the antiquities of the jews-1-第337章

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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　fuller　in　l　Samuel　13：14；　and　by　that　parallel　note　in
the　Apostolical　Constitutions　just　now　quoted；　concerning　the
great　wickedness　of　Saul　in　venturing；　even　under　a　seeming
necessity　of　affairs；　to　usurp　the　priest's　office；　and　offer
sacrifice　without　the　priest；　we　are　in　some　degree　able　to
answer　that　question；　which　I　have　ever　thought　a　very　hard　one；
viz。　Whether；　if　there　were　a　city　or　country　of　lay　Christians
without　any　clergymen；　it　were　lawful　for　the　laity　alone　to
baptize；　or　celebrate　the　eucharist；　etc。；　or　indeed　whether　they
alone　could　ordain　themselves　either　bishops；　priests；　or
deacons；　for　the　due　performance　of　such　sacerdotal
ministrations；　or　whether　they　ought　not　rather；　till　they
procure　clergymen　to　come　among　them；　to　confine　themselves
within　those　bounds　of　piety　and　Christianity　which　belong　alone
to　the　laity；　such　particularly　as　are　recommended　in　the　first
book　of　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；　which　peculiarly　concern
the　laity；　and　are　intimated　in　Clement's　undoubted　epistle；
sect。　40。　To　which　latter　opinion　I　incline。

（13）　This　rash　vow　or　curse　of　Saul；　which　Josephus　says　was
confirmed　by　the　people；　and　yet　not　executed；　I　suppose
principally　because　Jonathan　did　not　know　of　it；　is　very
remarkable；　it　being　of　the　essence　of　the　obligation　of　all
laws；　that　they　be　sufficiently　known　and　promulgated；　otherwise
the　conduct　of　Providence；　as　to　the　sacredness　of　solemn　oaths
and　vows；　in　God's　refusing　to　answer　by　Urim　till　this　breach　of
Saul's　vow　or　curse　was　understood　and　set　right；　and　God
propitiated　by　public　prayer；　is　here　very　remarkable；　as　indeed
it　is　every　where　else　in　the　Old　Testament。

（14）　Here　we　have　still　more　indications　of　Saul's　affectation　of
despotic　power；　and　of　his　entrenching　upon　the　priesthood；　and
making　and　endeavoring　to　execute　a　rash　vow　or　curse；　without
consulting　Samuel　or　the　sanhedrim。　In　this　view　it　is　also　that
I　look　upon　this　erection　of　a　new　altar　by　Saul；　and　his
offering　of　burnt…offerings　himself　upon　it；　and　not　as　any
proper　instance　of　devotion　or　religion；　with　other　commentators。

（15）　The　reason　of　this　severity　is　distinctly　given；　1　Samuel
15：18；　〃Go　and　utterly　destroy　the　sinners　the　Amalekites：〃　nor
indeed　do　we　ever　meet　with　these　Amalekites　but　as　very　cruel
and　bloody　people；　and　particularly　seeking　to　injure　and　utterly
to　destroy　the　nation　of　Israel。　See　Exodus　17：8…16；　Numbers
14：45；　Deuteronomy　25：17…19；　Judges　6：3；　6；　1　Samuel　15：33；
Psalms　83：7；　and；　above　all；　the　most　barbarous　of　all　cruelties；
that　of　Haman　the　Agagite；　or　one　of　the　posterity　of　Agag；　the
old　king　of　the　Amalekites；　Esther　3：1…15。

（16）　Spanheim　takes　notice　here　that　the　Greeks　had　such　singers
of　hymns；　and　that　usually　children　or　youths　were　picked　out　for
that　service；　as　also；　that　those　called　singers　to　the　harp；　did
the　same　that　David　did　here；　i。e。　join　their　own　vocal　and
instrumental　music　together。

（17）　Josephus　says　thrice　in　this　chapter；　and　twice　afterwards；
ch。　11。　sect。　2；　and　B。　VII。　ch。　1。　sect。　4；　i。e。　five　times　in
all；　that　Saul　required　not　a　bare　hundred　of　the　foreskins　of
the　Philistines；　but　six　hundred　of　their　heads。　The　Septuagint
have　100　foreskins；　but　the　Syriac　and　Arabic　200。　Now　that　these
were　not　foreskins；　with　our　other　copies；　but　heads；　with
Josephus's　copy；　seems　somewhat　probable；　from　1　Samuel　29：4；
where　all　copies　say　that　it　was　with　the　heads　of　such
Philistines　that　David　might　reconcile　himself　to　his　master；
Saul。

（18）　Since　the　modern　Jews　have　lost　the　signification　of　the
Hebrew　word　here　used；　cebr；　and　since　the　LXX。；　as　well　as
Josephus；　reader　it　the　liver　of　the　goat；　and　since　this
rendering；　and　Josephus's　account；　are　here　so　much　more　clear
and　probable　than　those　of　others；　it　is　almost　unaccountable
that　our　commentators　should　so　much　as　hesitate　about　its　true
interpretation。

（19）　These　violent　and　wild　agitations　of　Saul　seem　to　me　to　have
been　no　other　than　demoniacal；　and　that　the　same　demon　which　used
to　seize　him；　since　he　was　forsaken　of　God；　and　which　the　divine
hymns　and　psalms　which　were　sung　to　the　harp　by　David　used　to
expel；　was　now　in　a　judicial　way　brought　upon　him；　not　only　in
order　to　disappoint　his　intentions　against　innocent　David；　but　to
expose　him　to　the　laughter　and　contempt　of　all　that　saw　him；　or
heard　of　those　agitations；　such　violent　and　wild　agitations　being
never　observed　in　true　prophets；　when　they　were　under　the
inspiration　of　the　Spirit　of　God。　Our　other　copies；　which　say　the
Spirit　of　God　came　him；　seem　not　so　here　copy；　which　mentions
nothing　of　God　at　all。　Nor　does　Josephus　seem　to　ascribe　this
impulse　and　ecstasy　of　Saul　to　any　other　than　to　his　old
demoniacal　spirit；　which　on　all　accounts　appears　the　most
probable。　Nor　does　the　former　description　of　Saul's　real
inspiration　by　the　Divine　Spirit；　1　Samuel　10：9…12；　Antiq。　B。　VI。
ch。　4。　sect。　2；　which　was　before　he　was　become　wicked；　well　agree
with　the　descriptions　before　us。

（20）　What　is　meant　by　Saul's　lying　down　naked　all　that　day；　and
all　that　night；　1　Samuel　19：4；　and　whether　any　more　than　laying
aside　his　royal　apparel；　or　upper　garments；　as　Josephus　seems　to
understand　it；　is　by　no　means　certain。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。
VIII。　ch。　14。　sect。　2。

（21）　This　city　Nob　was　not　a　city　allotted　to　the　priests；　nor
had　the　prophets；　that　we　know　of；　any　particular　cities　allotted
them。　It　seems　the　tabernacle　was　now　at　Nob；　and　probably　a
school　of　the　prophets　was　here　also。　It　was　full　two　days'
journey　on　foot　from　Jerusalem；　1　Samuel　21：5。　The　number　of
priests　here　slain　in　Josephus　is　three　hundred　and　eighty…five；
and　but　eighty…five　in　our　Hebrew　copies；　yet　are　they　three
hundred　and　five　in　the　Septuagint。　I　prefer　Josephus's　number；
the　Hebrew　having；　I　suppose；　only　dropped　the　hundreds；　the
other　the　tens。　This　city　Nob　seems　to　have　been　the　chief；　or
perhaps　the　only　seat　of　the　family　of　Ithamar；　which　here
perished；　according　to　God's　former　terrible　threatenings　to　Eli；
1　Samuel　2：27…36；　3：11…18。　See　ch。　14。　sect。　D；　hereafter。

（22）　This　section　contains　an　admirable　reflection　of　Josephus
concerning　the　general　wickedness　of　men　in　great　authority；　and
the　danger　they　are　in　of　rejecting　that　regard　to　justice　and
humanity；　to　Divine　Providence　and　the　fear　of　God；　which　they
either　really　had；　or　pretended　to　have；　while　they　were　in　a
lower　condition。　It　can　never　be　too　often　perused　by　kings　and
great　men；　nor　by　those　who　expect　to　obtain　such　elevated
dignities　among　mankind。　See　the　like　reflections　of　our
Josephus；　Antiq。　B。　VII。　ch。　1。　sect。　5；　at　the　end；　and　B。　VIII。
ch。　10。　sect。　2；　at　the　beginning。　They　are　to　the　like　purport
with　one　branch　of　Agur's　prayer：　〃One　thing　have　I　required　of
thee；　deny　it　me　not　before　I　die：　Give　me　not　riches；　lest　I　be
full；　and　deny　thee；　and　say；　Who　is　the　Lord　？〃　Proverbs　30：7…9。

（23）　The　phrase　in　David's　speech　to　Saul；　as　set　down　in
Josephus；　that　he　had　abstained　from　just　revenge；　puts　me　in
mind　of　the　like　words　in　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；　B。　VII。
ch。　2。；　〃That　revenge　is　not　evil；　but　that　patience　is　more
honorable。〃

（24）　The　number　of　men　that　came　first　to　David；　are　distinctly
in　Josephus；　and　in　our　common　copies；　but　four　hundred。　When　he
was　at　Keilah　still　but　four　hundred；　both　in　Josephus　and　in　the
LXXX。；　but　six　hundred　in　our　Hebrew　copies；　1　Samuel　23：3；　see
30：9；　10。　Now　the　six　hundred　there　mentioned　are　here　estimated
by　Josephus　to　have　been　so　many；　only　by　an　augmentation　of　two
hundred　afterward；　which　I　suppose　is　the　true　solution　of　this
seeming　disagreement。

（25）　In　this　and　the　two　next　sections；　we　may　perceive　how
Josephus；　nay；　how　Abigail　herself；　would　understand；　the　〃not
avenging　ourselves；　but　heaping　coals　of　fire　on　the　head　of　the
injurious；〃　Proverbs　25：22；　Romans　12：20；　not　as　we　do　now；　of
them　into　but　of　leaving　them　to　the　judgment　of　God；　〃to　whom
vengeance　belongeth