3 maccabees 4:14 - The whole nation was now to be registered. Every individual was to be specified by name; not for that hard servitude of labor which we have a little before mentioned, but that he might expose them to the before-mentioned tortures; and finally, in the short space of a day, might extirpate them by his cruelties.
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What does "3 maccabees 4:14" mean?
This verse from 3 Maccabees 4:14 describes a plot by King Ptolemy IV Philopater to register all the Jews in his kingdom for a sinister purpose. Let's break down the meaning:
"The whole nation was now to be registered. Every individual was to be specified by name..." - This means a complete census was ordered, meticulously recording each Jewish person.
"...not for that hard servitude of labor which we have a little before mentioned..." - This refers back to an earlier part of the text where the Jews might have been subject to forced labor. The author is emphasizing that the new registration isn't about assigning work.
"...but that he might expose them to the before-mentioned tortures; and finally, in the short space of a day, might extirpate them by his cruelties." - This is the crux of the verse. The registration is a prelude to a mass extermination. The purpose is to identify all Jews so that Ptolemy IV can subject them to torture and then wipe them out in a single, brutal act. The 'before-mentioned tortures' likely alludes to common forms of persecution and execution prevalent at the time.
In essence, the verse paints a picture of a ruler planning a genocide, using a census as a tool to identify and ultimately destroy an entire population. It highlights the vulnerability of a minority group facing the arbitrary power of a tyrannical leader.
3 maccabees 4:14 - The whole nation was now to be registered. Every individual was to be specified by name; not for that hard servitude of labor which we have a little before mentioned, but that he might expose them to the before-mentioned tortures; and finally, in the short space of a day, might extirpate them by his cruelties.
What does "3 maccabees 4:14" mean?
This verse from 3 Maccabees 4:14 describes a plot by King Ptolemy IV Philopater to register all the Jews in his kingdom for a sinister purpose. Let's break down the meaning:
"The whole nation was now to be registered. Every individual was to be specified by name..." - This means a complete census was ordered, meticulously recording each Jewish person.
"...not for that hard servitude of labor which we have a little before mentioned..." - This refers back to an earlier part of the text where the Jews might have been subject to forced labor. The author is emphasizing that the new registration isn't about assigning work.
"...but that he might expose them to the before-mentioned tortures; and finally, in the short space of a day, might extirpate them by his cruelties." - This is the crux of the verse. The registration is a prelude to a mass extermination. The purpose is to identify all Jews so that Ptolemy IV can subject them to torture and then wipe them out in a single, brutal act. The 'before-mentioned tortures' likely alludes to common forms of persecution and execution prevalent at the time.
In essence, the verse paints a picture of a ruler planning a genocide, using a census as a tool to identify and ultimately destroy an entire population. It highlights the vulnerability of a minority group facing the arbitrary power of a tyrannical leader.