the antiquities of the jews-1-第327章

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3。　sect。　3；　and　of　God　the　Word；　in　his　homily　concerning　Hades；
may　be　both　genuine。　Nor　is　the　other　expression　of　Divine　Angel；
used　presently；　and　before；　also　of　any　other　signification。

（26）　Josephus　here　calls　Ismael　a　young　child　or　infant；　though
he　was　about　13　years　of　age；　as　Judas　calls　himself　and　his
brethren　young　men；　when　he　was　47；　and　had　two　children；　Antiq。
B。　II。　ch。　6。　sect。　8；　and　they　were　of　much　the　same　age；　as　is
a　damsel　of　12　years　old　called　a　little　child；　Mark　5：39…42；
five　several　times。　Herod　is　also　said　by　Josephus　to　be　a　very
young　man　at　25。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　9。　sect　2；
and　of　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　10。　And　Aristobulus　is　styled　a　very
little　child　at　16　years　of　age；　Antiq。　B。　XV。　ch。　2。　sect。　6；　7。
Domitian　also　is　called　by　him　a　very　young　child；　when　he　went
on　his　German　expedition　at　about　18　years　of　age；　of　the　War；　B。
VII。　ch。　4。　sect。　2。　Samson's　wife；　and　Ruth；　when　they　were
widows；　are　called　children；　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　8。　sect。　6；　and　ch。
9。　sect。　2　3。

（27）　Note；　that　both　here　and　Hebrews　11：17；　Isaac　is　called
Abraham's　only　begotten　son；　though　he　at　the　same　time　had
another　son；　Ismael。　The　Septuagint　expresses　the　true　meaning；
by　rendering　the　text　the　beloved　son。

（28）　Here　is　a　plain　error　in　the　copies　which　say　that　king
David　afterwards　built　the　temple　on　this　Mount　Moriah；　while　it
was　certainly　no　other　than　king　Solomon　who　built　that　temple；
as　indeed　Procopius　cites　it　from　Josephus。　For　it　was　for
certain　David；　and　not　Solomon；　who　built　the　first　altar　there；
as　we　learn；　2　Samuel　24：18；　etc。；　1　Chronicles　21：22；　etc。；　and
Antiq。　B。　VII。　ch。　13。　sect。　4。

（29）　It　seems　both　here；　and　in　God's　parallel　blessing　to　Jacob；
ch。　19。　sect。　1；　that　Josephus　had　yet　no　notion　of　the　hidden
meaning　of　that　most　important　and　most　eminent　promise；　〃In　thy
seed　shall　all　the　families　of　the　earth　be　blessed。　He　saith
not；　and　of　seeds；　as　of　many；　but　as　of　one；　and　to　thy　seed；
which　is　Christ；〃　Galatians　3：16。　Nor　is　it　any　wonder；　he　being；
I　think；　as　yet　not　a　Christian。　And　had　he　been　a　Christian；　yet
since　he　was；　to　be　sure；　till　the　latter　part　of　his　life；　no
more　than　an　Ebionite　Christian；　who；　above　all　the　apostles；
rejected　and　despised　St。　Paul；　it　would　be　no　great　wonder　if　he
did　not　now　follow　his　interpretation。　In　the　mean　time；　we　have
in　effect　St。　Paul's　exposition　in　the　Testament　of　Reuben；　sect。
6；　in　Authent。　Rec。　Part　I。　p。　302；　who　charges　his　sons　〃to
worship　the　seed　of　Judah；　who　should　die　for　them　in　visible　and
invisible　wars；　and　should　be　among　them　an　eternal　king。〃　Nor　is
that　observation　of　a　learned　foreigner　of　my　acquaintance　to　be
despised；　who　takes　notice；　that　as　seeds　in　the　plural；　must
signify　posterity；　so　seed　in　the　singular　may　signify　either
posterity；　or　a　single　person；　and　that　in　this　promise　of　all
nations　being　happy　in　the　seed　of　Abraham；　or　Isaac；　or　Jacob；
etc。　it　is　always　used　in　the　singular。　To　which　I　shall　add；
that　it　is　sometimes；　as　it　were；　paraphrased　by　the　son　of
Abraham；　the　son　of　David；　etc。；　which　is　capable　of　no　such
ambiguity。

（30）　The　birth　of　Jacob　and　Esau　is　here　said　to　be　after
Abraham's　death：　it　should　have　been　after　Sarah's　death。　The
order　of　the　narration　in　Genesis；　not　always　exactly　according
to　the　order　of　time；　seems　to　have　led　Josephus　into　this　error；
as　Dr。　Bernard　observes　here。

（31）　For　Seir　in　Josephus；　the　coherence　requires　that　we　read
Esau　or　Seir；　which　signify　the　same　thing。

（32）　The　supper　of　savory　meat；　as　we　call　it；　Genesis　27：4；　to
be　caught　by　hunting；　was　intended　plainly　for　a　festival　or　a
sacrifice；　and　upon　the　prayers　that　were　frequent　at　sacrifices；
Isaac　expected；　as　was　then　usual　in　such　eminent　cases；　that　a
divine　impulse　would　come　upon　him；　in　order　to　the　blessing　of
his　son　there　present；　and　his　foretelling　his　future　behavior
and　fortune。　Whence　it　must　be；　that　when　Isaac　had　unwittingly
blessed　Jacob；　and　was　afterwards　made　sensible　of　his　mistake；
yet　did　he　not　attempt　to　alter　it；　how　earnestly　soever　his
affection　for　Esau　might　incline　him　to　wish　it　might　be　altered；
because　he　knew　that　this　blessing　came　not　from　himself；　but
from　God；　and　that　an　alteration　was　out　of　his　power。　A　second
afflatus　then　came　upon　him；　and　enabled　him　to　foretell　Esau's
future　behavior　and　foretell　Esau's　future　behavior　and　fortune
also。

（33）　Whether　Jacob　or　his　mother　Rebeka　were　most　blameable　in
this　imposition　upon　Isaac　in　his　old　age；　I　cannot　determine。
However　the　blessing　being　delivered　as　a　prediction　of　future
events；　by　a　Divine　impulse；　and　foretelling　things　to　befall　to
the　posterity　of　Jacob　and　Esau　in　future　ages；　was　for　certain
providential；　and　according　to　what　Rebeka　knew　to　be　the　purpose
of　God；　when　he　answered　her　inquiry；　〃before　the　children　were
born；〃　Genesis　25：23；　〃that　one　people　should　be　stronger　than
the　other　people；　and　the　elder；　Esau；　should　serve　the　younger；
Jacob。〃　Whether　Isaac　knew　or　remembered　this　old　oracle；
delivered　in　our　copies　only　to　Rebeka；　or　whether；　if　he　knew
and　remembered　it；　he　did　not　endeavor　to　alter　the　Divine
determination；　out　of　his　fondness　for　his　elder　and　worser　son
Esau；　to　the　damage　of　his　younger　and　better　son　Jacob；　as
Josephus　elsewhere　supposes；　Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　7。　sect。　3；　I
cannot　certainly　say。　if　so；　this　might　tempt　Rebeka　to　contrive；
and　Jacob　to　put　this　imposition　upon　him。　However；　Josephus　says
here；　that　it　was　Isaac；　and　not　Rebeka；　who　inquired　of　God　at
first；　and　received　the　forementioned　oracle；　sect。　1；　which；　if
it　be　the　true　reading；　renders　Isaac's　procedure　more
inexcusable。　Nor　was　it　probably　any　thing　else　that　so　much
encouraged　Esau　formerly　to　marry　two　Canaanitish　wives；　without
his　parents'　consent；　as　Isaac's　unhappy　fondness　for　him。

（34）　By　this　〃deprivation　of　the　kingdom　that　was　to　be　given
Esau　of　God；〃　as　the　first…born；　it　appears　that　Josephus　thought
that　a　〃kingdom　to　be　derived　from　God〃　was　due　to　him　whom　Isaac
should　bless　as　his　first…born；　which　I　take　to　be　that　kingdom
which　was　expected　under　the　Messiah；　who　therefore　was　to　be
born　of　his　posterity　whom　Isaac　should　so　bless。　Jacob　therefore
by　obtaining　this　blessing　of　the　first…born；　became　the　genuine
heir　of　that　kingdom；　in　opposition　to　Esau。

（35）　Here　we　have　the　difference　between　slaves　for　life　and
servants；　such　as　we　now　hire　for　a　time　agreed　upon　on　both
sides；　and　dismiss　again　after　he　time　contracted　for　is　over；
which　are　no　slaves；　but　free　men　and　free　women。　Accordingly；
when　the　Apostolical　Constitutions　forbid　a　clergyman　to　marry
perpetual　servants　or　slaves；　B。　VI。　ch。　17。；　it　is　meant　only　of
the　former　sort；　as　we　learn　elsewhere　from　the　same
Constitutions；　ch。　47。　Can。　LXXXII。　But　concerning　these　twelve
sons　of　Jacob；　the　reasons　of　their　several　names；　and　the　times
of　their　several　births　in　the　intervals　here　assigned；　their
several　excellent　characters；　their　several　faults　and
repentance；　the　several　accidents　of　their　lives；　with　their
several　prophecies　at　their　deaths；　see　the　Testaments　of　these
twelve　patriarchs；　still　preserved　at　large　in　the　Authent。　Rec。
Part　I。　p。　294…443。

（36）　I　formerly　explained　these　mandrakes；　as　we；　with　the
Septuagint；　and　Josephus；　render　the　Hebrew　word　Dudaim；　of　the
Syrian　Maux；　with　Ludolphus；　Antbent。　Rec。　Part　I。　p。　420；　but
have　since　seen　such　a　very　probable　account　in　M。　S。　of　my
learned　friend　Mr。　Samuel　Barker；　of　what　we　still　call
mandrakes；　and　their　description　by　the　ancient　naturalists　and
physicians；　as　inclines　me　to　think　these　here　mentioned　were
really　mandrakes；　and　no　other。

（37）　Perhaps　this　may　be　the　proper　meaning　of　the　word　Israel；
by　the　present　and　the　old　Jerusalem　analogy　of　the　Hebrew
tongue。　In　the　mean　time；　it　is　certain　that　the　Hellenists　of
the　first　century；　in　Egypt　and　elsewhere；　interpreted　Israel　to
be　a　man　seeing　God；　as　is　evident　from　the　argument　fore…cited。

（38）　Of　this　slaughter　of　the　Shechemites　by　Simeon　and　Levi；　see
Authent。　Rec。　Part　I。　p。　309；　418