At the hour of the evening incense in Jerusalem, Judith puts ashes on her head and prays aloud. She recalls her ancestor Simeon, to whom God gave a sword to avenge the violation of a maiden, and asks to be heard, 'a widow'. The Assyrians trust in horse, shield and spear; let God break their pride. She asks that the deceit of her lips strike servant and prince alike and that their stateliness fall 'by the hand of a woman', for God is 'a God of the afflicted' and the saviour of those without hope.
Judith 9 - Summary
Summary
Read Judith Chapter 9 Summary
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Characters in This Chapter
Places in This Chapter
Jerusalem
View on MapCity whose temple Bethulia's resistance protects, where the people give thanks and Judith dedicates the spoil
Dothan
View on MapDothaim, near Bethulia, where the Assyrian army spreads its camp to besiege the town
Bethulia
View on MapBesieged hill town of Judith, saved when she kills Holofernes; its site is uncertain
The Tabernacle
View on MapThe Tabernacle was the portable sanctuary that Israel built according to God's instructions at Mount Sinai. It served as God's dwelling place among His people during the wilderness wanderings and early settlement in Canaan. It contained the Ark of the Covenant, the altar, and the holy place.
Position in Book
The Campaign of NabuchodonosorChapters 1-3
Bethulia Under SiegeChapters 4-7
Judith's Rebuke and PrayerChapters 8-9
The widow Judith reproaches the elders for testing God, announces a plan she will not explain, and asks God to strike the proud by a woman's hand.
In the Enemy CampChapters 10-12
The Night of DeliveranceChapters 13
The Assyrian RoutChapters 14-15
Judith's Song and Last YearsChapters 16