The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 06
1 When Eleazar had in this manner answered
the exhortations of the tyrant, the
spearbearers cameup, andrudelydragged
Eleazar to the instruments of torture.
2 First, they stripped the old man,
adorned as he was with the beauty of piety.
3 Then tying back his arms and hands,
they disdainfully flogged him.
4 A herald opposite cried out, “Obey the
commands of the king!”
5 But the high-minded and truly noble
Eleazar, as one tortured in a dream,
ignored it.
6 But raising his eyes on high to heaven,
the old man’s flesh was stripped off by the
scourges, and his blood streamed down,
and his sides were pierced through.
7 Falling on the ground from his body
having no power to endure the pains, he
still kept his reasoning upright and unbending.
8 Then one of the harsh spearbearers
rushed at him and began to kick him in the
side to force him to get up again after he fell.
9 But he endured the pains, despised the
cruelty, and persevered through the indignities.
10 Like a noble athlete, the old man,
when struck, vanquished his torturers.
11 His face sweating, and he panting for
breath, he was admired even by the
torturers for his courage.
12 Therefore, partly in pity for his old age,
13 partly from the sympathy of acquaintance,
and partly in admiration of his endurance,
some ofthe attendants ofthe king said,
14 “Why do you unreasonably destroy
yourself, O Eleazar, with these miseries?
15 We will bring you some meat cooked
by yourself, and you can save yourself by
pretending that you have eaten swine’s
flesh.”
16 Eleazar, as though the advice more
painfully tortured him, cried out,
17 “Let us who are children of Abraham
not be so evil advised as by giving way to
make use of an unbecoming pretense.
18 For it would be irrational, if having
lived up to old age in all truth, and having
scrupulously guarded our character for it,
we would now turn back
19 and ourselves become a pattern of
impiety to the young, as being an example
of eating pollution.
20 It would be disgraceful if we would
live on some short time, and that scorned
by all men for cowardice,
21 and be condemned by the tyrant for
cowardice by not contending to the death
for our divine law.
22 Therefore you, O children of
Abraham, die nobly for your religion.
23 You spearbearers ofthe tyrant, why do
you linger?”
24 Be holding him so high-minded against
misery, and not changing at their pity, they
led him to the fire.
25 Then with their wickedly contrived
instruments they burned him on the fire,
and poured stinking fluids down into his
nostrils.
26 He being at length burned down to the
bones, and about to expire, raised his eyes
Godward, and said,
27 “You know, O God, that when I might
have been saved, I am slain for the sake of
the law by tortures of fire.
28 Be merciful to your people, and be
satisfied with the punishment of me on
their account.
29 Let my blood be a purification for
them, and take my life in exchange for
theirs.”
30 Thus speaking,the holy mandeparted,
noble in his torments, and even to the
agonies of death resisted in his reasoning
for the sake of the law.
31 Confessedly, therefore, religious
reasoning is master of the emotions.
32 For had the emotions been superior
to reasoning, I would have given them the
witness of this mastery.
33 But now, since reasoning conquered
the emotions, we befittingly award it the
authority of first place.
34 It is only fair that we should allow that
the power belongs to reasoning, since it
masters external miseries.
35 It would be ridiculous if it weren’t
so. I prove that reasoning has not only
mastered pains, but that it is also superior
to the pleasures, and withstands them.