4 maccabees 4:3 - Having good will to the king’s affairs, I am come to inform you that infinite private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem which do not belong to the temple, but pertain to king Seleucus.
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What does "4 maccabees 4:3" mean?
This verse, spoken by Apollonius in 4 Maccabees 4:3, reveals a key element of the conflict in the book. Let's break it down:
"Having good will to the king's affairs..." Apollonius is portraying himself as a loyal servant of King Seleucus. This is a manipulative tactic to gain the audience's trust and justify his actions.
"...I am come to inform you that infinite private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem..." The core message is that there's a vast amount of hidden wealth in Jerusalem. It suggests that the Jerusalem establishment is hiding something of great value.
"...which do not belong to the temple, but pertain to king Seleucus." This is the crucial assertion. Apollonius claims this wealth isn't religious property (belonging to the Temple), but is actually the property of King Seleucus. The implication is that this wealth rightfully belongs to the king and has been wrongly kept from him.
In essence, Apollonius is making a false accusation to justify plundering the Temple and Jerusalem. He's arguing that he's acting in the king's best interest by recovering stolen or concealed wealth. This sets the stage for the persecution and martyrdom stories that follow in 4 Maccabees, where Jewish individuals choose death rather than betraying their faith and handing over what they believe is not the king's to take.
4 maccabees 4:3 - Having good will to the king’s affairs, I am come to inform you that infinite private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem which do not belong to the temple, but pertain to king Seleucus.
What does "4 maccabees 4:3" mean?
This verse, spoken by Apollonius in 4 Maccabees 4:3, reveals a key element of the conflict in the book. Let's break it down:
"Having good will to the king's affairs..." Apollonius is portraying himself as a loyal servant of King Seleucus. This is a manipulative tactic to gain the audience's trust and justify his actions.
"...I am come to inform you that infinite private wealth is laid up in the treasuries of Jerusalem..." The core message is that there's a vast amount of hidden wealth in Jerusalem. It suggests that the Jerusalem establishment is hiding something of great value.
"...which do not belong to the temple, but pertain to king Seleucus." This is the crucial assertion. Apollonius claims this wealth isn't religious property (belonging to the Temple), but is actually the property of King Seleucus. The implication is that this wealth rightfully belongs to the king and has been wrongly kept from him.
In essence, Apollonius is making a false accusation to justify plundering the Temple and Jerusalem. He's arguing that he's acting in the king's best interest by recovering stolen or concealed wealth. This sets the stage for the persecution and martyrdom stories that follow in 4 Maccabees, where Jewish individuals choose death rather than betraying their faith and handing over what they believe is not the king's to take.