the antiquities of the jews-1-第336章

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hundred　and　eighty　years；　1　Kings　6：1；　which　lesser　number
Josephus　seems　sometimes　to　have　followed。　And　since　in　the
beginning　of　the　next　chapter　it　is　said　by　Josephus；　that　there
was　hardly　a　breathing　time　for　the　Israelites　before　Jabin　came
and　enslaved　them；　it　is　highly　probable　that　some　of　the　copies
in　his　time　had　here　only　eight　years　instead　of　eighty；　as　had
that　of　Theophilus　of　Antioch；　Ad　Autolye。　1。　iii。；　and　this　most
probably　from　his　copy　of　Josephus。

（16）　Our　present　copies　of　Josephus　all　omit　Tola　among　the
judges；　though　the　other　copies　have　him　next　after　Abimelech；
and　allot　twenty…three　years　to　his　administration；　Judges　10：1；
2；　yet　do　all　Josephus's　commentators　conclude；　that　in
Josephus's　sum　of　the　years　of　the　judges；　his　twenty…three　years
are　included；　hence　we　are　to　confess；　that　somewhat　has　been
here　lost　out　of　his　copies。

（17）　Josephus　justly　condemns　Jephtha；　as　do　the　Apostolical
Constitutions；　B。　VII。　ch。　37。；　for　his　rash　vow；　whether　it　were
for　sacrificing　his　daughter；　as　Josephus　thought；　or　for
dedicating　her；　who　was　his　only　child；　to　perpetual　virginity；
at　the　tabernacle　or　elsewhere；　which　I　rather　suppose。　If　he　had
vowed　her　for　a　sacrifice；　she　ought　to　have　been　redeemed；
Leviticus　27：1…8；　but　of　the　sense　of　ver。　28；　29；　as　relating
not　to　things　vowed　to。　God；　but　devoted　to　destruction；　see　the
note　on　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　8。

（18）　I　can　discover　no　reason　why　Manoah　and　his　wife　came　so
constantly　into　these　suburbs　to　pray　for　children；　but　because
there　was　a　synagogue　or　place　of　devotion　in　those　suburbs。

（19）　Here；　by　a　prophet；　Josephus　seems　only　to　mean　one　that　was
born　by　a　particular　providence；　lived　after　the　manner　of　a
Nazarite　devoted　to　God；　and　was　to　have　an　extraordinary
commission　and　strength　from　God　for　the　judging　and　avenging　his
people　Israel；　without　any　proper　prophetic　revelations　at　all。

（20）　This　fountain；　called　Lehi；　or　the　Jaw…bone；　is　still　in
being；　as　travelers　assure　us；　and　was　known　by　this　very　name　in
the　days　of　Josephus；　and　has　been　known　by　the　same　name　in　all
those　past　ages。　See　Antiq。　B。　VII。　ch。　12。　sect。　4。

（21）　See　this　justly　observed　in　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；
B。　VII。　ch。　37。；　that　Samson's　prayer　was　heard；　but　that　it　was
before　this　his　transgression。

（22）　Although　there　had　been　a　few　occasional　prophets　before；
yet　was　this　Samuel　the　first　of　a　constant　succession　of
prophets　in　the　Jewish　nation；　as　is　implied　in　St。　Peter's
words；　Acts　3：24　〃Yea；　and　all　the　prophets；　from　Samuel；　and
those　that　follow　after；　as　many　as　have　spoken；　have　likewise
foretold　of　those　days。〃　See　also　Acts　13：20。　The　others　were
rather　sometime　called　righteous　men；　Matthew　10：41；　13：17。

Book　6　Footnotes

（1）　Dagon；　a　famous　maritime　god　or　idol；　is　generally　supposed
to　have　been　like　a　man　above　the　navel；　and　like　a　fish　beneath
it。

（2）　Spanheim　informs　us　here；　that　upon　the　coins　of　Tenedos；　and
those　of　other　cities；　a　field…mouse　is　engraven；　together　with
Apollo　Smintheus；　or　Apollo；　the　driver　away　of　field…mice；　on
account　of　his　being　supposed　to　have　freed　certain　tracts　of
ground　from　those　mice；　which　coins　show　how　great　a　judgment
such　mice　have　sometimes　been；　and　how　the　deliverance　from　them
was　then　esteemed　the　effect　of　a　divine　power；　which
observations　are　highly　suitable　to　this　history。

（3）　This　device　of　the　Philistines；　of　having　a　yoke　of　kine　to
draw　this　cart；　into　which　they　put　the　ark　of　the　Hebrews；　is
greatly　illustrated　by　Sanchoniatho's　account；　under　his　ninth
generation；　that　Agrouerus；　or　Agrotes；　the　husbandman；　had　a
much…worshipped　statue　and　temple；　carried　about　by　one　or　more
yoke　of　oxen；　or　kine；　in　Phoenicia；　in　the　neighborhood　of　these
Philistines。　See　Cumberland's　Sanchoniatho；　p。　27　and　247；　and
Essay　on　the　Old　Testament；　Append。　p。　172。

（4）　These　seventy　men；　being　not　so　much　as　Levites；　touched　the
ark　in　a　rash　or　profane　manner；　and　were　slain　by　the　hand　of
God　for　such　their　rashness　and　profaneness；　according　to　the
Divine　threatenings；　Numbers　4：15；　20；　but　how　other　copies　come
to　add　such　an　incredible　number　as　fifty　thousand　in　this　one
town；　or　small　city；　I　know　not。　See　Dr。　Wall's　Critical　Notes　on
1　Samuel　6：19。

（5）　This　is　the　first　place；　so　far　as　I　remember；　in　these
Antiquities；　where　Josephus　begins　to　call　his　nation　Jews；　he
having　hitherto　usually；　if　not　constantly；　called　them　either
Hebrews　or　Israelites。　The　second　place　soon　follows；　see　also
ch。　3。　sect。　5。

（6）　Of　this　great　mistake　of　Saul　and　his　servant；　as　if　true
prophet　of　God　would　accept　of　a　gift　or　present；　for　foretelling
what　was　desired　of　him；　see　the　note　on　B。　IV。　ch。　6。　sect。　3。

（7）　It　seems　to　me　not　improbable　that　these　seventy　guests　of
Samuel；　as　here；　with　himself　at　the　head　of　them；　were　a　Jewish
sanhedrim；　and　that　hereby　Samuel　intimated　to　Saul　that　these
seventy…one　were　to　be　his　constant　counselors；　and　that　he　was
to　act　not　like　a　sole　monarch；　but　with　the　advice　and　direction
of　these　seventy…one　members　of　that　Jewish　sanhedrim　upon　all
occasions；　which　yet　we　never　read　that　he　consulted　afterward。

（8）　An　instance　of　this　Divine　fury　we　have　after　this　in　Saul；
ch。　5。　sect。　2；　3；　1　Samuel　11：6。　See　the　like；　Judges　3：10；
6：34；　11：29；　13：25；　and　14：6。

（9）　Take　here　Theodoret's　note；　cited　by　Dr。　Hudson：　…　〃He　that
exposes　his　shield　to　the　enemy　with　his　left　hand；　thereby　hides
his　left　eye；　and　looks　at　the　enemy　with　his　right　eye：　he
therefore　that　plucks　out　that　eye；　makes　men　useless　in　war。〃

（10）　Mr。　Reland　observes　here；　and　proves　elsewhere　in　his　note
on　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　1。　sect。　6；　that　although　thunder　and
lightning　with　us　usually　happen　in　summer；　yet　in　Palestine　and
Syria　they　are　chiefly　confined　to　winter。　Josephus　takes　notice
of　the　same　thing　again；　War；　B。　IV。　ch。　4。　sect。　5。

（11）　Saul　seems　to　have　staid　till　near　the　time　of　the　evening
sacrifice；　on　the　seventh　day；　which　Samuel　the　prophet　of　God
had　appointed　him；　but　not　till　the　end　of　that　day；　as　he　ought
to　have　done；　and　Samuel　appears；　by　delaying　to　come　to　the　full
time　of　the　evening　sacrifice　on　that　seventh　day；　to　have　tried
him　（who　seems　to　have　been　already　for　some　time　declining　from
his　strict　and　bounden　subordination　to　God　and　his　prophet；　to
have　taken　life…guards　for　himself　and　his　son；　which　was
entirely　a　new　thing　in　Israel；　and　savored　of　a　distrust　of
God's　providence；　and　to　have　affected　more　than　he　ought　that
independent　authority　which　the　pagan　kings　took　to　themselves）；
Samuel；　I　say；　seems　to　have　here　tried　Saul　whether　he　would
stay　till　the　priest　came；　who　alone　could　lawfully　offer　the
sacrifices；　nor　would　boldly　and　profanely　usurp　the　priest's
office；　which　he　venturing　upon；　was　justly　rejected　for　his
profaneness。　See　Apost。　Constit。　B。　II。　ch。　27。　And；　indeed；
since　Saul　had　accepted　kingly　power；　which　naturally　becomes
ungovernable　and　tyrannical；　as　God　foretold；　and　the　experience
of　all　ages　has　shown；　the　Divine　settlement　by　Moses　had　soon
been　laid　aside　under　the　kings；　had　not　God；　by　keeping　strictly
to　his　laws；　and　severely　executing　the　threatenings　therein
contained；　restrained　Saul　and　other　kings　in　some　degree　of
obedience　to　himself；　nor　was　even　this　severity　sufficient　to
restrain　most　of　the　future　kings　of　Israel　and　Judah　from　the
grossest　idolatry　and　impiety。　Of　the　advantage　of　which
strictness；　in　the　observing　Divine　laws；　and　inflicting　their
threatened　penalties；　see　Antiq。　B。　VI。　ch。　12。　sect。　7；　and
Against　Apion；　B。　II。　sect。　30；　where　Josephus　speaks　of　that
matter；　though　it　must　be　noted　that　it　seems；　at　least　in　three
instances；　that　good　men　did　not　always　immediately　approve　of
such　Divine　severity。　There　seems　to　be　one　instance；　1　Samuel
6：19；　20；　another；　1　Samuel　15：11；　and　a　third；　2　Samuel　6：8；　9；
Antiq。　B。　VI。　ch。　7。　sect。　2；　though　they　all　at　last　acquiesced
in　the　Divine　conduct；　as　knowing　that　God　is　wiser　than　men。

（12）　By　this　answer　of　Samuel；　and　that　from　a　Divine　commission；
which　is　full