Judith 1 • Nebuchadnezzar and Arphaxad — 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 1 • Nebuchadnezzar and Arphaxad
Verse 1:1
Greek–English Saints Priority
In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned over the Assyrians in Nineveh, the great city, in the days of Arphaxad, who reigned over the Medes in Ecbatana—
Textual & Reception Notes
The Greek calls Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians at Nineveh. This narrative setting is retained without historical harmonization.
Verse 1:2
Greek–English Saints Priority
he built walls around Ecbatana from hewn stones three cubits wide and six cubits long, and made the wall seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide.
Textual & Reception Notes
The builder is Arphaxad. The stones' dimensions are distinguished from the wall's; cubits are retained.
Verse 1:3
Greek–English Saints Priority
He set its towers at its gates, a hundred cubits high, and laid their foundations to a width of sixty cubits.
Textual & Reception Notes
The Greek changes grammatical gender in the possessives; the stated height concerns the towers, with the following width understood of their base.
Verse 1:4
Greek–English Saints Priority
He made its gates rise to a height of seventy cubits, with a width of forty cubits, for the sorties of his mighty forces and the formations of his infantry.
Textual & Reception Notes
The military purpose of the exceptionally large gates is explicit.
Verse 1:5
Greek–English Saints Priority
In those days King Nebuchadnezzar made war against King Arphaxad in the great plain—that is, the plain in the territory of Ragau.
Textual & Reception Notes
Ragau is the source's form; the verse's explanatory identification is retained.
Verse 1:6
Greek–English Saints Priority
All who inhabited the hill country, and all who inhabited the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Hydaspes, and the plains of Arioch king of the Elymaeans, met him; and many nations assembled for the battle of the sons of Cheleoud.
Textual & Reception Notes
The syntax of συνήντησαν πρὸς αὐτόν does not by itself settle whether all these groups supported or opposed him. The obscure final designation is retained.
Verse 1:7
Greek–English Saints Priority
Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent to all who inhabited Persia and all who inhabited the west: those inhabiting Cilicia, Damascus, Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, and all who inhabited the region facing the coast,
Textual & Reception Notes
The list continues through verse ten.
Verse 1:8
Greek–English Saints Priority
and those among the nations of Carmel and Gilead, and Upper Galilee and the great plain of Esdraelon,
Textual & Reception Notes
Verse 1:9
Greek–English Saints Priority
and all in Samaria and its cities, and beyond the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, Batane, Chelous, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Taphnas, Ramesse, and all the land of Gesem,
Textual & Reception Notes
Less certain place names retain recognizable Greek forms; no modern map identification is asserted.
Verse 1:10
Greek–English Saints Priority
until one comes above Tanis and Memphis, and all who inhabited Egypt until one comes to the borders of Ethiopia.
Textual & Reception Notes
The repeated travel formula is retained; Ethiopia renders the ancient Greek geographical name.
Verse 1:11
Greek–English Saints Priority
All who inhabited the whole land despised the word of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians and did not join him in the war, because they were not afraid of him. In their eyes he was only one man, and they sent his messengers back empty-handed, their faces dishonored.
Textual & Reception Notes
Only one man expresses ὡς ἀνὴρ εἷς; the messengers' dishonor is not omitted.
Verse 1:12
Greek–English Saints Priority
Nebuchadnezzar became exceedingly angry at all this land and swore by his throne and kingdom that he would surely take vengeance on all the territories of Cilicia, Damascus, and Syria, kill them with his sword, and kill all who inhabited the land of Moab, the sons of Ammon, all Judea, and all those in Egypt, as far as the borders of the two seas.
Textual & Reception Notes
The oath and extensive threatened destruction belong to Nebuchadnezzar's speech. The two seas are not further identified in the source.
Verse 1:13
Greek–English Saints Priority
In the seventeenth year he drew up his forces against King Arphaxad, prevailed in his war, and overthrew all Arphaxad's forces, all his cavalry, and all his chariots.
Textual & Reception Notes
The seventeenth year is retained alongside the opening twelfth year.
Verse 1:14
Greek–English Saints Priority
He gained control of his cities, reached Ecbatana, seized the towers, plundered its squares, and turned its splendor into its disgrace.
Textual & Reception Notes
κόσμος here denotes the city's adornment or splendor.
Verse 1:15
Greek–English Saints Priority
He captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, pierced him through with his javelins, and destroyed him that very day.
Textual & Reception Notes
Javelins renders σίβυναι; the killing is explicit.
Verse 1:16
Greek–English Saints Priority
Then he returned with them, he himself and all his mixed company, an exceedingly great multitude of fighting men. There he and his army spent a hundred and twenty days at ease and feasting.
Textual & Reception Notes
The verse does not itself name the place of return; Nineveh is not inserted.