Judith’s prayer, to beg of God to fortify her in her undertaking.
Iudith in hearecloth & ashes prayeth for the deliuerie of the people, remembering like benefites of God. 12. craueth powre to ouerthrow Holofernes.
1And when they were gone, Judith went into her oratory: and putting on haircloth, laid ashes on her head: and falling down prostrate before the Lord, she cried to the Lord, saying:Partiti quelli, entrò Giuditta nel suo oratorio, e vestita di cilicio sparse di cenere la sua testa, e prostratasi dinanzi al Signore, a lui alzava sue voci dicendo:VVHO going away, Iudith went into her oratorie: and clothing her self with hearecloth, put ashes vpon her head: and falling prostrate to our Lord, she cried to our Lord, saying:Quibus ascendentibus, Judith ingressa est oratorium suum: et induens se cilicio, posuit cinerem super caput suum: et prosternens se Domino, clamabat ad Dominum, dicens: 2Lord God of my father Simeon, who gavest him a sword to execute vengeance against strangers, who had defiled by their uncleanness, and uncovered the virgin unto confusion:Signore Dio del padre mio Simeon, il quale gli mettesti in mano la spada per punire quegli stranieri, i quali per infame passione violarono, e maltrattano una vergine facendole vergogna:Lord God of may father Simeon, who gauest him a sword for defenee against strangers, which were rauishers in their coinquination, and discouered the virgine vnto confusion:Domine Deus patris mei Simeon, qui dedisti illi gladium in defensionem alienigenarum, qui violatores extiterunt in coinquinatione sua, et denudaverunt femur virginis in confusionem: 3And who gavest their wives to be made a prey, and their daughters into captivity: and all their spoils to be divided to the servants, who were zealous with thy zeal: assist, I beseech thee, O Lord God, me a widow.Onde le loro donne divenner preda, e le figliuole loro divennero ancelle, e tutte le loro sostanze furono acquisto de' servi tuoi, che arsero di zelo dell'onor tuo; dà (ti prego) aiuto a me vedova, o Signore Dio mio.and gauest their wemen into praye, and their daughters into captiuitie: and al the praye to be diuided to thy seruantes, which were zelous in thy zele: helpe I bebesech thee ō lord God me a widow.et dedisti mulieres illorum in prædam, et filias illorum in captivitatem: et omnem prædam in divisionem servis tuis, qui zelaverunt zelum tuum: subveni, quæso te, Domine Deus meus, mihi viduæ. 4For thou hast done the things of old, and hast devised one thing after another: and what thou hast designed hath been done.Perchè da te quelle cose furon fatte in antico, e altre ne ideasti dopo di quelle; e quello fu che tu volesti.For thou hast done the thinges heretofore, and hast purposed one thing after an other: and that hath bene done which thou wouldest.Tu enim fecisti priora, et illa post illa cogitasti: et hoc factum est quod ipse voluisti.
5For all thy ways are prepared, and in thy providence thou hast placed thy judgments.Imperocchè tutte a te sono aperte le vie, e i tuoi giudizj gli hai fondati nella tua providenza.For al thy wayes are readie, and thy iudgementes thou hast put in thy prouidence.Omnes enim viæ tuæ paratæ sunt, et tua judicia in tua providentia posuisti. 6Look upon the camp of the Assyrians now, as thou wast pleased to look upon the camp of the Egyptians, when they pursued armed after thy servants, trusting in their chariots, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of warriors.Volgi adesso lo sguardo sopra gli alloggiamenti degli Assiri, come una volta ti degnasti di volgerlo sopra gli alloggiamenti degli Egiziani, allorchè armati correvano dietro a tuoi servi confidati nei loro cocchi, e ne lor cavalieri, e nella moltitudine de' combattenti.Looke vpon the campe of the Assyrians now, as thou didst voutsafe to see the campe of the Aegyptians, when they ran armed after thy seruantes, trusting in chariotes, and in their horsemen, and in a multitude of men of warre.Respice castra Assyriorum nunc, sicut tunc castra Ægyptiorum videre dignatus es, quando post servos tuos armati currebant, confidentes in quadrigis, et in equitatu suo, et in multitudine bellatorum. 7But thou lookedst over their camp, and darkness wearied them.Ma tu gettasti lo sguardo sopra i loro alloggiamenti, e furono involti nelle tenebre.But thou didst looke ouer their campe. and darke. nesse wearied them.Sed aspexisti super castra eorum, et tenebræ fatigaverunt eos. 8The deep held their feet, and the waters overwhelmed them.L'abisso arrestò i loro passi, e le acque li ricopersero.The depth held their feete, and the waters ouerwhelmed them.Tenuit pedes eorum abyssus, et aquæ operuerunt eos. 9So may it be with these also, O Lord, who trust in their multitude, and in their chariots, and in their pikes, and in their shields, and in their arrows, and glory in their spears,Lo stesso sia di costoro, o Signore, i quali confidano nella lor moltitudine, e de' loro cocchi, e delle lance, e degli scudi, e delle frecce, e delle aste si gloriano.So let these also be made ô Lord, which trust in their multitude, and in their chariotes, and in pikes, and in shieldes, and in their arrowes, and glorie in their speares,Sic fiant et isti, Domine, qui confidunt in multitudine sua, et in curribus suis, et in contis, et in scutis, et in sagittis suis, et in lanceis gloriantur, 10And know not that thou art our God, who destroyest wars from the beginning, and the Lord is thy name.Ed essi non hanno, come Dio nostro se tu, il quale fin ab antico struggi gli eserciti, e ti nomi il Signore.and know not thy self art our God, which destroyest warres from the beginning, and Lord is thy name.et nesciunt quia tu ipse es Deus noster, qui conteris bella ab initio, et Dominus nomen est tibi.
11Lift up thy arm as from the beginning, and crush their power with thy power: let their power fall in their wrath, who promise themselves to violate thy sanctuary, and defile the dwelling place of thy name, and to beat down with their sword the horn of thy altar.Alza il tuo braccio, come già altre volte, e colla tua virtù conquidi la loro possanza vada a terra ai colpi dell'ira tua il poter di costoro; i quali si promettono di violare il tuo Santuario, di contaminare il tabernacolo, che porta il tuo nome, e di recidere colla spada il corno del tuo altare.Lift vp thyne arme as from the beginning, and dash their power in thy power: let their power fal in thy wrath, which promise that they wil violate thy holie thinges, and pollute the tabernacle of thy holie name, & with their sword throw downe the horne of thyne altar.Erige brachium tuum sicut ab initio, et allide virtutem illorum in virtute tua: cadat virtus eorum in iracundia tua, qui promittunt se violare sancta tua, et polluere tabernaculum nominis tui, et dejicere gladio suo cornu altaris tui. 12Bring to pass, O Lord, that his pride may be cut off with his own sword.Fa, Signore, che la sua propria spada serva a troncare la sua superbia:Bring to passe Lord, that his pride be cut of with his owne sword,Fac, Domine, ut gladio proprio ejus superbia amputetur: 13Let him be caught in the net of his own eyes in my regard, and do thou strike him by the graces of the words of my lips.I suoi occhi sieno il laccio, al quale egli sia preso da me, e tu lo percuoterai colle affettuose parole della mia bocca.let him be caught with the snares of his eies in me, and thou shalt strike him from the lippes of my charitie.capiatur laqueo oculorum suorum in me, et percuties eum ex labiis caritatis meæ. 14Give me constancy in my mind, that I may despise him: and fortitude that I may overthrow him.Dà al mio spirito fermezza per disprezzarlo, e virtù per abbatterlo.Geue me constancie in mind, that I may contemne him: and powre that I may ouerthrow him.Da mihi in animo constantiam ut contemnam illum, et virtutem, ut evertam illum. 15For this will be a glorious monument for thy name, when he shall fall by the hand of a woman.Imperocchè monumento al tuo nome sarà, che lo abbia steso al suolo la mano di una donna.For this shal be a memorial of thy name, when the hand of a woman shal ouerthrow him.Erit enim hoc memoriale nominis tui, cum manus feminæ dejecerit eum. 16For thy power, O Lord, is not in a multitude, nor is thy pleasure in the strength of horses, nor from the beginning have the proud been acceptable to thee: but the prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased thee.Imperocchè non sta il tuo potere nelle molte schiere, nè ti ti compiaci nelle forze dei cavalieri: e ab antico dispiacquero a te i superbi, ma gradisti mai sempre l'orazione degli umili, e de' mansueti.For not in multitude is thy power ô Lord, neither in strength of horses is thy wil, neither haue the proud pleased thee from the beginninge: but the prayer of the humble and meeke hath alwayes pleased thee.Non enim in multitudine est virtus tua, Domine, neque in equorum viribus voluntas tua est, nec superbi ab initio placuerunt tibi: sed humilium et mansuetorum semper tibi placuit deprecatio.
17O God of the heavens, creator of the waters, and Lord of the whole creation, hear me a poor wretch, making supplication to thee, and presuming of thy mercy.Dio de'cieli, creatore delle acque, e Signore di tutte le creature, esaudisci me miserabile, che a te ricorro, e tutto spero dalla tua misericordia.God of the heauens, creatour of the waters, and Lord of euerie creature, heare me wretch, praying and presuming of thy mercie.Deus cælorum, creator aquarum, et Dominus totius creaturæ, exaudi me miseram deprecantem, et de tua misericordia præsumentem. 18Remember, O Lord, thy covenant, and put thou words in my mouth, and strengthen the resolution in my heart, that thy house may continue in thy holiness:Ricordati, Signore, della tua alleanza, metti in bocca a me le parole, e fortifica il mio cuore in questa impresa, affinchè la tua casa resti sempre santificata al tuo culto.Remember Lord thy testament, and geue a word in my mouth, and strengthen counsel in my hart, that thy house may continew in thy sanctification:Memento, Domine, testamenti tui, et da verbum in ore meo, et in corde meo consilium corrobora, ut domus tua in sanctificatione tua permaneat: 19And all nations may acknowledge that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.E le genti tutte conoscano, come Dio se tu, e altro non havvenne fuori di te.and al Nations may acknowledge, that thou art God, and there is no other besides thee.et omnes gentes agnoscant quia tu es Deus, et non est alius præter te.
9:1
9:2
Challoner
Gavest him a sword, etc. The justice of God is here praised, in punishing by the sword of Simeon the crime of the Sichemites: and not the fact of Simeon, which was justly condemned by his father, Genesis 49:5. Though even with regard to this fact, we may distinguish between his zeal against the crime committed by the ravishers of his sister, which zeal may be considered just: and the manner of his punishing that crime, which was irregular and excessive. (Challoner)
Menochius
The former is here commended. (Worthington) (Menochius)
Yet Simeon was not blameless. God put the sword into his hand as he makes use of tyrants; in which sense Nabuchodonosor is styled his servant, Jeremias 25:9., Ezechiel 29:18., and Genesis 34:2, 25.
9:3
Haydock
And. Greek, "For thou didst say: It shall not be so: and they did it because thou hadst given their princes unto slaughter, and their bed, which had perceived their deceit, unto blood; and thou didst slay the slaves with the princes, and the princes on their thrones; and thou gavest," etc. (Haydock)
9:4
Haydock
Of old. Greek, "before these, and these, and what followed, and is at present, and things to come, thou hast foreseen." All events depend on Thee. "For the things which thou hadst decreed were at hand, and said: Behold, we are here." (Haydock)
9:5
Calmet
Judgments. All is foreseen: nothing can resist the decrees of God. (Calmet)
9:6
Haydock
As. Greek speaks not of the Egyptians: "For behold the Assyrians are multiplied in their power, and exalted on account of their cavalry; they have boasted on the strong arm of the infantry, have trusted in their shield, and bow, and sling; and they have not known that thou art the Lord, making an end of wars: Thy name is Lord; break their force, by thy power," etc., ver. 11. (Haydock)
9:7
Them, as they were not able to come to action during the night, Exodus xiv.
9:13
Menochius
Lips, or with my endearing speeches. (Menochius)
Worthington
She meant innocently to engage the affections of Holofernes, (Haydock) and prays that he may receive her in that manner, as he might have done without sin. But when he abused his free-will, God turned his sin to the good of others. See Exodus vii. (St. Augustine, ser. 288.) (Worthington)
Haydock
Greek, "Give that power which I have devised to the hand of me, a widow. Strike the slave by the lips of my delusion, (or by my ensnaring words) with the prince; and the chief, with his minister, break their haughtiness by the hand of a female, ver. 15. (Haydock)
Calmet
This prayer seems contrary to sound morality, as well as the indiscreet conduct of Judith, in exposing herself to danger, though her intention was good. (Calmet)
Haydock
But are not stratagems lawful in war? See 2 Kings xv. Is it sinful for a woman to endeavour to captivate the heart? The situation might be dangerous, but it was not criminal; and Judith was certainly determined to yield to no dishonest proposals. God therefore approved of her designs, and enhanced her beauty, Judith 10:4. (Haydock)
9:16
Horses. Greek, "the potent, but thou art the Lord of the humble."
9:17
9:2
Gavest him a sword, etc.... The justice of God is here praised, in punishing by the sword of Simeon the crime of the Sichemites: and not the act of Simeon, which was justly condemned by his father, Gen. 49.5. Though even with regard to this act, we may distinguish between his zeal against the crime committed by the ravishers of his sister, which zeal may be considered just: and the manner of his punishing that crime, which was irregular and excessive.
9:1
Of such priuate oratories as this our Sauiour semeth to speake Mat. 6. saying: F•ter into thy chamber &c. Of like oratories among Christians read Card Baronius An. D 293. S. Cyp. ep. 56.
9:3
The zele of Simeon and Leui was commendable, but for diuers' euil circumstances the fact was re proued by Iacob. Gen. 34. & 49.
9:6
Concordance Ixo. 14.
9:13
She prayed, that Holofernes should be moued with her beautie, & swete speach: which he might be and not sinne, but he by his free wil sinning God turned his sinne to the good of others. See Annot. Exod. 7. pag. 173. S. Aug. Ser. 228.
9:2
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.16
… He, then, who infers from the saying, “The life was the light of men,” that the light is for no other than for men, ought also to conclude that the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob is the God of no one else but these three patriarchs. But He is also the God of Elijah, and, as Judith says,
9:5
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 8
… So as Judith says, “Thou hast thought, and what things thou didst determine were ready at hand.”
9:1
1. WHEN THESE HAD DEPARTED (correct with the Romans and Greeks: when they had departed), JUDITH ENTERED INTO HER ORATORY; AND PUTTING ON SACKCLOTH. — The Greeks ἐρρωμένως, which the interpreter of the Complutensian and Royal editions renders: "She put off the sackcloth in which she was clothed," that is, the sackcloth. But this contradicts the Latin Vulgate version word for word. Therefore translate thus with Vatablus: "She stripped off the sackcloth in which she was clothed," that is, laying aside the outer garments, remaining clothed only in sackcloth, and displaying it bare: he calls sackcloth the cilice. She stripped off therefore before God the inner cilice, showing it to God as a sign of the penitent and penitence, and of suppliant entreaty. With cilice and ashes therefore she adorned, nay armed her supplication, of which matter I shall give the symbolic reason at verse 14. PROSTRATING HERSELF TO THE LORD. — The Greek texts add that this was done in the evening, when incense was being burned to God in the Temple at Jerusalem, to signify that the public sacrifice in the temple, which was continually offered in the evening, had cooperated with these prayers of Judith, and that Judith had joined her prayers to it, so that she might turn aside the public calamity by public supplication, and that the power of the sacrifice might be demonstrated, namely that it had prepared this victory for Judith. 2. O LORD GOD OF MY FATHER SIMEON (hence it is clear that Judith was of the tribe of Simeon), WHO GAVEST TO HIM A SWORD, — that is, strength) IN DEFENSE (in Greek ἐκδίκησιν, that is, vengeance) (OF STRANGERS WHO WERE VIOLATORS — of his sister Dinah. Note: God gave strength to Simeon to avenge the rape of Dinah, but not to be carried out in the manner in which they themselves used it. For although they acted from zeal, as follows; nevertheless this zeal was against the covenant made with the Shechemites, and exposed Jacob and all his to danger, lest all be slain by the neighbors; whence Jacob rebuked them. Yet God permitted Shechem the ravisher, and his subjects the Shechemites to be slain by Simeon, and their goods to be plundered as punishment for the rape committed by Shechem their prince. Thus Lyra. See what is said at Genesis XXXIV. Thus God gave houses to the midwives who lied, not on account of the lie, but on account of the affection and benefit expended toward the Hebrew infants, whom they preserved from death, at Exodus I. Judith therefore praises the zeal of Simeon in avenging the rape of Dinah, but does not praise the manner of avenging, namely that he slew the Shechemites by deceit on his own authority.
9:4
9:9
9. AND IN SPEARS. — Spears are lances, and long shafts, javelins, etc.
9:11
11. THE HORN OF THY ALTAR. — Truly the altar had horns, but by them was signified the majesty, strength and glory of the altar and of the sacrifices offered upon it.
9:13
13. AND THOU SHALT STRIKE HIM FROM THE LIPS OF MY CHARITY, — that is, thou shalt strike Holofernes with my elegant words of "charity," that is, with illicit loves; for charity here is understood not as divine, but as human, by catachresis; of love, I say, chaste love, by which he can love and seek me as a spouse. For although Judith did not wish Holofernes as a husband, she could nevertheless licitly entice him to a chaste and conjugal love of herself, so that thus she might have the occasion to kill him craftily while off his guard. For even if Holofernes were to be carried away into his base and fornicating love, Judith did not intend this, but merely permitted it to conceal her deed, by which she intended to strike him down, which she could not accomplish by any other means. She intended therefore to allure Holofernes by her appearance to an honest and conjugal love, so that thus she might kill him while he loved her and was off his guard (1). For this deed of Judith, to whom God worked singularly in killing Holofernes and liberating Judea, is rather to be excused and ascribed to charity toward her country and to God's peculiar instinct, than to be accused of lust or scandal, as Holy Scripture, the Fathers, and the Interpreters excuse it, and especially St. Ambrose in the book On Widows.
9:14
14. GIVE ME IN MY MIND CONSTANCY. — Note: Every virtue, but especially constancy, must be sought from God, then especially by the weak and feeble, such as women, children, the elderly, the sick, when they undertake something heroic surpassing the strength of nature, such as was this work of Judith, and this both because man, made from sin, is wholly fragile and inconstant, and because God says: "I am who am," that is, constant by essence, the source and author of all being. But observe that Judith seeks this clothed in sackcloth and sprinkled with ashes and prostrate on the ground, verse 1; because prayer, in order to obtain constancy, must be armed with penance, labor, and mortification of the flesh; for he who is soft and indulges in the delights of the flesh cannot be strong and constant. Ashes are a sign of death, because the memory of death greatly excites constancy, and the brevity of life and the labor and pain to be endured in it. Finally, prostration is a sign of humility, by which one, acknowledging his own fragility, implores God's help, and from Him obtains constancy.
9:16
16. FOR THY STRENGTH IS NOT IN MULTITUDE, — so that thou mayest gain victory through many and strong soldiers, but thou shalt accomplish the whole matter through a single weak and unwarlike woman. Thus Artabanus said to Xerxes exulting in his so many forces: "A vast army is routed by a small one; how often does God strike fear or thunder upon those whom He detests." As Heliodorus relates, book VII. PRESUMING, — that is, very confident. See the sayings at chapter VI, verse 15.
9:18
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.