1 More that this, they even urged them on to this mistreatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love. (WEB) 2 Reasoning is more royal than a king, and freer than freemen! (WEB) 3 What a sacred and harmonious concert of the seven kindred as concerning piety! (WEB) 4 None of the seven youths turned cowardly or shrank back from death. (WEB) 5 But all of them, as though running the road to immortality, hastened on to death through tortures. (WEB) 6 For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed to death for religion’s sake, as through the immortal soul of religion. (WEB) 7 O holy seven of harmonious kindred! For as the seven days of creation, about religion, (WEB) 8 so the youths, circling around the number seven, annulled the fear of torments. (WEB) 9 We now shudder at the recital of the affliction of those young men; but they not only saw, and not only heard the immediate execution of the threat, but undergoing it, persevered; and that through the pains of fire. (WEB) 10 What could be more painful? For the power of fire, being sharp and quick, speedily dissolved their bodies. (WEB) 11 Don’t think it wonderful that reasoning ruled over those men in their torments, when even a woman’s mind despised more manifold pains. (WEB) 12 For the mother of those seven youths endured the rackings of each of her children. (WEB) 13 Consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection, (WEB) 14 where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men. (WEB) 15 The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses defend their fledglings. (WEB) 16 Others build their nests and hatch their young on the tops of mountains, in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep intruders away. (WEB) 17 If not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able. (WEB) 18 But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shown by irrational animals? (WEB) 19 Even bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach, and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even to death. (WEB) 20 But sympathy with her children didn’t turn away the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham. (WEB)
4 Maccabees 14:1–20
Semantically similar passages
4 Maccabees 16:12–14
12 Nor did she divert any of them from death, nor grieve for them as for the dead. (WEB) 13 But as one possessed with an adamant mind, and as one bringing forth again her full number of sons to immortality, she rather urged them to death on behalf of religion. (WEB) 14 O woman, sol… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 7:23–25
23 For only the wise and brave man is lord over his emotions. (WEB) 24 This is why even boys, trained with the philosophy of religious reasoning, have conquered still more bitter tortures; (WEB) 25 for when the tyrant was manifestly vanquished in his first attempt, in being unable… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 17:9–11
9 “Here an aged priest, an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the society of the Hebrews. (WEB) 10 These also avenged their nation, looking to God, and enduring torments to death.” (WEB) 11 For it was truly a divine conte… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 16:1–2
1 If, then, even a woman, and that an aged one, and the mother of seven children, endured to see her children’s torments even to death, it must be admitted that religious reasoning is master even of the emotions. (WEB) 2 I have proved, then, that not only men have obtai… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 13:26–27
26 For it acting along with religion, made their brotherly feeling more desirable to them. (WEB) 27 And yet, although nature, companionship, and virtuous morals increased their brotherly love, those who were left endured to see their kindred, who were mistreated for their… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 12:13–15
13 Weren’t you ashamed, man as you are, yet most savage, to cut out the tongues of men of like feeling and origin, and having thus abused to torture them? (WEB) 14 But they, bravely dying, fulfilled their religion toward God. (WEB) 15 But you will groan as you deserve for having sl… (WEB)
4 Maccabees 8:26–28
26 But the young men didn’t say or think anything of this kind when about to be tortured. (WEB) 27 For they were well aware of the sufferings, and masters of the pains. (WEB) 28 So that as soon as the tyrant had ceased counselling them to eat the unclean, they all with one voice, a… (WEB)
Epistle to Diognetus 7:6–8
6 For He will send Him in judgment, and who shall endure His presence? ... (DIO) 7 [Dost thou not see] them thrown to wild beasts that so they may deny the Lord, and yet not overcome? (DIO) 8 Dost thou not see that the more of them are punished, just so many others abound? (DIO)
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