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the antiquities of the jews-1-第299章

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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 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 cha
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