the antiquities of the jews-1-第85节

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think　those　do　not　do　well　who　call　these　valiant　men；　as　so　many
historians　and　other　writers　who　treat　of　them　are　wont　to　do；
although　I　confess　those　do　justly　deserve　some　commendation
also；　but　those　only　may　be　styled　courageous　and　bold　in　great
undertakings；　and　despisers　of　adversities；　who　imitate　Saul：　for
as　for　those　that　do　not　know　what　the　event　of　war　will　be　as　to
themselves；　and　though　they　do　not　faint　in　it；　but　deliver
themselves　up　to　uncertain　futurity；　and　are　tossed　this　way　and
that　way；　this　is　not　so　very　eminent　an　instance　of　a　generous
mind；　although　they　happen　to　perform　many　great　exploits；　but
when　men's　minds　expect　no　good　event；　but　they　know　beforehand
they　must　die；　and　that　they　must　undergo　that　death　in　the
battle　also；　after　this　neither　to　be　aftrighted；　nor　to　be
astonished　at　the　terrible　fate　that　is　coming；　but　to　go
directly　upon　it；　when　they　know　it　beforehand；　this　it　is　that　I
esteem　the　character　of　a　man　truly　courageous。　Accordingly　this
Saul　did；　and　thereby　demonstrated　that　all　men　who　desire　fame
after　they　are　dead　are　so　to　act　as　they　may　obtain　the　same：
this　especially　concerns　kings；　who　ought　not　to　think　it　enough
in　their　high　stations　that　they　are　not　wicked　in　the　government
of　their　subjects；　but　to　be　no　more　than　moderately　good　to
them。　I　could　say　more　than　this　about　Saul　and　his　courage；　the
subject　affording　matter　sufficient；　but　that　I　may　not　appear　to
run　out　improperly　in　his　commendation；　I　return　again　to　that
history　from　which　I　made　this　digression。

5。　Now　when　the　Philistines；　as　I　said　before；　had　pitched　their
camp；　and　had　taken　an　account　of　their　forces；　according　to
their　nations；　and　kingdoms；　and　governments；　king　Achish　came
last　of　all　with　his　own　army；　after　whom　came　David　with　his　six
hundred　armed　men。　And　when　the　commanders　of　the　Philistines　saw
him；　they　asked　the　king　whence　these　Hebrews　came；　and　at　whose
invitation。　He　answered　that　it　was　David；　who　was　fled　away　from
his　master　Saul；　and　that　he　had　entertained　him　when　he　came　to
him；　and　that　now　he　was　willing　to　make　him　this　requital　for
his　favors；　and　to　avenge　himself　upon　Saul；　and　so　was　become
his　confederate。　The　commanders　complained　of　this；　that　he　had
taken　him　for　a　confederate　who　was　an　enemy；　and　gave　him
counsel　to　send　him　away；　lest　he　should　unawares　do　his　friends
a　great　deal　of　mischief　by　entertaining　him；　for　that　he
afforded　him　an　opportunity　of　being　reconciled　to　his　master　by
doing　a　mischief　to　our　army。　They　thereupon　desired　him；　out　of
a　prudent　foresight　of　this；　to　send　him　away；　with　his　six
hundred　armed　men；　to　the　place　he　had　given　him　for　his
habitation；　for　that　this　was　that　David　whom　the　virgins
celebrated　in　their　hymns；　as　having　destroyed　many　ten　thousands
of　the　Philistines。　When　the　king　of　Gath　heard　this；　he　thought
they　spake　well；　so　he　called　David；　and　said　to　him；　〃As　for
myself；　I　can　bear　witness　that　thou　hast　shown　great　diligence
and　kindness　about　me；　and　on　that　account　it　was　that　I　took
thee　for　my　confederate；　however；　what　I　have　done　does　not
please　the　commanders　of　the　Philistines；　go　therefore　within　a
day's　time　to　the　place　I　have　given　thee；　without　suspecting　any
harm；　and　there　keep　my　country；　lest　any　of　our　enemies　should
make　an　incursion　upon　it；　which　will　be　one　part　of　that
assistance　which　I　expect　from　thee。〃　So　David　came　to　Ziklag；　as
the　king　of　Gath　bade　him；　but　it　happened；　that　while　he　was
gone　to　the　assistance　of　the　Philistines；　the　Amalekites　had
made　an　incursion；　and　taken　Ziklag　before；　and　had　burnt　it；　and
when　they　had　taken　a　great　deal　of　other　prey　out　of　that　place；
and　out　of　the　other　parts　of　the　Philistines'　country；　they
departed。

6。　Now　when　David　found　that　Ziklag　was　laid　waste；　and　that　it
was　all　spoiled；　and　that　as　well　his　own　wives；　who　were　two；　as
the　wives　of　his　companions；　with　their　children；　were　made
captives；　he　presently　rent　his　clothes；　weeping　and　lamenting；
together　with　his　friends；　and　indeed　he　was　so　cast　down　with
these　misfortunes；　that　at　length　tears　themselves　failed　him。　He
was　also　in　danger　of　being　stoned　to　death　by　his　companions；
who　were　greatly　afflicted　at　the　captivity　of　their　wives　and
children；　for　they　laid　the　blame　upon　him　of　what　had　happened。
But　when　he　had　recovered　himself　out　of　his　grief；　and　had
raised　up　his　mind　to　God；　he　desired　the　high　priest　Abiathar　to
put　on　his　sacerdotal　garments；　and　to　inquire　of　God；　and　to
prophesy　to　him；　whether　God　would　grant；　that　if　he　pursued
after　the　Amalekites；　he　should　overtake　them；　and　save　their
wives　and　their　children；　and　avenge　himself　on　the　enemies。　And
when　the　high　priest　bade　him　to　pursue　after　them；　he　marched
apace；　with　his　four　hundred　men；　after　the　enemy；　and　when　he
was　come　to　a　certain　brook　called　Besor；　and　had　lighted　upon
one　that　was　wandering　about；　an　Egyptian　by　birth；　who　was
almost　dead　with　want　and　famine；　（for　he　had　continued　wandering
about　without　food　in　the　wilderness　three　days；）　he　first　of　all
gave　him　sustenance；　both　meat　and　drink；　and　thereby　refreshed
him。　He　then　asked　him　to　whom　he　belonged；　and　whence　he　came。
Whereupon　the　man　told　him　he　was　an　Egyptian　by　birth；　and　was
left　behind　by　his　master；　because　he　was　so　sick　and　weak　that
he　could　not　follow　him。　He　also　informed　him　that　he　was　one　of
those　who　had　burnt　and　plundered；　not　only　other　parts　of　Judea；
but　Ziklag　itself　also。　So　David　made　use　of　him　as　a　guide　to
find　oat　the　Amalekites；　and　when　he　had　overtaken　them；　as　they
lay　scattered　about　on　the　ground；　some　at　dinner；　some
disordered；　and　entirely　drunk　with　wine；　and　in　the　fruition　of
their　spoils　and　their　prey；　he　fell　upon　them　on　the　sudden；　and
made　a　great　slaughter　among　them；　for　they　were　naked；　and
expected　no　such　thing；　but　had　betaken　themselves　to　drinking
and　feasting；　and　so　they　were　all　easily　destroyed。　Now　some　of
them　that　were　overtaken　as　they　lay　at　the　table　were　slain　in
that　posture；　and　their　blood　brought　up　with　it　their　meat　and
their　drink。　They　slew　others　of　them　as　they　were　drinking　to
one　another　in　their　cups；　and　some　of　them　when　their　full
bellies　had　made　them　fall　asleep；　and　for　so　many　as　had　time　to
put　on　their　armor；　they　slew　them　with　the　sword；　with　no　less
case　than　they　did　those　that　were　naked；　and　for　the　partisans
of　David；　they　continued　also　the　slaughter　from　the　first　hour
of　the　day　to　the　evening；　so　that　there　were；　not　above　four
hundred　of　the　Amalekites　left；　and　they　only　escaped　by　getting
upon　their　dromedaries　and　camels。　Accordingly　David　recovered
not　only　all　the　other　spoils　which　the　enemy　had　carried　away；
but　his　wives　also；　and　the　wives　of　his　companions。　But　when
they　were　come　to　the　place　where　they　had　left　the　two　hundred
men；　which　were　not　able　to　follow　them；　but　were　left　to　take
care　of　the　stuff；　the　four　hundred　men　did　not　think　fit　to
divide　among　them　any　other　parts　of　what　they　had　gotten；　or　of
the　prey；　since　they　did　not　accompany　them；　but　pretended　to　be
feeble；　and　did　not　follow　them　in　pursuit　of　the　enemy；　but　said
they　should　be　contented　to　have　safely　recovered　their　wives；
yet　did　David　pronounce　that　this　opinion　of　theirs　was　evil　and
unjust；　and　that　when　God　had　granted　them　such　a　favor；　that
they　had　avenged　themselves　on　their　enemies；　and　had　recovered
all　that　belonged　to　themselves；　they　should　make　an　equal
distribution　of　what　they　had　gotten　to　all；　because　the　rest　had
tarried　behind　to　guard　their　stuff；　and　from　that　time　this　law
obtained　among　them；　that　those　who　guarded　the　stuff；　should
receive　an　equal　share　with　those　that　fought　in　the　battle。　Now
when　David　was　come　to　Ziklag；　he　sent　portions　of　the　spoils　to
all　that　had　been　familiar　with　him；　and　to　his　friends　in　the
tribe　of　Judah。　And　thus　ended　the　affairs　of　the　plundering　of
Ziklag；　and　of　the　slaughter　of　the　Amalekites。

7。　Now　upon　the　Philistines　joining　battle；　there　followed　a
sharp　engagement；　and　the　Philistine；　became　the　conquerors；　and
slew　a　great　number　of　their　enemies；　but　Saul　the　king　of
Israel；　and　his　sons；　fought　courageously；　and　with　the　utmost
alacrity；　as　knowing　that　their　entire　glory　lay　in　nothing　else
but　dying　honorably；　and　exposing　themselves　to　the　utmost　danger
from　the　enemy　（for　they　had　nothing　else　to　hope　for）；　so　they
brought　upon　themselves　the　whole　power　of　the　enemy；　till　they
were　encompassed　round　and　slain；　but　not　before　they　had　killed
many　of　the　Philistines　Now　the　sons　of　Saul　were　Jonathan；　and
Abinadab；　and　Malchisua；　and　when　these　were　slain　the　multitude
of　the　Hebrews　were　put　to　flight；　and　all　was　disorder；　and
confusion；　and　slaughter；　upon　the　Philistines　pressing　in　upon
them。　But　Saul　himself　fled；　having　a　strong　body　of　soldiers
about　him；　and　upon　the　Philistines　sending　after　them　those　that
threw　javelins　and　shot　arrows；　he　lost　all　his　company　except　a
few。　As　for　himself；　he　fought　with　great　bravery；　and　when　he
had　received　so　many　wounds；　that　he　was　not　able　to　bear