the antiquities of the jews-1-第338章

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them　into　but　of　leaving　them　to　the　judgment　of　God；　〃to　whom
vengeance　belongeth；〃　Deuteronomy　32：35；　Psalms　94：1；　Hebrews
10：30；　and　who　will　take　vengeance　on　the　wicked。　And　since　all
God's　judgments　are　just；　and　all　fit　to　be　executed；　and　all　at
length　for　the　good　of　the　persons　punished；　I　incline　to　think
that　to　be　the　meaning　of　this　phrase　of　〃heaping　coals　of　fire
on　their　heads。〃

（26）　We　may　note　here；　that　how　sacred　soever　an　oath　was
esteemed　among　the　people　of　God　in　old　times；　they　did　not　think
it　obligatory　where　the　action　was　plainly　unlawful。　For　so　we
see　it　was　in　this　case　of　David；　who；　although　he　had　sworn　to
destroy　Nabal　and　his　family；　yet　does　he　here；　and　1　Samuel
25：32…41；　bless　God　for　preventing　his　keeping　his　oath；　and
shedding　of　blood；　which　he　had　swore　to　do。

（27）　This　history　of　Saul's　consultation；　not　with　a　witch；　as　we
render　the　Hebrew　word　here；　but　with　a　necromancer；　as　the　whole
history　shows；　is　easily　understood；　especially　if　we　consult　the
Recognitions　of　Clement；　B。　I。　ch。　5。　at　large；　and　more　briefly；
and　nearer　the　days　of　Samuel　Ecclus。　46：20；　〃Samuel　prophesied
after　his　death；　and　showed　the　king　his　end；　and　lift　up　his
voice　from　the　earth　in　prophecy；〃　to　blot　out　〃the　wickedness　of
the　people。〃　Nor　does　the　exactness　of　the　accomplishment　of　this
prediction；　the　very　next　day；　permit　us　to　suppose　any
imposition　upon　Saul　in　the　present　history；　for　as　to　all　modern
hypotheses　against　the　natural　sense　of　such　ancient　and
authentic　histories；　I　take　them　to　be　of　very　small　value　or
consideration。

（28）　These　great　commendations　of　this　necromantic　woman　of
Endor；　and　of　Saul's　martial　courage；　when　yet　he　knew　he　should
die　in　the　battle；　are　somewhat　unusual　digressions　in　Josephus。
They　seem　to　me　extracted　from　some　speeches　or　declamations　of
his　composed　formerly；　in　the　way　of　oratory；　that　lay　by　him；
and　which　he　thought　fit　to　insert　upon　this　occasion。　See　before
on　Antiq。　B。　I。　ch。　6　sect。　8。

（29）　This　way　of　speaking　in　Josephus；　of　fasting　〃seven　days
without　meat　or　drink；〃　is　almost　like　that　of　St。　Paul；　Acts
27：33；　〃This　day　is　the　fourteenth　day　that　ye　have　tarried；　and
continued　fasting；　having　taken　nothing：〃　and　as　the　nature　of
the　thing；　and　the　impossibility　of　strictly　fasting　so　long；
require　us　here　to　understand　both　Josephus　and　the　sacred　author
of　this　history；　1　Samuel　30：13；　from　whom　he　took　it；　of　only
fasting　fill　the　evening；　so　must　we　understand　St。　Paul；　either
that　this　was　really　the　fourteenth　day　that　they　had　taken
nothing　till　the　evening；　or　else　that　this　was　the　fourteenth
day　of　their　tempestuous　weather　in　the　Adriatic　Sea；　as　ver。　27；
and　that　on　this　fourteenth　day　alone　they　had　continued　fasting；
and　had　taken　nothing　before　that　evening。　The　mention　of　their
long　abstinence；　ver。　21；　inclines　me　to　believe　the　former
explication　to　he　the　truth；　and　that　the　case　was　then　for　a
fortnight　what　it　was　here　for　a　week；　that　they　kept　all　those
days　entirely　as　lasts　till　the　evening；　but　not　longer。　See
Judges　20：26；　21：2；　1　Samuel　14：24；　2　Samuel　1：12；　Antiq。　B。　VII。
ch。　7。　sect。　4。

Book　7　Footnotes

（1）　It　ought　to　be　here　noted；　that　Joab；　Abishai；　and　Asahel
were　all　three　David's　nephews；　the　sons　of　his　sister　Zeraiah；
as　1　Chronicles　2：16；　and　that　Amasa　was　also　his　nephew　by　his
other　sister　Abigail；　ver。　17。

（2）　This　may　be　a　true　observation　of　Josephus's；　that　Samuel　by
command　from　God　entailed　the　crown　on　David　and　his　posteerity；
for　no　further　did　that　entail　ever　reach；　Solomon　himself　having
never　had　any　promise　made　him　that　his　posterity　should　always
have　the　right　to　it。

（3）　These　words　of　Josephus　concerning　the　tribe　of　Issachar；　who
foreknew　what　was　to　come　hereafter；〃　are　best　paraphrased　by　the
parallel　text。　1　Chronicles　12：32；　〃Who　had　understanding　of　the
times　to　know　what　Israel　ought　to　do；〃　that　is；　who　had　so　much
knowledge　in　astronomy　as　to　make　calendars　for　the　Israelites；
that　they　might　keep　their　festivals；　and　plough　and　sow；　and
gather　in　their　harvests　and　vintage；　in　due　season。

（4）　What　our　other　copies　say　of　Mount　Sion；　as　alone　properly
called　the　city　of　David；　2　Samuel　5：6…9；　and　of　this　its　siege
and　conquest　now　by　David；　Josephus　applies　to　the　whole　city
Jerusalem；　though　including　the　citadel　also；　by　what　authority
we　do　not　now　know　perhaps；　after　David　had　united　them　together；
or　joined　the　citadel　to　the　lower　city；　as　sect。　2；　Josephus
esteemed　them　as　one　city。　However；　this　notion　seems　to　be
confirmed　by　what　the　same　Josephus　says　concerning　David's　and
many　other　kings　of　Judah's　sepulchers；　which　as　the　authors　of
the　books　of　Kings　and　Chronicles　say　were　in　the　city　of　David；
so　does　Josephus　still　say　they　were　in　Jerusalem。　The　sepulcher
of　David　seems　to　have　been　also　a　known　place　in　the　several
days　of　Hyrcanus；　of　Herod；　and　of　St。　Peter；　Antiq。　B。　XIII。　ch。
8。　sect。　4　B。　XVI。　ch。　8。　sect。　1；　Acts　2：29。　Now　no　such　royal
sepulchers　have　been　found　about　Mount　Sion；　but　are　found　close
by　the　north　wall　of　Jerusalem；　which　I　suspect；　therefore；　to　be
these　very　sepulchers。　See　the　note　on　ch。　15。　sect。　3。　In　the
meantime；　Josephus's　explication　of　the　lame；　and　the　blind；　and
the　maimed；　as　set　to　keep　this　city　or　citadel；　seems　to　be　the
truth；　and　gives　the　best　light　to　that　history　in　our　Bible。　Mr。
Ottius　truly　observes；　（up。　Hayercamp；　p。　305；）　that　Josephus
never　mentions　Mount　Sion　by　that　name；　as　taking　it　for　an
appellative；　as　I　suppose；　and　not　for　a　proper　name；　he　still
either　styles　it　The　Citadel；　or　The　Upper　City；　nor　do　I　see　any
reason　for　Mr。　Ottius's　evil　suspicions　about　this　procedure　of
Josephus。

（5）　Some　copies　of　Josephus　have　here　Solyma；　or　Salem；　and
others　Hierosolyma；　or　Jerusalem。　The　latter　best　agree　to　what
Josephus　says　elsewhere；　（Of　the　War；　B。　VI。　ch。　10。；）　that　this
city　was　called　Solyma；　or　Salem；　before　the　days　of　Melchisedec；
but　was　by　him　called　Hierosolyma；　or　Jerusalem。　I　rather　suppose
it　to　have　been　so　called　after　Abraham　had　received　that　oracle
Jehovah　Jireh；　〃The　Lord　will　see；　or　provide；〃　Genesis　22；14。
The　latter　word；　Jireh；　with　a　little　alteration；　prefixed　to　the
old　name　Salem；　Peace；　will　be　Jerusalem；　and　since　that
expression；　〃God　will　see；〃　or　rather；　〃God　will　provide　himself
a　lamb　for　a　burnt…offering；〃　ver。　8；　14；　is　there　said　to　have
been　proverbial　till　the　days　of　Moses；　this　seems　to　me　the　most
probable　derivation　of　that　name；　which　will　then　denote　that　God
would　provide　peace　by　that　〃Lamb　of　God　which　was　to　take　away
the　sins　of　the　world。〃　However；　that　which　is　put　into　brackets
can　hardly　be　supposed　the　genuine　words　of　Josephus；　as　Dr。
Hudson　well　judges。

（6）　It　deserves　here　to　be　remarked；　that　Saul　very　rarely；　and
David　very　frequently；　consulted　God　by　Urim；　and　that　David
aimed　always　to　depend；　not　on　his　own　prudence　or　abilities　but
on　the　Divine　direction；　contrary　to　Saul's　practice。　See　sect。
2；　and　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　8。　sect。　9；　and　when　Saul's
daughter；　（but　David's　wife；）　Michal；　laughed　at　David's　dancing
before　the　ark；　2　Samuel　6：16；　&c。；　and　here；　sect。　l；　2；　3；　it
is　probable　she　did　so；　because　her　father　Saul　did　not　use　to
pay　such　a　regard　to　the　ark；　to　the　Urim　there　inquired　by；　or
to　God's　worship　before　it；　and　because　she　thought　it　beneath
the　dignity　of　a　king　to　be　so　religious。

（7）　Josephus　seems　to　be　partly　in　the　right；　when　he　observes
here　that　Uzzah　was　no　priest；　（though　perhaps　he　might　be　a
Levite；）　and　was　therefore　struck　dead　for　touching　the　ark；
contrary　to　the　law；　and　for　which　profane　rashness　death　was　the
penalty　by　that　law；　Numbers　4：15；　20。　See　the　like　before；
Antiq。　B。　VI。　ch。　1。　sect。　4。　It　is　not　improbable　that　the
putting　this　ark　in　a　cart；　when　it　ought　to　have　been　carried　by
the　priests　or　Levites；　as　it　was　presently　here　in　Josephus　so
carried　from　Obededom's　house　to　David's；　might　be　also　an
occasion　of　the　anger　of　God　on　that　breach　of　his　law。　See
Numbers　4：15；　1　Chronicles　15：13。

（8）　Josephus　here　inf