The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 03
1 The argument is exceedingly ridiculous, for
reasoning doesn’t appear to rule
over its own affections, but over those of
the body,
2 in such a way as that any one of you
may not be able to root out desire, but
reasoning will enable you to avoid being
enslaved to it.
3 One may not be able to root out anger
from the soul, but it is possible to
withstand anger.
4 Any one of you may not be able to
eradicate malice, but reasoning has force
to work with you to prevent you yielding
to malice.
5 For reasoning is not an eradicator, but
an antagonist of the emotions.
6 This may be more clearly comprehended
from the thirst of King David.
7 For after David had been attacking the
Philistines the whole day, he with the
soldiers of his nation killed many of them;
8 then whenevening came, sweating and
very weary, he came to the royal tent,
around which the entire army of
our ancestors was encamped.
9 Now allthe rest ofthem were at supper;
10 but the king, being very much thirsty,
although he had numerous springs, could
not by their means quench his thirst;
11 but a certain irrational longing for the
water in the enemy’s camp grew stronger
and fiercer upon him, undid and consumed him.
12 Therefore his bodyguards being troubled at
this longing of the king, two valiant
young soldiers, respecting the desire ofthe
king, fully armed themselves, and taking
a pitcher, got over the ramparts of the enemies.
13 Unperceived by the guardians of the
gate, they went throughout the whole
camp of the enemy in quest.
14 Having boldly discovered the fountain,
they filled out of it the drink for the king.
15 But he, though parched with thirst,
reasoned that a drink regarded of equal
value to blood would be terribly
dangerous to his soul.
16 Therefore, setting up reasoning in opposition
to his desire, he poured out the
drink to God.
17 For the temperate mind has power to
conquer the pressure of the emotions, to
quench the fires of excitement,
18 and to wrestle down the pains of the
body, however excessive, and through the
excellency of reasoning, to spurn all the
assaults of the emotions.
19 But the occasion now invites us to
give an illustration oftemperate reasoning
from history.
20 For at a time when our fathers were in
possession of undisturbed peace through
obedience to the law and were prosperous,
so that Seleucus Nicanor, the king of Asia,
both assigned them money for divine service,
and accepted their form of government,
21 then certain people, bringing in new
things contrary to the public harmony, in
various ways fell into calamities.