there to endure the siege": This explains one of the reasons for the peace agreement. The people of Bethsura were running out of food. The siege had been long enough that their supplies were dwindling to a point where they could no longer withstand the blockade. They were likely facing starvation.
"because it was a Sabbath to the land": This is the crucial and perhaps most debated part of the verse. It refers to the sabbatical year, a year of rest for the land mandated in the Torah (Leviticus 25). During the Sabbatical year, fields were not to be sown, and vineyards were not to be pruned. This would severely limit the food supply.
Implication: The verse implies that it was the Sabbatical year, which meant that the inhabitants of Bethsura (and likely the surrounding region) had not been planting crops, making it very difficult to sustain themselves during a prolonged siege. This lack of food, exacerbated by the sabbatical year, was the primary reason for their willingness to negotiate peace.
Why Lysias agreed: It is likely that Lysias agreed to the truce because he knew they were starving, and the city was close to falling regardless. He may also have faced pressure from other fronts or recognized the difficulty of maintaining a siege during a time of widespread famine and unrest.
In Summary:
The verse describes the end of the siege of Bethsura. Lysias, the Seleucid general, made peace with the defenders of Bethsura and withdrew his forces. The primary reason for this peace was the lack of food within the city, which was made worse by the fact that it was a Sabbatical year, during which agricultural activity was severely restricted. This combination of circumstances made the defense of Bethsura unsustainable.
This verse from 1 Maccabees 6:49 refers to a specific event during the Maccabean Revolt, a Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire. Let's break down the meaning:
"And he made peace with them of Bethsura": This indicates that the Seleucid general (likely Lysias, regent for the young King Antiochus V) reached an agreement, a truce, or a peace treaty with the inhabitants of Bethsura. Bethsura was a strategically important fortified city in Judea.
"and he came out of the city": This probably refers to Lysias withdrawing his forces from the siege of Bethsura and departing from the city's vicinity.
"because they had no food there to endure the siege": This explains one of the reasons for the peace agreement. The people of Bethsura were running out of food. The siege had been long enough that their supplies were dwindling to a point where they could no longer withstand the blockade. They were likely facing starvation.
"because it was a Sabbath to the land": This is the crucial and perhaps most debated part of the verse. It refers to the sabbatical year, a year of rest for the land mandated in the Torah (Leviticus 25). During the Sabbatical year, fields were not to be sown, and vineyards were not to be pruned. This would severely limit the food supply.
Implication: The verse implies that it was the Sabbatical year, which meant that the inhabitants of Bethsura (and likely the surrounding region) had not been planting crops, making it very difficult to sustain themselves during a prolonged siege. This lack of food, exacerbated by the sabbatical year, was the primary reason for their willingness to negotiate peace.
Why Lysias agreed: It is likely that Lysias agreed to the truce because he knew they were starving, and the city was close to falling regardless. He may also have faced pressure from other fronts or recognized the difficulty of maintaining a siege during a time of widespread famine and unrest.
In Summary:
The verse describes the end of the siege of Bethsura. Lysias, the Seleucid general, made peace with the defenders of Bethsura and withdrew his forces. The primary reason for this peace was the lack of food within the city, which was made worse by the fact that it was a Sabbatical year, during which agricultural activity was severely restricted. This combination of circumstances made the defense of Bethsura unsustainable.