| Judith 14:6
| Then Achior, seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred, until this present day.
| Then. Greek, etc., "But before ye do this, call to me Achior, the Ammonite, that seeing, he may recognize the contemner of the house of Israel, and the man who sent him away to us unto certain death. And they called Achior from the house of Ozias. But as soon as he came, and saw the head of Holofernes in the hand of one of the assembly of the people, he fell," etc., as [in] Judith 13:29, 30. "Blessed art thou in every tent of Juda, and in every nation. All who shall hear thy name shall be amazed. But now tell me what thou hast done during these days. And Judith, in the midst of the people, informed him of all that she had performed, since the day of her departure till the time when she was speaking. She had no sooner ended her speech, than all the people set up a loud shout of joy in their city. Then," etc. --- Leaving. Greek, "He believed in God greatly," or with the utmost sincerity. (Haydock) --- Hitherto Achior had only considered the Deity as the peculiar God of Israel, (Calmet) or as the common gods "revered by all nations;" (Virgil xii.; Servius) but not as the only supreme Being. He now becomes a proselyte, not merely, like Naaman, to adore one God; but also to observe all the rites of the Jewish religion. The latter was a matter of choice, Judith 6:18. It is not still clear that he could enjoy the privileges of the nation as a magistrate, or even marry, (Calmet) which shews his greater fervour. (Grotius) --- It is certain that no nation could be forbidden to worship God, Deuteronomy 23:3. St. Thomas Aquinas (1. 2. q. 105. a. 3.) believes that a dispensation was granted to Achior, (Calmet) so that he might be treated like an Israelite in all respects. (Serarius q. 1.) (Menochius) --- This evinces that only the impenitent Ammonites, etc., were excluded from the Church. (Worthington) --- With. Greek, "till this day."
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