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Verse 7
Theosis · English Bible
Judith

Judith 5

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1Then was it declared to Holofernes, the chief captain of the army of Assur, that the children of Israel had prepared for war, and had shut up the passages of the hill country, and had fortified all the tops of the high hills, and had laid impediments in the champaign countries: 2wherewith he was very angry, and called all the princes of Moab, and the captains of Ammon, and all the governors of the sea coast, 3and he said unto them, Tell me now, ye sons of Chanaan, who this people is, that dwelleth in the hill country, and what are the cities that they inhabit, and what is the multitude of their army, and wherein is their power and strength, and what king is set over them, or captain of their army; 4and why have they determined not to come and meet me, more than all the inhabitants of the west? 5Then said Achior, the captain of all the sons of Ammon, Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people, which dwelleth near thee, and inhabiteth the hill countries: and there shall no lie come out of the mouth of thy servant. 6This people are descended of the Chaldeans: 7and they sojourned heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow the gods of their fathers, which were in the land of Chaldea. 8For they left the way of their ancestors, and worshipped the God of heaven, the God whom they knew: so they cast them out from the face of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and sojourned there many days. 9Then their God commanded them to depart from the place where they sojourned, and to go into the land of Chanaan: where they dwelt, and were increased with gold and silver, and with very much cattle. 10But when a famine covered all the land of Chanaan, they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, while they were nourished, and became there a great multitude, so that one could not number their nation. 11Therefore the king of Egypt rose up against them, and dealt subtilly with them, and brought them low with labouring in brick, and made them slaves. 12Then they cried unto their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt with incurable plagues: so the Egyptians cast them out of their sight. 13And God dried the Red sea before them, 14and brought them to mount Sina, and Cades-Barne, and cast forth all that dwelt in the wilderness. 15So they dwelt in the land of the Amorites, and they destroyed by their strength all them of Esebon, and passing over Jordan they possessed all the hill country. 16And they cast forth before them the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, and the Sychemite, and all the Gergesites, and they dwelt in that country many days. 17And whilst they sinned not before their God, they prospered, because the God that hateth iniquity was with them. 18But when they departed from the way which he appointed them, they were destroyed in many battles very sore, and were led captives into a land that was not their's, and the temple of their God was cast to the ground, and their cities were taken by the enemies. 19But now are they returned to their God, and are come up from the places where they were scattered, and have possessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and are seated in the hill country; for it was desolate. 20Now therefore, my lord and governor, if there be any error in this people, and they sin against their God, let us consider that this shall be their ruin, and let us go up, and we shall overcome them. 21But if there be no iniquity in their nation, let my lord now pass by, lest their Lord defend them, and their God be for them, and we become a reproach before all the world. 22And when Achior had finished these sayings, all the people standing round about the tent murmured, and the chief men of Holofernes, and all that dwelt by the sea side, and in Moab, spake that he should kill him. 23For, say they, we will not be afraid of the face of the children of Israel: for, lo, it is a people that have no strength nor power for a strong battle. 24Now therefore, lord Holofernes, we will go up, and they shall be a prey to be devoured of all thine army.

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Judith 5:7

Dimitri of Rostov

Dimitri of Rostov17th century

George Kedrin narrates the emergence of Abraham's faith in the true God. At the age of twenty-four, he recognized God, who resides in the heavens, is omnipresent, and oversees all creation, and he began to worship Him. Abraham's understanding of the Creator stemmed from the visible world around him. His education from his forefathers led him to contemplate the movements of the heavens, the nature of stars, the earth, the sea, and the full breadth of Chaldean wisdom in which his father Terach, his grandfather Nahor, and his great-grandfather Serug were learned. Yet, despite their wisdom, they were foolish, failing to grasp the God who fashioned everything and instead serving lifeless idols crafted by human hands.

Even as a youth, blessed Abraham pondered the origin of all things, contemplating who was responsible for creating, sustaining, and governing the universe. On one particular night, gazing at the starry sky, his thoughts turned to the source of it all, and in that moment, he experienced a revelation of divine truth. According to Kedrin's account, an angel of the Lord became his guide—a fitting mentor for such a dedicated student. As he deepened his understanding of the one true God and faith in Him, Abraham sought to lead his family, including his father and brothers, toward the same faith but met with disappointment. Among them, only his beloved wife Sarah shared his belief, and together they prayed to the true God.

By the age of sixty, recognizing his inability to convert others from idolatry, Abraham became fervent in his devotion. Under the cover of darkness, he secretly set fire to the temple of idols. As the flames engulfed the temple, his brothers awakened and rushed to save the idols. Arran, overly concerned for the idols, entered the burning temple and suffered severe burns that led to his death. It is said that Arran was the firstborn to die before his parents, a tragic distinction, for prior to him, a son had never preceded his father in death. This account is recorded in the Moscow Sobornik, specifically within “The Word about court and a serpent,” attributed to John Chrysostom.

The Chaldeans, enraged by Abraham’s actions, cast him into the fire, but he emerged unharmed by the power of God. Witnessing this miraculous event, Abraham’s father Terach recognized the one true God and renounced idols, subsequently beginning to worship the true God alongside Abraham. Following this, Abraham experienced a divine vision instructing him to leave that place, as confirmed by Stephen the first martyr: “Men, brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said unto him, Depart from thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee” (Acts 7:2-3).

Upon receiving this command, Abraham persuaded his father Terach to escape the idolatrous city, since its inhabitants had subjected them to much persecution, despising Terach’s devout worship. Thus, Terach left the land of the Chaldeans, including the city of Ur, traveling with his son Abraham, his grandson Lot, the son of Arran, and Abraham's wife Sarah, intending to reach Canaan (Nahor chose to remain in Chaldea among idolaters). Upon arriving at Haran, Terach settled there. The governor Ahior remarked to the commander of the Assyrian troops, “These men are of the tribe of the Chaldeans, who formerly dwelt in Mesopotamia; and because they did not want to follow the gods of their fathers, who dwelt in the land of the Chaldeans, they forsook the ranks of their fathers in the multitude of gods, and dwelt alone in Canaan." Terach did not reach Canaan and instead lived in Haran until his death at the age of two hundred and five. Nahor arrived in Haran as Terach was dying, and together with Abraham, they buried his father. Afterward, Nahor settled there with his entire household, yet he, along with his family, remained entrenched in idolatry, as evidenced later by his grandson Laban’s similar servitude to false gods.