Judith
Chapter 15
When those in the camp heard the cries, they were stunned.
Terror and fear overwhelmed them; they no longer could control themselves, but at that moment, they all broke rank and fled along the roads across the plain and the mountain.
Those encamped in the mountains around Bethulia also started to flee. Then the men of Israel, all able to fight, attacked them.
Uzziah sent messengers to Betomasthaim, Choba, Kona, and throughout the land of Israel to announce what had happened and to invite them all to confront the enemy and defeat them.
When the men of Israel heard this, they threw themselves at the enemy and pursued them as far as Choba. Even those from Jerusalem came, as did those from all the mountainous regions, because they had been told what had happened in the enemy’s camp. Those from Gilead and Galilee caught them on the flank and struck significant blows against them until they reached Damascus and its surrounding territory.
As for the inhabitants of Bethulia who remained behind, they rushed into the Assyrian camp, plundered it, and greatly enriched themselves.
Once they returned from the carnage, the Israelite men possessed what was left. Also, the people from the villages and farms in the mountains and on the plains seized great loot because there was plenty they could get.
Thanksgiving
Then, the high priest Joakim and the council of Israel’s elders in Jerusalem came to hear the good things the Lord had done for Israel, and to see Judith and offer her congratulations.
As soon as they approached her, they all blessed her and said:“You are Jerusalem’s pride and joy, Israel’s glory, and our people’s honor.
You alone have accomplished all this. You have accomplished great things for Israel, and God has blessed you with the fruits of your labor. May the almighty Lord bless you forever.” And all the people said, “Amen!”
All the people raided the camp for thirty days. They gave Holofernes’ tent to Judith, along with all his silver, beds, drinking vessels, and furniture. She took them, and after harnessing her mule, she prepared her chariots and loaded all these goods onto them.
All the Israelite women also rushed out to see her, and they blessed her. A few of them formed a choir in her honor. She held olive branches in her hand and handed some to the women who accompanied her.
She and the women with her made crowns of olive leaves. Then she went ahead of the people, leading the women in dance. All the Israelite men followed, dressed in their armor, carrying crowns, and loudly singing hymns.
Then Judith sang this hymn of thanksgiving, and the entire people of Israel echoed the praise.
Commentaries
The Great Liberation.
The second part of the book focuses on the main protagonist, Judith, who arrives at this point. It is here that the dilemma will be resolved: surrender or resistance. Judith will lead the resistance, but she will also guide it: we must resist not by counting on a miraculous intervention from God, but by using the resources at our disposal to serve the community and divine action—our beauty and our freedom, since as widows, we do not depend on a husband—and finally, our wisdom and resourcefulness. Resistance does not, therefore, mean waiting for extraordinary interventions that are unlikely to happen. Resistance means starting with what little we have, with the strong hope that it is more than enough to face any force opposed to God’s plan.
The Triumphant Morning.
After the night vigil, Judith takes on the role of a strategist and begins giving orders that set the events in motion. With their leader dead, it is customary for the army to disband and retreat.
Thanksgiving.
These words of praise to God, which conclude the narrative of events, reflect the two most notable instances of liberation in the Old Testament: Miriam’s song at the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 15) and Deborah’s song (Jdg 5).