Judith 14 • The discovery and the alarm — Greek text and reception
Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.
Chapter 14 • The discovery and the alarm
Verse 14:1
Greek–English Saints Priority
Judith said to them, “Listen to me, brothers. Take this head and hang it on the battlement of your wall.
Textual & Reception Notes
Saints: Ambrose, Concerning Widows 7.41, calls the display of Holofernes' head a victory of Judith's wisdom: it strengthens her people's courage and breaks the enemy's resolve. This is his interpretation of the tactic [AMB-WID].
Verse 14:2
Greek–English Saints Priority
When dawn breaks and the sun rises upon the earth, each of you shall take up your weapons of war. Every strong man shall go outside the city, and you shall appoint a leader over them, as though descending into the plain against the advance guard of the sons of Asshur; but you shall not go down.
Textual & Reception Notes
The feigned advance and the prohibition on actually descending are distinct instructions. Leader translates ἀρχηγός rather than emending it to a signal.
Verse 14:3
Greek–English Saints Priority
They will take up their full armor, go to their camp, and rouse the generals of the army of Asshur. They will run together to Holofernes' tent and will not find him. Fear will fall upon them, and they will flee before you.
Textual & Reception Notes
Not find him is left as stated, without adding alive to Judith's prediction.
Verse 14:4
Greek–English Saints Priority
You and all who inhabit the whole territory of Israel shall pursue them and lay them low along their roads.
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 14:5
Greek–English Saints Priority
But before you do these things, call Achior the Ammonite to me, so that he may see and recognize the one who despised the house of Israel and sent him to us as though to death.”
Textual & Reception Notes
Achior is explicitly called the Ammonite.
Verse 14:6
Greek–English Saints Priority
They called Achior from Uzziah's house. When he came and saw Holofernes' head in the hand of a man in the assembly of the people, he fell on his face and his spirit failed him.
Textual & Reception Notes
His collapse is not a report of death; he is revived in the next verse.
Verse 14:7
Greek–English Saints Priority
When they raised him up, he fell at Judith's feet, bowed before her, and said, “Blessed are you in every dwelling of Judah and among every nation; those who hear your name will be shaken.
Textual & Reception Notes
The bow is human obeisance, not worship of her as divine.
Verse 14:8
Greek–English Saints Priority
Now tell me everything you have done during these days.” In the midst of the people Judith told him everything she had done from the day she went out until the time she was speaking to them.
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 14:9
Greek–English Saints Priority
When she ceased speaking, the people shouted loudly and raised a joyful cry in their city.
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 14:10
Greek–English Saints Priority
When Achior saw everything the God of Israel had done, he believed in God greatly, had the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, and was added to the house of Israel to this day.
Textual & Reception Notes
Belief, circumcision, and incorporation are all explicit. The narrator's to this day formula is retained.
Verse 14:11
Greek–English Saints Priority
When dawn arose, they hung Holofernes' head from the wall. Every man took up his weapons, and they went out in companies to the mountain ascents.
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 14:12
Greek–English Saints Priority
When the sons of Asshur saw them, they sent to their leaders; these went to the generals, the commanders of thousands, and all their rulers.
Textual & Reception Notes
χιλίαρχοι retains its literal command-of-thousands title rather than a modern rank.
Verse 14:13
Greek–English Saints Priority
They came to Holofernes' tent and said to the man in charge of all his affairs, “Wake our lord now! The slaves have dared to come down against us for war, so that they may be utterly destroyed.”
Textual & Reception Notes
Slaves is the Assyrian officers' contemptuous designation for the Israelites.
Verse 14:14
Greek–English Saints Priority
Bagoas entered and tapped the tent curtain, for he supposed that Holofernes was sleeping with Judith.
Textual & Reception Notes
His assumption is distinguished from the narrator's prior account.
Verse 14:15
Greek–English Saints Priority
When no one answered, he drew the curtain apart and entered the bedchamber. He found Holofernes thrown dead upon the threshold, with his head cut off.
Textual & Reception Notes
Threshold follows LSJ sense III, which cites this verse. The entry also lists footstool as sense II, citing Sextus Empiricus; that cited ancient passage has not been independently read. The furnishing's exact identification remains uncertain [LSJ-CHEL].
Verse 14:16
Greek–English Saints Priority
He cried out loudly with weeping, groaning, and a mighty shout, and tore his garments.
Textual & Reception Notes
The accumulation of lament terms is retained.
Verse 14:17
Greek–English Saints Priority
He went into the tent where Judith had been lodging and did not find her. He rushed out to the people and cried:
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 14:18
Greek–English Saints Priority
“The slaves have betrayed us! One Hebrew woman has brought shame upon the house of King Nebuchadnezzar. Look, Holofernes is on the ground, and his head is no longer upon him!”
Textual & Reception Notes
The singular woman and the imperial household's shame are explicit.
Verse 14:19
Greek–English Saints Priority
When the rulers of the army of Asshur heard these words, they tore their tunics, their souls were greatly troubled, and an exceedingly great cry and shout arose from them in the midst of the camp.
Textual & Reception Notes
The chapter ends with the spreading alarm, continued in chapter fifteen.