2 maccabees 5:24 - he sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand, commanding him to kill all those that were of full age, and to sell the women and the younger men.
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "2 maccabees 5:24" mean?
This verse from 2 Maccabees 5:24 describes a brutal act of aggression by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes against Jerusalem. Let's break down what it means:
"He sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius...": This refers to Antiochus IV sending Apollonius, a military leader, to Jerusalem. The phrase "lord of pollutions" is a strong condemnation of Apollonius, likely because he was acting against the Jewish people and their religion, which the author of 2 Maccabees considered a defilement. The word "pollution" in this context means a violation of religious purity, a desecration.
"...with an army of two and twenty thousand...": Apollonius was sent with a large army of 22,000 soldiers, indicating the scale of the planned attack and the power imbalance.
"...commanding him to kill all those that were of full age...": This is the core of the brutality. Apollonius was ordered to massacre all adult men, which would eliminate the leadership and potential resistance within Jerusalem. "Full age" likely refers to adult males capable of fighting or holding authority.
"...and to sell the women and the younger men.": The surviving women and younger men were to be sold into slavery. This served a double purpose: to profit from the conquest and to further demoralize and weaken the Jewish population by uprooting them from their land and culture.
In essence, the verse describes:
A deliberate and violent attack on Jerusalem by the Seleucid forces.
The targeted killing of adult men to eliminate resistance.
The enslavement of women and young men as a way to further oppress and exploit the population.
The author's strong condemnation of the actions as religiously defiling.
Historical Context:
This event is part of the larger historical context of the Maccabean Revolt. Antiochus IV Epiphanes sought to Hellenize (impose Greek culture) on Judea, which led to conflicts with devout Jewish people who resisted these changes. The events described in 2 Maccabees are key to understanding the tensions that led to the revolt led by the Maccabees. These actions led to a Jewish uprising against Seleucid rule.
2 maccabees 5:24 - he sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius with an army of two and twenty thousand, commanding him to kill all those that were of full age, and to sell the women and the younger men.
What does "2 maccabees 5:24" mean?
This verse from 2 Maccabees 5:24 describes a brutal act of aggression by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes against Jerusalem. Let's break down what it means:
"He sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius...": This refers to Antiochus IV sending Apollonius, a military leader, to Jerusalem. The phrase "lord of pollutions" is a strong condemnation of Apollonius, likely because he was acting against the Jewish people and their religion, which the author of 2 Maccabees considered a defilement. The word "pollution" in this context means a violation of religious purity, a desecration.
"...with an army of two and twenty thousand...": Apollonius was sent with a large army of 22,000 soldiers, indicating the scale of the planned attack and the power imbalance.
"...commanding him to kill all those that were of full age...": This is the core of the brutality. Apollonius was ordered to massacre all adult men, which would eliminate the leadership and potential resistance within Jerusalem. "Full age" likely refers to adult males capable of fighting or holding authority.
"...and to sell the women and the younger men.": The surviving women and younger men were to be sold into slavery. This served a double purpose: to profit from the conquest and to further demoralize and weaken the Jewish population by uprooting them from their land and culture.
In essence, the verse describes:
A deliberate and violent attack on Jerusalem by the Seleucid forces.
The targeted killing of adult men to eliminate resistance.
The enslavement of women and young men as a way to further oppress and exploit the population.
The author's strong condemnation of the actions as religiously defiling.
Historical Context:
This event is part of the larger historical context of the Maccabean Revolt. Antiochus IV Epiphanes sought to Hellenize (impose Greek culture) on Judea, which led to conflicts with devout Jewish people who resisted these changes. The events described in 2 Maccabees are key to understanding the tensions that led to the revolt led by the Maccabees. These actions led to a Jewish uprising against Seleucid rule.