the antiquities of the jews-1-第300节

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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；〃　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