2 maccabees 5:20 - Wherefore also the place itself, having partaken in the calamities that befell the nation, did afterward share in its benefits; and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory.
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What does "2 maccabees 5:20" mean?
This verse from 2 Maccabees 5:20 is speaking allegorically about the Temple in Jerusalem and, more broadly, the land of Judea. Let's break down the meaning:
"Wherefore also the place itself, having partaken in the calamities that befell the nation..." This refers to the Temple and Jerusalem suffering alongside the Jewish people. The "calamities" are the events described in the surrounding chapters of 2 Maccabees, specifically the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, including the slaughter of people in the city and the defilement of holy places. The "place" (Jerusalem) shared in the suffering of the nation.
"...did afterward share in its benefits..." This refers to the eventual restoration of the Temple and the land. It looks forward to a time when the Jewish people will be restored to favor with God and experience prosperity and peace again.
"and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty..." God, in his anger over the sins of the Jewish people and the desecration of the Temple, seemingly abandoned Jerusalem, allowing it to fall into the hands of their enemies.
"...was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory." "The great Sovereign" is God. "Reconciliation" means that the relationship between God and the Jewish people would be restored. Once God's favor was regained, the Temple and Jerusalem would be rebuilt and re-established, even surpassing its former glory (though the text doesn't necessarily imply it would be greater than the glory of Solomon's Temple, but rather that it would be a glorious restoration).
In essence, the verse is a theological statement about:
Divine retribution: God punishes sin and idolatry.
Divine mercy: God is willing to forgive and restore those who repent.
The interconnectedness of the land and the people: The fate of Jerusalem and the Temple is tied to the spiritual condition of the Jewish people. When they are righteous, the land prospers; when they are sinful, the land suffers.
Hope for the future: Even in times of great suffering, there is hope for restoration and redemption through God's grace.
The verse serves as a reassurance to the Jewish people facing persecution, emphasizing that their suffering is not permanent and that God will ultimately restore them and their sacred place if they remain faithful. It reinforces the narrative arc of 2 Maccabees, which is about the struggle for religious freedom and the ultimate triumph of faith over oppression.
2 maccabees 5:20 - Wherefore also the place itself, having partaken in the calamities that befell the nation, did afterward share in its benefits; and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory.
What does "2 maccabees 5:20" mean?
This verse from 2 Maccabees 5:20 is speaking allegorically about the Temple in Jerusalem and, more broadly, the land of Judea. Let's break down the meaning:
"Wherefore also the place itself, having partaken in the calamities that befell the nation..." This refers to the Temple and Jerusalem suffering alongside the Jewish people. The "calamities" are the events described in the surrounding chapters of 2 Maccabees, specifically the desecration of the Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, including the slaughter of people in the city and the defilement of holy places. The "place" (Jerusalem) shared in the suffering of the nation.
"...did afterward share in its benefits..." This refers to the eventual restoration of the Temple and the land. It looks forward to a time when the Jewish people will be restored to favor with God and experience prosperity and peace again.
"and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty..." God, in his anger over the sins of the Jewish people and the desecration of the Temple, seemingly abandoned Jerusalem, allowing it to fall into the hands of their enemies.
"...was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory." "The great Sovereign" is God. "Reconciliation" means that the relationship between God and the Jewish people would be restored. Once God's favor was regained, the Temple and Jerusalem would be rebuilt and re-established, even surpassing its former glory (though the text doesn't necessarily imply it would be greater than the glory of Solomon's Temple, but rather that it would be a glorious restoration).
In essence, the verse is a theological statement about:
Divine retribution: God punishes sin and idolatry.
Divine mercy: God is willing to forgive and restore those who repent.
The interconnectedness of the land and the people: The fate of Jerusalem and the Temple is tied to the spiritual condition of the Jewish people. When they are righteous, the land prospers; when they are sinful, the land suffers.
Hope for the future: Even in times of great suffering, there is hope for restoration and redemption through God's grace.
The verse serves as a reassurance to the Jewish people facing persecution, emphasizing that their suffering is not permanent and that God will ultimately restore them and their sacred place if they remain faithful. It reinforces the narrative arc of 2 Maccabees, which is about the struggle for religious freedom and the ultimate triumph of faith over oppression.