the antiquities of the jews-1-第306节

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a　lion　had　lately　come　to　pass；　was　no　other　than　Micaiah；　the
son　of　Imlah；　who；　as　he　now　denounced　God's　judgment　on
disobedient　Ahab；　seems　directly　to　have　been　that　very　prophet
whom　the　same　Ahab；　in　1　Kings　22：8；　18；　complains　of；　〃as　one
whom　he　hated；　because　he　did　not　prophesy　good　concerning　him；
but　evil；〃　and　who　in　that　chapter　openly　repeats　his
denunciations　against　him；　all　which　came　to　pass　accordingly；
nor　is　there　any　reason　to　doubt　but　this　and　the　former　were　the
very　same　prophet。

（41）　What　is　most　remarkable　in　this　history；　and　in　many
histories　on　other　occasions　in　the　Old　Testament；　is　this；　that
during　the　Jewish　theocracy　God　acted　entirely　as　the　supreme
King　of　Israel；　and　the　supreme　General　of　their　armies；　and
always　expected　that　the　Israelites　should　be　in　such　absolute
subjection　to　him；　their　supreme　and　heavenly　King；　and　General
of　their　armies；　as　subjects　and　soldiers　are　to　their　earthly
kings　and　generals；　and　that　usually　without　knowing　the
particular　reasons　of　their　injunctions。

（42）　These　reasonings　of　Zedekiah　the　false　prophet；　in　order　to
persuade　Ahab　not　to　believe　Micaiah　the　true　prophet；　are
plausible；　but　being　omitted　in　our　other　copies；　we　cannot　now
tell　whence　Josephus　had　them；　whether　from　his　own　temple　copy；
from　some　other　original　author；　or　from　certain　ancient　notes。
That　some　such　plausible　objection　was　now　raised　against　Micaiah
is　very　likely；　otherwise　Jehoshaphat；　who　used　to　disbelieve　all
such　false　prophets；　could　never　have　been　induced　to　accompany
Ahab　in　these　desperate　circumstances。

（43）　This　reading　of　Josephus；　that　Jehoshaphat　put　on　not　his
own；　but　Ahab's　robes；　in　order　to　appear　to　be　Ahab；　while　Ahab
was　without　any　robes　at　all；　and　hoped　thereby　to　escape　his　own
evil　fate；　and　disprove　Micaiah's　prophecy　against　him；　is
exceeding　probable。　It　gives　great　light　also　to　this　whole
history；　and　shows；　that　although　Ahab　hoped　Jehoshaphat　would　he
mistaken　for　him；　and　run　the　only　risk　of　being　slain　in　the
battle；　yet　he　was　entirely　disappointed；　while　still　the　escape
of　the　good　man　Jehoshaphat；　and　the　slaughter　of　the　bad　man
Ahab；　demonstrated　the　great　distinction　that　Divine　providence
made　betwixt　them。

（44）　We　have　here　a　very　wise　reflection　of　Josephus　about　Divine
Providence；　and　what　is　derived　from　it；　prophecy；　and　the
inevitable　certainty　of　its　accomplishment；　and　that　when　wicked
men　think　they　take　proper　methods　to　elude　what　is　denounced
against　them；　and　to　escape　the　Divine　judgments　thereby
threatened　them；　without　repentance；　they　are　ever　by　Providence
infatuated　to　bring　about　their　own　destruction；　and　thereby
withal　to　demonstrate　the　perfect　veracity　of　that　God　whose
predictions　they　in　vain　endeavored　to　elude。

BOOK　9　FOOTNOTES

（1）　These　judges　constituted　by　Jehoshaphat　were　a　kind　of
Jerusalem　Sanhedrim；　out　of　the　priests；　the　Levites；　and　the
principal　of　the　people；　both　here　and　2　Chronicles　19：8；　much
like　the　old　Christian　judicatures　of　the　bishop；　the　presbyters；
the　deacons；　and　the　people。

（2）　Concerning　this　precious　balsam；　see　the　note　on　Atiq。　B。
VIII。　ch。　6。　sect。　6。

（3）　What　are　here　Pontus　and　Thrace；　as　the　places　whither
Jehoshaphat's　fleet　sailed；　are　in　our　other　copies　Ophir　and
Tarshish；　and　the　place　whence　it　sailed　is　in　them　Eziongeber；
which　lay　on　the　Red　Sea；　whence　it　was　impossible　for　any　ships
to　sail　to　Pontus　or　Thrace；　so　that　Josephus's　copy　differed
from　our　other　copies；　as　is　further　plain　from　his　own　words；
which　render　what　we　read；　that　〃the　ships　were　broken　at
Eziongeber；　from　their　unwieldy　greatness。〃　But　so　far　we　may
conclude；　that　Josephus　thought　one　Ophir　to　be　some　where　in　the
Mediterranean；　and　not　in　the　South　Sea；　though　perhaps　there
might　be　another　Ophir　in　that　South　Sea　also；　and　that　fleets
might　then　sail　both　from　Phoenicia　and　from　the　Red　Sea　to　fetch
the　gold　of　Ophir。

（4）　This　god　of　flies　seems　to　have　been　so　called；　as　was　the
like　god　among　the　Greeks；　from　his　supposed　power　over　flies；　in
driving　them　away　from　the　flesh　of　their　sacrifices；　which
otherwise　would　have　been　very　troublesome　to　them。

（5）　It　is　commonly　esteemed　a　very　cruel　action　of　Elijah；　when
he　called　for　fire　from　heaven；　and　consumed　no　fewer　than　two
captains　and　a　hundred　soldiers；　and　this　for　no　other　crime　than
obeying　the　orders　of　their　king；　in　attempting　to　seize　him；　and
it　is　owned　by　our　Savior；　that　it　was　an　instance　of　greater
severity　than　the　spirit　of　the　New　Testament　allows；　Luke　9：54。
But　then　we　must　consider　that　it　is　not　unlikely　that　these
captains　and　soldiers　believed　that　they　were　sent　to　fetch　the
prophet；　that　he　might　be　put　to　death　for　foretelling　the　death
of　the　king；　and　this　while　they　knew　him　to　be　the　prophet　of
the　true　God；　the　supreme　King　of　Israel；　（for　they　were　still
under　the　theocracy；）　which　was　no　less　than　impiety；　rebellion；
and　treason；　in　the　highest　degree：　nor　would　the　command　of　a
subaltern；　or　inferior　captain；　contradicting　the　commands　of　the
general；　when　the　captain　and　the　soldiers　both　knew　it　to　be　so；
as　I　suppose；　justify　or　excuse　such　gross　rebellion　and
disobedience　in　soldiers　at　this　day。　Accordingly；　when　Saul
commanded　his　guards　to　slay　Ahimelech　and　the　priests　at　Nob；
they　knew　it　to　be　an　unlawful　command；　and　would　not　obey　it；　1
Samuel　22：17。　From　which　cases　both　officers　and　soldiers　may
learn；　that　the　commands　of　their　leaders　or　kings　cannot　justify
or　excuse　them　in　doing　what　is　wicked　in　the　sight　of　God；　or　in
fighting　in　an　unjust　cause；　when　they　know　it　so　to　be。

（6）　This　practice　of　cutting　down；　or　plucking　up　by　the　roots；
the　fruit　trees　was　forbidden；　even　in　ordinary　wars；　by　the　law
of　Moses；　Deuteronomy　20：19；　20；　and　only　allowed　by　God　in　this
particular　case；　when　the　Moabites　were　to　be　punished　and　cut
off　in　an　extraordinary　manner　for　their　wickedness　See　Jeremiah
48：11…13；　and　many　the　like　prophecies　against　them。　Nothing
could　therefore　justify　this　practice　but　a　particular　commission
from　God　by　his　prophet；　as　in　the　present　case；　which　was　ever　a
sufficient　warrant　for　breaking　any　such　ritual　or　ceremonial　law
whatsoever。

（7）　That　this　woman　who　cried　to　Elisha；　and　who　in　our　Bible　is
styled　〃the　wife　of　one　of　the　sons　of　the　prophets；〃　2　Kings
4：1；　was　no　other　than　the　widow　of　Obadiah；　the　good　steward　of
Ahab；　is　confirmed　by　the　Chaldee　paraphrast；　and　by　the　Rabbins
and　others。　Nor　is　that　unlikely　which　Josephus　here　adds；　that
these　debts　were　contracted　by　her　husband　for　the　support　of
those　〃hundred　of　the　Lord's　prophets；　whom　he　maintained　by
fifty　in　a　cave；〃　in　the　days　of　Ahab　and　Jezebel；　1　Kings　18：4；
which　circumstance　rendered　it　highly　fit　that　the　prophet　Elisha
should　provide　her　a　remedy；　and　enable　her　to　redeem　herself　and
her　sons　from　the　fear　of　that　slavery　which　insolvent　debtors
were　liable　to　by　the　law　of　Moses；　Leviticus　25：39；　Matthew
18：25；　which　he　did　accordingly；　with　God's　help；　at　the　expense
of　a　miracle。

（8）　Dr。　Hudson；　with　very　good　reason；　suspects　that　there　is　no
small　defect　in　our　present　copies　of　Josephus；　just　before　the
beginning　of　this　section；　and　that　chiefly　as　to　that　distinct
account　which　he　had　given　us　reason　to　expect　in　the　first
section；　and　to　which　he　seems　to　refer；　ch。　8。　sect。　6。
concerning　the　glorious　miracles　which　Elisha　wrought；　which
indeed　in　our　Bibles　are　not　a　few；　2　Kings　6…9。；　but　of　which　we
have　several　omitted　in　Josephus's　present　copies。　One　of　those
histories；　omitted　at　present；　was　evidently　in　his　Bible；　I　mean
that　of　the　curing　of　Nanman's　leprosy；　2　Kings　5。；　for　he
plainly　alludes　to　it；　B。　III。　ch。　11。　sect。　4；　where　he
observes；　that　〃there　were　lepers　in　many　nations　who　yet　have
been　in　honor；　and　not　only　free　from　reproach　and　avoidance；　but
who　have　been　great　captains　of　armies；　and　been　intrusted　with
high　offices　in　the　commonwealth；　and　have　had　the　privilege　of
entering　into　holy　places　and　temples。〃　But　what　makes　me　most
regret　the　want　of　that　history　in　our　present　copies　of　Josephus
is　this；　that　we　have　here；　as　it　is　commonly　understood；　one　of
the　greatest　difficulties　in　all　the　Bible；　that　in　2　Kings　5：18；
19；　where　Naaman；　after　he　had　been　miraculously　cured　by　a
prophet　of　the　true　God；　and　had　thereupon　promised　（ver。　17）
that　〃he　would　henceforth　offer　neither　burnt…offering　nor
sacrifice　unto　other　gods；　but　unto　the　Lord；〃　adds；　〃In　this
thing　the　Lord　pardon　thy　servant；　that　when　my　master　goeth　into
the　house　of　Rimnu　to　worship　there；　and　he　leaneth　on　my　hands；
and　I　bow　myself　in　the　house　of　Rimmort；　when　I　bow　down　myself
in　the　house　of　Rimmort；　the　Lord　pardon　thy　servant　in　this
thing。　And　Elisha　said；　Go　in　peace。〃　This　looks　like　a　prophet's
permission　for　being　partaker　in　idolatry　itself；　out　of
compliance　with　an　idolatrous　court。

（9）　Upon　occasion　of　this　stratagem　of　Elisha；　in　Josephus；　we
may　take　notice；　that　although　Josephus　was　one　of　the　greatest
lovers　of　truth　in　the　world；　yet　in　a　just　war　he　seems　to　have
had