the antiquities of the jews-1-第340章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


that　city　gate；　which　seems　still　to　have　been　built　the　highest
of　any　part　of　the　wall；　and　since　our　other　copies　say　he　went
up　to　the　chamber　over　the　gate；　2　Samuel　18：33；　I　think　we　ought
to　correct　our　present　reading　in　Josephus；　and　for　city；　should
read　gate；　i。e。　instead　of　the　highest　part　of　the　city；　should
say　the　highest　part　of　the　gate。　Accordingly　we　find　David
presently；　in　Josephus；　as　well　as　in　our　other　copies；　2　Samuel
19：8；　sitting　as　before；　in　the　gate　of　the　city。

（20）　By　David's　disposal　of　half　Mephibosheth's　estate　to　Ziba；
one　would　imagine　that　he　was　a　good　deal　dissatisfied；　and
doubtful　whether　Mephibosheth's　story　were　entirely　true　or　not；
nor　does　David　now　invite　him　to　diet　with　him；　as　he　did　before；
but　only　forgives　him；　if　he　had　been　at　all　guilty。　Nor　is　this
odd　way　of　mourning　that　Mephibosheth　made　use　of　here；　and　2
Samuel　19：24；　wholly　free　from　suspicion　by　hypocrisy。　If　Ziba
neglected　or　refused　to　bring　Mephibosheh　an　ass　of　his　own；　on
which　he　might　ride　to　David；　it　is　half　to　suppose　that　so　great
a　man　as　he　was　should　not　be　able　to　procure　some　other　beast
for　the　same　purpose。

（21）　I　clearly　prefer　Josephus's　reading　here；　when　it　supposes
eleven　tribes；　including　Benjamin；　to　be　on　the　one　side；　and　the
tribe　of　Judah　alone　on　the　other；　since　Benjamin；　in　general；
had　been　still　father　of　the　house　of　Saul；　and　less　firm　to
David　hitherto；　than　any　of　the　rest；　and　so　cannot　be　supposed
to　be　joined　with　Judah　at　this　time；　to　make　it　double；
especially　when　the　following　rebellion　was　headed　by　a
Benjamite。　See　sect。　6；　and　2　Samuel　20：2；　4。

（22）　This　section　is　a　very　remarkable　one；　and　shows　that；　in
the　opinion　of　Josephus；　David　composed　the　Book　of　Psalms；　not
at　several　times　before；　as　their　present　inscriptions　frequently
imply；　but　generally　at　the　latter　end　of　his　life；　or　after　his
wars　were　over。　Nor　does　Josephus；　nor　the　authors　of　the　known
books　of　the　Old　and　New　Testament；　nor　the　Apostolical
Constitutions；　seem　to　have　ascribed　any　of　them　to　any　other
author　than　to　David　himself。　See　Essay　on　the　Old　Testament；
pages　174；　175。　Of　these　metres　of　the　Psalms；　see　the　note　on
Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　16。　sect。　4。

（23）　The　words　of　God　by　Moses；　Exodus　30：12；　sufficiently
satisfy　the　reason　here　given　by　Josephus　for　the　great　plague
mentioned　in　this　chapter：　…　〃When　thou　takest　the　sum　of　the
children　of　Israel　after　their　number；　then　shall　they　give　a
ransom　for　his　soul　unto　the　Lord；　when　thou　numberest　them；　that
there　be　no　plague　amongst　them；　when　numberest　them。〃　Nor　indeed
could　David's　or　the　neglect　of　executing　this　law　at　this
numeration　of　half　a　shekel　apiece　with　them；　when　they　came
numbered。　The　great　reason　why　nations　are　so　committed　by　and
with　their　wicked　kings　and　governors　that　they　almost　constantly
comply　with　them　in　their　of　or　disobedience　to　the　Divine　laws；
and　suffer　Divine　laws　to　go　into　disuse　or　contempt；　in　order　to
kings　and　governors；　and　that　they　sub…political　laws　and
commands　of　those　governors；　instead　of　the　righteous　laws　of
God；　which　all　mankind　ought　ever　to　obey；　let　their　kings　and
governors　say　what　they　please　to　the　contrary；　this　preference
of　human　before　Divine　laws　seeming　to　me　the　principal　character
of　idolatrous　or　antichristian　nations。　Accordingly；　Josephus
well　observes；　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　17；　that　it　was　the
duty　of　the　people　of　Israel　to　take　care　that　their　kings；　when
they　should　have　them；　did　not　exceed　their　proper　limits　of
power；　and　prove　ungovernable　by　the　laws　of　God；　which　would
certainly　be　a　most　pernicious　thing　to　their　Divine　settlement。
Nor　do　I　think　that　negligence　peculiar　to　the　Jews：　those
nations　which　are　called　Christians；　are　sometimes　indeed　very
solicitous　to　restrain　their　kings　and　governors　from　breaking
the　human　laws　of　their　several　kingdoms；　but　without　the　like
care　for　restraining　them　from　breaking　the　laws　of　God。　〃Whether
it　be　right　in　the　sight　of　God　to　hearken　unto　men　more　than　to
God；　judge　ye；〃　Acts　4：19。　〃We　ought　to　obey　God　rather　than
men；〃　ver。　29。

（24）　What　Josephus　adds　here　is　very　remarkable；　that　this　Mount
Moriah　was　not　only　the　very　place　where　Abraham　offered　up　Isaac
long　ago；　but　that　God　had　foretold　to　David　by　a　prophet；　that
here　his　son　should　build　him　a　temple；　which　is　not　directly　in
any　of　our　other　copies；　though　very　agreeable　to　what　is　in
them；　particularly　in　1　Chronicles　21：25；　28；　22：1；　to　which
places　I　refer　the　reader。

（25）　Of　the　quantity　of　gold　and　silver　expended　in　the　building
of　Solomon's　temple；　and　whence　it　arose；　see　the　description　of
ch。　13。

（26）　David　is　here　greatly　blamed　by　some　for　recommending　Joab
and　Shimei　to　be　punished　by　Solomon；　if　he　could　find　a　proper
occasion；　after　he　had　borne　with　the　first　a　long　while；　and
seemed　to　have　pardoned　the　other　entirely；　which　Solomon
executed　accordingly；　yet　I　cannot　discern　any　fault　either　in
David　or　Solomon　in　these　cases。　Joab's　murder　of　Abner　and　Amasa
were　very　barbarous；　and　could　not　properly　be　forgiven　either　by
David　or　Solomon；　for　a　dispensing　power　in　kings　for　the　crime
of　willful　murder　is　warranted　by　no　law　of　God；　nay；　is　directly
against　it　every　where；　nor　is　it；　for　certain；　in　the　power　of
men　to　grant　such　a　prerogative　to　any　of　their　kings；　though
Joab　was　so　nearly　related　to　David；　and　so　potent　in　the　army
under　a　warlike　administration；　that　David　durst　not　himself　put
him　to　death；　2　Samuel　3：39；　19：7。　Shimei's　cursing　the　Lord's
anointed；　and　this　without　any　just　cause；　was　the　highest　act　of
treason　against　God　and　his　anointed　king；　and　justly　deserved
death；　and　though　David　could　forgive　treason　against　himself；
yet　had　he　done　no　more　in　the　case　of　Shimei　than　promised　him
that　he　would　not　then；　on　the　day　of　his　return　and
reinauguration；　or　upon　that　occasion；　himself　put　him　to　death；
2　Samuel　19：22；　and　he　swore　to　him　no　further；　ver。　23；　as　the
words　are　in　Josephus；　than　that　he　would　not　then　put　him　to
death；　which　he　performed；　nor　was　Solomon　under　any　obligation
to　spare　such　a　traitor。

BOOK　8　FOOTNOTES

（1）　This　execution　upon　Joab；　as　a　murderer；　by　slaying　him；　even
when　he　had　taken　sanctuary　at　God's　altar；　is　perfectly
agreeable　to　the　law　of　Moses；　which　enjoins；　that　〃if　a　man　come
presumptuously　upon　his　neighbor　to　slay　him　with　guile；　thou
shalt　take　him　from　mine　altar　that　he　die；〃　Exodus　21：14。

（2）　This　building　of　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　soon　after　David's
death；　illustrates　the　conclusion　of　the　51st　Psalm；　where　David
prays；　〃Build　thou　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；〃　they　being；　it　seems；
unfinished　or　imperfect　at　that　time。　See　ch。　6。　sect。　1；　and　ch。
1。　sect。　7；　also　1　Kings　9：15。

（3）　It　may　not　be　amiss　to　compare　the　daily　furniture　of　king
Solomon's　table；　here　set　down；　and　1　Kings　4；22；　23；　with　the
like　daily　furniture　of　Nehemiah　the　governor's　table；　after　the
Jews　were　come　back　from　Babylon；　and　to　remember　withal；　that
Nehemiah　was　now　building　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　and　maintained；
more　than　usual；　above　a　hundred　and　fifty　considerable　men　every
day；　and　that；　because　the　nation　was　then　very　poor；　at　his　own
charges　also；　without　laying　any　burden　upon　the　people　at　all。
〃Now　that　which　was　prepared　for　me　daily　was　one　ox　and　six
choice　sheep；　also　fowls　were　prepared　for　me；　and　once　in　ten
days　store　of　all　sorts　of　wine；　and　yet　for　all　this　required
not　the　bread　of　the　governor；　because　the　bondage　was　heavy　upon
this　people；〃　Nehemiah　5：18：　see　the　whole　context；　ver。　14…19。
Nor　did　the　governor's　usual　allowance　of　forty　shekels　of　silver
a…day；　ver。　15；　amount　to　45　a　day；　nor　to　1800　a…year。　Nor　does
it　indeed　appear　that；　under　the　judges；　or　under　Samuel　the
prophet；　there　was　any　such　public　allowance　to　those　governors
at　all。　Those　great　charges　upon　the　public　for　maintaining
courts　came　in　with　kings；　as　God　foretold　they　would；　1　Samuel
8：11…18。

（4）　Some　pretended　fragments　of　these　books　of　conjuration　of
Solomon　are　still　extant　in　Fabricius's　Cod。　Pseudepigr。　Vet。
Test。　pa