the antiquities of the jews-1-第299节

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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