the antiquities of the jews-1-第339章

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occasion　of　the　anger　of　God　on　that　breach　of　his　law。　See
Numbers　4：15；　1　Chronicles　15：13。

（8）　Josephus　here　informs　us；　that；　according　to　his
understanding　of　the　sense　of　his　copy　of　the　Pentateuch；　Moses
had　himself　foretold　the　building　of　the　temple；　which　yet　is　no
where；　that　I　know　of；　in　our　present　copies。　And　that　this　is
not　a　mistake　set　down　by　him　unwarily；　appears　by　what　he
observed　before；　on　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　46；　how　Moses
foretold　that；　upon　the　Jews'　future　disobedience；　their　temple
should　be　burnt　and　rebuilt；　and　that　not　once　only；　but　several
times　afterward。　See　also　Josephus's　mention　of　God's　former
commands　to　build　such　a　temple　presently；　ch。　14。　sect。　2；
contrary　to　our　other　copies；　or　at　least　to　our　translation　of
the　Hebrew；　2　Samuel　7：6；　7；　1　Chronicles　17：5；　6。

（9）　Josephus　seems；　in　this　place；　with　our　modern　interpreters
to　confound　the　two　distinct　predictions　which　God　made　to　David
and　to　Nathan；　concerning　the　building　him　a　temple　by　one　of
David's　posterity；　the　one　belongeth　to　Solomon；　the　other　to　the
Messiah；　the　distinction　between　which　is　of　the　greatest
consequence　to　the　Christian　religion。

（10）　Whether　Syria　Zobah；　2　Samuel　3：8；　1　Chronicles　18：3…8；　be
Sophene；　as　Josephus　here　supposes；　which　yet　Ptolemy　places
beyond　Euphrates；　as　Dr。　Hudson　observes　here；　whereas　Zobah　was
on　this　side；　or　whether　Josephus　was　not　here　guilty　of　a
mistake　in　his　geography；　I　cannot　certainly　determine。

（11）　David's　reserving　only　one　hundred　chariots　for　himself　out
of　one　thousand　he　had　taken　from　Hadadezer；　was　most　probably　in
compliance　with　the　law　of　Moses；　which　forbade　a　king　of　Israel
〃to　multiply　horses　to　himself；〃　Deuteronomy　17：16；　one　of　the
principal　uses　of　horses　in　Judea　at　that　time　being　for　drawing
their　chariots。　See　Joshua　12：6；　and　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。
18。　It　deserves　here　to　be　remarked；　that　this　Hadad；　being　a
very　great　king；　was　conquered　by　David；　whose　posterity　yet　for
several　generations　were　called　Benhadad；　or　the　son　of　Hadad；
till　the　days　of　Hazael；　whose　son　Adar　or　Ader　is　also　in　our
Hebrew　copy　（2　Kings　13：24）　written　Benhadad；　but　in　Josephus
Adad　or　Adar。　And　strange　it　is；　that　the　son　of　Hazael；　said　to
be　such　in　the　same　text；　and　in　Josephus；　Antiq。　B。　IX。　ch。　8。
sect。　7；　should　still　be　called　the　son　of　Hadad。　I　would；
therefore；　here　correct　our　Hebrew　copy　from　Josephus's；　which
seems　to　have　the　true　reading。　nor　does　the　testimony　of
Nicolaus　of　Damascus；　produced　in　this　place　by　Josephus；　seem　to
be　faultless；　when　it　says　that　he　was　the　third　of　the　Hadads；
or　second　of　the　Benhadads；　who　besieged　Samaria　in　the　days　of
Ahab。　He　must　rather　have　been　the　seventh　or　eighth；　if　there
were　ten　in　all　of　that　name；　as　we　are　assured　there　were。　For
this　testimony　makes　all　the　Hadads　or　Benhadads　of　the　same
line；　and　to　have　immediately　succeeded　one　another；　whereas
Hazael　was　not　of　that　line；　nor　is　he　called　Hadad　or　Benhadad
in　any　copy。　And　note；　that　from　this　Hadad；　in　the　days　of
David；　to　the　beginning　of　Hazael；　were　near　two　hundred　years；
according　to　the　exactest　chronology　of　Josephus。

（12）　By　this　great　victory　over　the　Idameans　or　Edomites；　the
posterity　of　Esau；　and　by　the　consequent　tribute　paid　by　that
nation　to　the　Jews；　were　the　prophecies　delivered　to　Rebecca
before　Jacob　and　Esau　were　born；　and　by　old　Isaac　before　his
death；　that　the　elder；　Esau；　（or　the　Edomites；）　should　serve　　and
the　younger；　Jacob；　（or　the　Israelites；）　and　Jacob　（or　the
Israelites）　should　be　Esau's　（or　the　Edomites'）　lord；　remarkably
fulfilled。　See　Antiq。　B。　VIII。　ch　7。　sect。　6；　Genesis　25；9；3；　and
the　notes　on　Antiq。　B。　I。　ch。　18。　sect。　5；　6。

（13）　That　a　talent　of　gold　was　about　seven　pounds　weight；　see　the
description　of　the　temple　ch。　13。　Nor　could　Josephus　well
estimate　it　higher；　since　he　here　says　that　David　wore　it　on　his
head　perpetually。

（14）　Whether　Josephus　saw　the　words　of　our　copies；　2　Samuel
12：31；　and　1　Chronicles　20：3；　that　David　put　the　inhabitants；　or
at　least　the　garrison　of　Rabbah；　and　of　the　other　Ammonite
cities；　which　he　besieged　and　took；　under；　or　cut　them　with　saws；
and　under；　or　with　harrows　of　iron；　and　under；　or　with　axes　of
iron；　and　made　them　pass　through　the　brick…kiln；　is　not　here
directly　expressed。　If　he　saw　them；　as　is　most　probable　he　did；
he　certainly　expounded　them　of　tormenting　these　Ammonites　to
death；　who　were　none　of　those　seven　nations　of　Canaan　whose
wickedness　had　rendered　them　incapable　of　mercy；　otherwise　I
should　be　inclinable　to　think　that　the　meaning；　at　least　as　the
words　are　in　Samuel；　might　only　be　this：　That　they　were　made　the
lowest　slaves；　to　work　in　sawing　of　timber　or　stone；　in　harrowing
the　fields；　in　hewing　timber；　in　making　and　burning　bricks；　and
the　like　hard　services；　but　without　taking　away　their　lives。　We
never　elsewhere；　that　I　remember；　meet　with　such　methods　of
cruelty　in　putting　men　to　death　in　all　the　Bible；　or　in　any　other
ancient　history　whatsoever；　nor　do　the　words　in　Samuel　seem
naturally　to　refer　to　any　such　thing。

（15）　Of　this　weight　of　Absalom's　hair；　how　in　twenty　or　thirty
years　it　might　well　amount　to　two　hundred　shekels；　or　to　somewhat
above　six　pounds　avoirdupois；　see　the　Literal　Accomplishment　of
Prophecies；　p。　77；　78。　But　a　late　very　judicious　author　thinks
that　the　LXXX。　meant　not　its　weight；　but　its　value；　Was　twenty
shekels。　…　Dr。　Wall's　Critical　Notes　on　the　Old　Testament；　upon　2
Samuel　14：26。　It　does　not　appear　what　was　Josephus's　opinion：　he
sets　the　text　down　honestly　as　he　found　it　in　his　copies；　only　he
thought　that　〃at　the　end　of　days；〃　when　Absalom　polled　or　weighed
his　hair；　was　once　a　week。

（16）　This　is　one　of　the　best　corrections　that　Josephus's　copy
affords　us　of　a　text　that　in　our　ordinary　copies　is　grossly
corrupted。　They　say　that　this　rebellion　of　Absalom　was　forty
years　after　what　went　before；　（of　his　reconciliation　to　his
father；）　whereas　the　series　of　the　history　shows　it　could　not　be
more　than　four　years　after　it；　as　here　in　Josephus；　whose　number
is　directly　confirmed　by　that　copy　of　the　Septuagint　version
whence　the　Armenian　translation　was　made；　which　gives　us　the
small　number　of　four　years。

（17）　This　reflection　of　Josephus's；　that　God　brought　to　nought
the　dangerous　counsel　of　Ahithophel；　and　directly　infatuated
wicked　Absalom　to　reject　it；　（which　infatuation　is　what　the
Scripture　styles　the　judicial　hardening　the　hearts　and　blinding
the　eyes　of　men；　who；　by　their　former　voluntary　wickedness；　have
justly　deserved　to　be　destroyed；　and　are　thereby　brought　to
destruction；）　is　a　very　just　one；　and　in　him　not　unfrequent。　Nor
does　Josephus　ever　puzzle　himself；　or　perplex　his　readers；　with
subtle　hypotheses　as　to　the　manner　of　such　judicial　infatuations
by　God；　while　the　justice　of　them　is　generally　so　obvious。　That
peculiar　manner　of　the　Divine　operations；　or　permissions；　or　the
means　God　makes　use　of　in　such　cases；　is　often　impenetrable　by
us。　〃Secret　things　belong　to　the　Lord　our　God；　but　those　things
that　are　revealed　belong　to　us；　and　to　our　children　for　ever；
that　we　may　do　all　the　words　of　this　law；〃　Deuteronomy　29：29。　Nor
have　all　the　subtleties　of　the　moderns；　as　far　as　I　see；　given
any　considerable　light　in　this；　and　many　other　the　like　points　of
difficulty　relating　either　to　Divine　or　human　operations。See
the　notes　on　Antiq。　B。　V　ch。　1。　sect。　2；　and　Antiq。　B。　IX。　ch。　4。
sect。　3。

（18）　Those　that　take　a　view　of　my　description　of　the　gates　of　the
temple；　will　not　be　surprised　at　this　account　of　David's　throne；
both　here　and　2　Samuel　18：21；　that　it　was　between　two　gates　or
portals。　Gates　being　in　cities；　as　well　as　at　the　temple；　large
open　places；　with　a　portal　at　the　entrance；　and　another　at　the
exit；　between　which　judicial　causes　were　heard；　and　public
consultations　taken；　as　is　well　known　from　several　places　of
Scripture；　2　Chronicles　31：2；　Psalm　9：14；　137：5；　Proverbs　1：21；
8：3；　31；　31：23；　and　often　elsewhere。

（19）　Since　David　was　now　in　Mahanairn；　and　in　the　open　place　of
that　city　gate；　which　seems　still　to　have　been　built　the　highest
of　any　part　of　the