2 maccabees 2:23 - these things, I say, which have been declared by Jason of Cyrene in five books, we will assay to abridge in one work.
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What does "2 maccabees 2:23" mean?
This verse is the author of 2 Maccabees telling the reader about their project and its source material. Let's break it down:
"These things, I say..." This is a way of introducing the material that will follow in 2 Maccabees.
"...which have been declared by Jason of Cyrene..." This identifies the source material for 2 Maccabees. Jason of Cyrene was a historian who had written about the same events (the persecution of the Jews under Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt).
"...in five books..." This indicates the scope of Jason of Cyrene's original work. It was quite extensive, filling five books.
"...we will assay to abridge in one work." This is the author of 2 Maccabees stating their intention. They are going to attempt to summarize or condense Jason of Cyrene's five-volume history into a single, shorter book (2 Maccabees itself). "Assay" here means to try or attempt. "Abridge" means to shorten or condense.
In essence, the verse means: "The events I'm about to tell you come from a longer work, originally written in five books by Jason of Cyrene. I'm going to try to give you the highlights of that history in a single, shorter book."
Significance:
Source Material: It provides valuable insight into the sources used to write 2 Maccabees. It confirms that 2 Maccabees isn't a completely original work, but rather a summary or adaptation of a pre-existing historical account.
Historical Context: It highlights that the events were already well-known and documented by other historians of the time, lending credence to their historical reality.
Authorial Intention: It explains the author's purpose in writing 2 Maccabees: to provide a more concise and accessible account of the events for the reader.
It's important to note that Jason of Cyrene's original five-volume work has been lost to history. 2 Maccabees is therefore a very important, though incomplete, source of information about the events of the Maccabean period.
2 maccabees 2:23 - these things, I say, which have been declared by Jason of Cyrene in five books, we will assay to abridge in one work.
What does "2 maccabees 2:23" mean?
This verse is the author of 2 Maccabees telling the reader about their project and its source material. Let's break it down:
"These things, I say..." This is a way of introducing the material that will follow in 2 Maccabees.
"...which have been declared by Jason of Cyrene..." This identifies the source material for 2 Maccabees. Jason of Cyrene was a historian who had written about the same events (the persecution of the Jews under Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the Maccabean Revolt).
"...in five books..." This indicates the scope of Jason of Cyrene's original work. It was quite extensive, filling five books.
"...we will assay to abridge in one work." This is the author of 2 Maccabees stating their intention. They are going to attempt to summarize or condense Jason of Cyrene's five-volume history into a single, shorter book (2 Maccabees itself). "Assay" here means to try or attempt. "Abridge" means to shorten or condense.
In essence, the verse means: "The events I'm about to tell you come from a longer work, originally written in five books by Jason of Cyrene. I'm going to try to give you the highlights of that history in a single, shorter book."
Significance:
Source Material: It provides valuable insight into the sources used to write 2 Maccabees. It confirms that 2 Maccabees isn't a completely original work, but rather a summary or adaptation of a pre-existing historical account.
Historical Context: It highlights that the events were already well-known and documented by other historians of the time, lending credence to their historical reality.
Authorial Intention: It explains the author's purpose in writing 2 Maccabees: to provide a more concise and accessible account of the events for the reader.
It's important to note that Jason of Cyrene's original five-volume work has been lost to history. 2 Maccabees is therefore a very important, though incomplete, source of information about the events of the Maccabean period.