2 Maccabees 8:21-23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
21 (A)With these words he encouraged them and made them ready to die for their laws and their country.
Then Judas divided his army into four, 22 placing his brothers, Simon, Joseph,[a] and Jonathan, each over a division, assigning them fifteen hundred men apiece.(B) 23 There was also Eleazar.[b] After reading to them from the holy book and giving them the watchword, “The help of God,” Judas himself took charge of the first division and joined in battle with Nicanor.(C)
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- 8:22 Joseph: called John in 1 Mc 2:2; 9:36, 38. This paragraph interrupts the story of Nicanor’s defeat, which is resumed in v. 34. The purpose of the author apparently is to group together the defeats suffered by the Syrians on various occasions. Battles against Timothy are recounted in 1 Mc 5:37–44 and 2 Mc 12:10–25; against Bacchides, in 1 Mc 7:8–20.
- 8:23 Eleazar: this parenthetical reference notes the existence of a fifth brother; cf. 1 Mc 2:5.
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