2 maccabees 4:28 - (for to him appertained the gathering of the revenues); for which cause they were both called by the king to his presence.

Generated Verse: 2 maccabees 4:28

What does "2 maccabees 4:28" mean?


This verse from 2 Maccabees 4:28 explains why Andronicus and Menelaus were summoned by the king (Antiochus IV Epiphanes). Let's break it down:

(for to him appertained the gathering of the revenues): This part tells us that Andronicus was in charge of collecting taxes or revenues. "Appertained" means belonged to or was the duty of. So, he was responsible for getting the money owed to the king.

(for which cause they were both called by the king to his presence): This means that because of Andronicus' role in collecting revenues (and likely because of some issue related to it), both Andronicus and Menelaus were summoned to appear before the king. The "cause" refers back to Andronicus' responsibility for gathering revenues.

In essence, the verse is saying:

Andronicus was responsible for collecting the king's taxes. Due to some problem or issue related to this revenue collection (which isn't specified in this particular verse but is hinted at in the surrounding context), both Andronicus and Menelaus were called before the king.

Context is Key:

To fully understand why they were summoned, you need to consider the surrounding verses and the overall narrative of 2 Maccabees. The book describes a period of conflict and corruption in Jerusalem. Menelaus had become High Priest through bribery and political maneuvering, and there were accusations of embezzlement and other wrongdoing. While the verse doesn't explicitly state what the problem with the revenue collection was, it is likely related to this corruption or to disputes over taxes. The summons suggests that King Antiochus IV was investigating some issue related to the collection of revenue.

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