登陆注册
19556700000536

第536章

(38) Josephus's number, two myriads and seven thousand, agrees here with that in our other copies, as those that were slain by the falling down of the walls of Aphek; but I suspected at first that this number in Josephus's present copies could not be his original number, because he calls them "oligoi," a few, which could hardly be said of so many as twenty-seven thousand, and because of the improbability of the fall of a particular wall killing so many; yet when I consider Josephus's next words, how the rest which were slain in the battle were "ten other myriads,"that twenty-seven thousand are but a few in comparison of a hundred thousand, and that it was not "a wall," as in our English version, but "the walls" or "the entire walls" of the city that fell down, as in all the originals, I lay aside that suspicion, and firmly believe that Josephus himself hath, with the rest, given us the just number, twenty-seven thousand.

(39) This manner of supplication for men's lives among the Syrians, with ropes or halters about their heads or necks, is, Isuppose, no strange thing in later ages, even in our own country.

(40) It is here remarkable, that in Josephus's copy this prophet, whose severe denunciation of a disobedient person's slaughter by 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.

同类推荐
  • PENROD

    PENROD

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝天关经

    太上洞玄灵宝天关经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 八美图

    八美图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 狮子吼

    狮子吼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 要行舍身经

    要行舍身经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 豪门太太:先生你在吗

    豪门太太:先生你在吗

    钟染不知道自己走了神马狗屎运,竟然嫁入了豪门。可阔太太没当两天,小三竟然找上门来。钟染郁闷了,彻底郁闷了。不是因为老公出轨,而是这个小三说神马。她没见过钟染老公,但她相信钟染老公会收了她,当然,她是不会让钟染老公跟钟染离婚的。钟染只需要给他们打扫打扫卫生,做做饭。就会给钟染钱的。SO,她要跟钟染一起等钟染老公回来。钟染无语,这个小三,不,这个待定小三是不是个蛇精病?你说,钟染是灭了她呢,还是灭了她呢?
  • 一次面试就成功!当场打动面试官的100个职场智慧

    一次面试就成功!当场打动面试官的100个职场智慧

    每个人都要经历面试,有人总是失败,有人却能一次就成功。失败的经历大多相似,成功的方法却各不相同。世界是平的,职场是通的,即使经济不景气,也能找到好工作。坚持下去,成功就在下一站等着你!把握瞬间机会……
  • tfboys之你喜欢我吗

    tfboys之你喜欢我吗

    千玺,我愿意一辈子陪在你身边,即使你不爱我。——夏香柠香柠,你喜欢谁,我就是谁,对于我来说,你就是我的全部。——易烊千玺王源,我很庆幸我喜欢上的是你。——宣若樱若樱,遇见你是我三生有幸。——王源俊凯,因为有你,所以我才有毅力活下去。——蒋慕晴慕晴,有你在的地方连风吹过来都是暖的。——王俊凯
  • 诡夜奇谈

    诡夜奇谈

    ?“鬼”这个东西,听起来都会给人一种毛骨悚然的感觉,虽然不可缺少的经常听到很多关于“鬼”的传说,可是我却一直秉承着相信科学的态度去理解这些传说,我并不相信这个世界上真的会有鬼,抱着这样的态度,对于这些听得我耳朵都快起老茧的鬼故事,久而久之,便变的有些麻木,矛盾的是,每当我一个人走夜路的时候,我都会有一种身后有人的感觉,为此,我找到了胡天师。
  • 侯门庶妃

    侯门庶妃

    霜花变,繁花尽,何人在盼故人归?皇权变,阊阖开,谁人谋了这天下?侯门深宅,中宫之策,康庄大道,谁在回廊挑灯看剑?乱世之中,锦绣坦途,幽怨深深何人等到繁华落尽?于红尘中,谱写一首离歌清唱。犹记梦回当年,一度坚城万里,再度缱绻柔情,三度爱恨别离。
  • 为君解罗裳:妖女倾天下

    为君解罗裳:妖女倾天下

    这东南国,谁人不知,谁人不晓,这要嫁的王爷,是传说中的暴君,杀人不眨眼,嗜血成狂的一个魔君的?圣旨一下,要千家的女儿嫁给东南国国的这个平南王爷,千家一听,仿佛是立马炸开了锅一样的,你不愿意去,我不愿意去,自然,就是由这个痴儿傻儿嫁过去了?
  • 苏逸晨

    苏逸晨

    一个职场员工,被老板炒鱿鱼,自杀跳湖,之后的发生翻天覆地的变化。这不是穿越,而是顺天命。
  • 儿童疾病合理用药305问

    儿童疾病合理用药305问

    本书对儿童疾病的诊断、治疗、预防和护理知识进行了介绍,并穿插了中医治疗方法和中药合理用药知识。
  • 幻:临界

    幻:临界

    我的王国,我的城池——光明之城——曙光的初辉,圣耀的闪烁。我是一位杰出的国王,也是一位糟糕的统治者。我在国家需要我的时候,离开了它,去了尘世,后来,它灭亡了,我不再是它的国王了。我远远地望着曾经属于我的土地,我发现它在对我哭泣,它对我很失望。我的眼泪也至此而落下……我开始走上一条不归路,准确地说,就是茫然的流浪……
  • 大武宗

    大武宗

    转轮回,定生死,逆转乾坤,善恶仅在一念之间,且看一个小小废柴,如何一步步走上巅峰。