Judith 8:18 essentially means that in the time of Judith and her contemporaries, no one among them (whether from their tribe, family, city, or any other group) worshiped idols in the way that people did in the past.
Here's a breakdown:
"For there arose none in our age...": This establishes the time frame – the present day for Judith and her audience.
"...neither is there any of us today, tribe, or kindred, or family, or city...": This emphasizes the wide scope of the statement. It's not just one person or one family, but the entire community, encompassing all levels of social organization.
"...which worship gods made with hands...": This refers to the practice of idolatry, where people create and venerate idols as gods.
"...as it was in the former days;": This contrasts the present with the past, indicating that idolatry was a more common practice in previous generations.
In short, the verse is a declaration of the people's current faithfulness to the one true God, and a contrast to the perceived idolatrous practices of the past. It reflects a time of religious purity (or at least a claim of it) among the speaker's community. It's likely used to emphasize the righteousness of the people and perhaps contrast them with the perceived wickedness of their enemies.
Judith 8:18 essentially means that in the time of Judith and her contemporaries, no one among them (whether from their tribe, family, city, or any other group) worshiped idols in the way that people did in the past.
Here's a breakdown:
"For there arose none in our age...": This establishes the time frame – the present day for Judith and her audience.
"...neither is there any of us today, tribe, or kindred, or family, or city...": This emphasizes the wide scope of the statement. It's not just one person or one family, but the entire community, encompassing all levels of social organization.
"...which worship gods made with hands...": This refers to the practice of idolatry, where people create and venerate idols as gods.
"...as it was in the former days;": This contrasts the present with the past, indicating that idolatry was a more common practice in previous generations.
In short, the verse is a declaration of the people's current faithfulness to the one true God, and a contrast to the perceived idolatrous practices of the past. It reflects a time of religious purity (or at least a claim of it) among the speaker's community. It's likely used to emphasize the righteousness of the people and perhaps contrast them with the perceived wickedness of their enemies.
