the antiquities of the jews-1-第302节

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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　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