A clear, scholarly introduction to 2 Maccabees — the fifteen-chapter Greek sermon-history of the same revolt covered in 1 Maccabees, but written in a passionate, theological style. This free guide walks through its narrative, its famous martyr scenes, and its foundational teaching on bodily resurrection — language Hebrews 11:35 picks up directly.
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Bible Sundays study guide
2 Maccabees is a fifteen-chapter Greek summary of the same revolt covered in 1 Maccabees, but written in a passionate, sermonic Hellenistic-Jewish style. The author tells us he is condensing a longer five-volume work by one Jason of Cyrene. It focuses on the years 180–161 BC and was composed in Greek, probably in Alexandria, in the late second century BC. Where 1 Maccabees writes sober history, 2 Maccabees writes preaching.
2 Maccabees was included in the Apocrypha of the original 1611 King James Bible, alongside 1 Maccabees. It is canonical for Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. The Westminster Confession classes it as Apocrypha — useful but not inspired Scripture for Protestants.
2 Maccabees contains the clearest pre-Christian Jewish statements on the resurrection of the body (chapter 7, the martyrdom of the seven brothers and their mother), on prayer for the dead (12:43–45), and on the value of martyrdom under persecution. Hebrews 11:35 — 'others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection' — is almost certainly a direct reference to the martyrs of 2 Maccabees 6 and 7. Reading 2 Maccabees fills in the Jewish theological background that the New Testament writers assume.
1 Maccabees is sober history written in the style of Samuel and Kings. 2 Maccabees is a passionate theological sermon covering overlapping events. They are independent works with different aims, not a two-volume set.
Chapter 7's martyrs explicitly hope for bodily resurrection — one of the clearest pre-Christian Jewish statements on the topic, alongside Daniel 12. The second brother says: 'Thou like a fury takest us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise us up… unto everlasting life.'
Verses 43–45 describe Judas Maccabeus offering sacrifice for fallen soldiers 'that they might be loosed from sins,' which Catholic teaching reads as supporting prayer for the dead. The passage is a key text in the Catholic doctrine of purgatory.
Hebrews 11:35 ('others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection') almost certainly alludes to the martyrdom of the seven brothers in 2 Maccabees 7.
Late second century BC, probably in Alexandria, Egypt. The author condenses an older five-volume work by Jason of Cyrene that has not survived.
It was composed in Greek and never included in the Hebrew canon. The Reformers followed the Hebrew canon rather than the longer Greek Septuagint.
The complete 1611 KJV translation of 2 Maccabees is included in our free KJV Apocrypha PDF, which contains all fourteen Apocryphal books bound in the original King James Bible.
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