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Polyglot Bible: 2 Macabees: 2 Macabees 15

Book of ActsGreek New TestamentPolyglot Bible

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This is the concluding chapter (chapter 15) of 2 Maccabees, a deuterocanonical Jewish historical text presented here in parallel English (King James Version) and Greek (Septuagint) columns. The chapter narrates the final confrontation between the Seleucid general Nicanor and Judas Maccabaeus: Nicanor attempts a Sabbath attack, blaspheming the God of Israel, while Judas rallies his troops through scripture, past victories, and a vision in which the deceased high priest Onias and the prophet Jeremiah appear to deliver a golden sword as a divine gift. The battle ends in decisive Jewish victory — 35,000 enemy soldiers killed — and Nicanor's severed head and hand are displayed at Jerusalem's temple as proof of divine deliverance. The chapter's distinctive claim is that heavenly intercession (angelic aid, prophetic apparitions, answered prayer) is the true cause of military victory, not weapons or numbers. It closes with an authorial epilogue uniquely candid about literary craft, comparing a well-composed history to wine mixed with water — pleasant and fitting — and acknowledging the work's limitations. The day of Nicanor's defeat is formally decreed an annual commemoration (the 13th of Adar), linking it to the Purim calendar.

Polyglot Bible: 2 Macabees: 2 Macabees 15

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