to distribute justice equally to all; * as knowing that God is conscious of every secret action. When he had instructed them thus, and gone over every city of the two tribes, he returned to Jerusalem, He there also constituted judges out of the priests and Levites, † and and Levites, † and principal persons of the multitude; and admonished them to pass all their sentences with care and justice. And that if any of the people of his country had differences of great consequence, they would send them out of the other cities, to these judges, who would be obliged to give righteous sentences concerning such causes, and this with the greater care, because it is proper that the sentences which are given in that city where the temple of God is, and wherein the king dwells, be given with the utmost care and equity. Now he set over them Amariah, the priest, and Zebadiah of the tribe of Judah. And after this manner it was that the king ordered these affairs. that city, and take vengeance on those that About the same time the Moabites and Am- As soon as it was day, and the king was monites made an expedition against Jehosha- come into that wilderness which was under the phat, and took with them a great body of city of Tekoa, he said to the multitude, that Arabians and pitched their camp at Engedi, they ought to give implicit credit to what the a city situate near the lake Asphaltites, and prophet had said: and not to set themselves. distant three hundred furlongs from Jerusa- in array for fighting; but to set the priests, lem. In that place grew the best kind of with their trumpets, and the Levites, with the palm-trees, and the opobalsamum. Now singers of hymns, to give thanks to God, as Jehoshaphat heard that the enemies had pass having already delivered the country from its ed over the lake, and had made an irruption enemies. This opinion of the king pleased into that country which belonged to his king- the people, and they did as he desired. So dom at which news he was affrighted, and God caused a terror and commotion to arise called the people of Jerusalem to a congrega- among the Ammonites: who thought one tion in the temple. § And standing over another to be enemies, and slew one another; against the temple itself, he called upon God insomuch that not one man out of so great an to afford him power to inflict punishment up- army escaped. And when Jehoshaphat lookon those invaders: for that those who builted upon that valley wherein their enemies had his temple had prayed that he would protect *The charge or solemn admonition which Jehoshaphat gave the judges, whom he appointed in each city, runs in these words:-Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment: wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you: Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts, 2 Chron. xix.-6, 7. It is a remarkable saying of Cicero, that judges, being sworn to do justice, should remember, when they come to pass sentence, Deum habere testem: id est ut ego arbitror mentem suam, qua nihil homini dedit ipse Deus divinus. De Offic. lib. 3, c. 13. B. been encamped, and saw it full of dead men, These judges constituted by Jehoshaphat, were a Concerning this precious balsam, see the note on: § 2 Chron. xx. 3, 4. The cliff of Ziz, 2 Chron. xx. 16. The words in the text are, The Lord set ambushment against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten, he 2 he rejoiced at this surprising assistance of God; who by his own power, and without their labor, had given them the victory. He also permitted his army to take the prey of the enemies' camp, and to spoil their dead bodies; and indeed so they did for three days together, till they were weary: so great was the number of the slain. And on the fourth day, all the people were gathered together unto a certain hollow place or valley, and blessed God for his power and assistance, from which the place was called the valley of Berachah or Blessing.* building of ships that were to sail to Pontus and the commercial cities of Thrace; but the ships were destroyed, by being so great and unwieldy and, being thus disappointed of his profit, he was no longer concerned about shipping. And this is the history of Jehoshaphat, the king of Jerusalem. CHAP. II. OF AHAZIAH THE KING OF ISRAEL; AND OF THE FURTHER When the king had brought his army back NOW Ahaziah, $ the son of Ahab, reign ed over Israel, and made his abode in Samaria. He was a wicked man, and, in all respects, like to both his parents; and to Jeroboam, who first of all transgressed, and began to deceive the people. In the second year of his reign the king of Moab revolted from his obedience, and left off paying those tributes which he had before payed to to Jerusalem, he celebrated festivals and of- 2 Chron. xx. 22. And there are two ways wherein the slaughter may be supposed to have happened: either, 1st. By the ministry of God's angels, who might appear in the shape of men, and, putting on the appearance of Moabites or Ammonites, might smite some part of the army privately, and they supposing this to be done by their neighbours, might turn about and fall upon them like enemies, and so break forth into mutual slaughters. Or 20. By some jealousies and animosities among themselves, which by degrees brake forth, first into secret ambushments, which one party laid for another, and then into open hostilities and outrages to their total destruction. So easy a thing it is for God to defeat his enemies, who can, when he pleases, infatuate their designs, or arm their own passions and mistakes against them. Pool's Annot. on 2 Chron. xx. 22. B. * 2 Chron. xx. 26. This certainly was a great weakness in him, to make friendship with the son, when he had been so sharply reproved for joining with his father Ahab, especially since the son was as great an idolater as his father; but unto this he was betrayed by the affinity that was between them; and though he did not join with him in war, but only in trade, yet God was nevertheless displeased with him; which shews how dangerous a thing it is to have too near a familiarity or commerce with idolaters, or any other very wicked men. Patrick's Com. B. 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 Ezinogeber, which lay on the Red Sea, whence it Now it happened that Ahaziab, as he was coming down from the top of his house, || fell down from it, and in his sickness sent to the was impossible for any ships to sail to Pontus or Thrace. In the eastern countries the roofs of the houses were flat, and surrounded with a battlement, to prevent falling from them, because it was a customary thing for people to walk upon them, in order to take the air. Now, in this battlement, we may suppose that there were some wooden lattices for people to look through, of equal height with the parapet wall, and that Ahaziah negligently leaning on it, as it was rotten and infirm, it broke down, and let him fall into the court or garden belonging to his house. Or there is another way whereby he might fall. In these flat roofs, there was generally an opening which served instead of a sky-light to the house below; and this opening might be done over with lattice work, which the king, as he was carelessly walking, might chance to step upon, and slip through. Nor is there any absurdity in supposing such lattice-work in a king's palace when the world was not arrived at that height of art and curiosity that we find it in now. Pool's Annot, and Calmet's Diss. sur les edifices des anciens Hebreus. B. * 1 Fly, which was the god of Ekron; † for that was this god's name, to enquire about his recovery. But the God of the Hebrews appeared to Elijah the prophet, and commanded him to go and meet the messengers that were sent and to ask them, whether the people of Israel had not a God of their own, that the king sent to a foreign god to inquire about his recovery? And to bid them return and tell the king that he would not escape this disease. And when Elijah had performed what God had commanded, and the messengers had heard what he said, they returned to the king immediately. And when the *The word signifies, the god of flies; but how this lol came to obtain that name, it is not so easy a matter to discover. Several are of opinion, that this god was called Baal-semin, the lord of heaven, but that the Jews, by way of contempt, gave it the name of Baal-zebub, or the lord of a fly, a god that was nothing worth, or, as others say, whose temple was filled with flies; whereas the temple of Jerusalem, notwithstanding all the sacrifices that were daily offered, never once had a fly in it, as their doctors Relate. The sacred writings, indeed, when they speak of the gods of the Heathens, very frequently call them, in general, idols, vanity, abominations, &c. but they never change their proper names into such as are of an opprobrious import; neither can we think it likely, that the king of Israel would have called the god of Ekron, for whom he had so high a veneration as to consult him in his sickness, by any appellation of contempt. Whoever considers what troublesome and destructive creatures, especially in some hot countries, flies are known to be; in what vast swarms they sometimes settle, and not only devour all the fruits of the earth, but in many places occasioned a noisome pestilence; may reasonably suppose, that the Heathens had a proper deity to whom they had their addresses, either for the prevention or removal of their sore plagues. And accordingly we are told by Pliny, (1. 29, c. 6,) that when there was a plague in Africa, occasioned by vast quantities of flies, after that the people had sacrificed to the god Achore, (he should have said the god of Ekron, for there is a plain affinity between their names,) the flies all died, and the distemper was extinguished. Now, it was a known maxim of the heathen theology, that as all plagues were inflicted by some evil dæmon or other, so all evil dæmons were under the restraint of some superior one, who is their prince and ruler. As therefore Pluto, was known to be the God of hell, and to have all the mischievous band of spirits under his controul, to him the Heathens used to pray, and offer sacrifices, that he might not suffer any of his inferior agents to inflict this heavy judgment upon them. They worshipped him, I say, not to engage him to do them. any good, but to prevail with him to do them no harm; and accordingly we may observe, that every thing in their service was dark and gloomy. Their offerings were in the night: Tom Regi Stygio nocturnas inchoat aras. king wondered how they could return so soon, and asked them the reason of it, they said, "A certain man met us, and forbade us to go on any farther, but to return and tell thee, from the command of the God of Israel, that this disease will have a bad termination." § And when the king desired them to describe the man who said this to them, they replied, "He was a hairy man: and was girt about with a girdle of leather." So the king understood that the man described by the messengers was Elijah. Hereupon he sent a captain to him, with fifty soldiers, and commanded them to bring Elijah to him. And when the captain Such good reason have we to think, that the Baal-zebub, in Scripture called the prince of the devils, was the very same with the Pluto whom the Heathens made the god of hell, and worshipped in this manner, Patrick's and Le Clerc's Comment. and Jurieu Hist. des dogmes et cultes, part 4. c. 3, &c. B. † Ekron was a city and government of the Philistines, which fell by lot to the tribe of Judah, in the first division made by Joshua, Josh. xv. 45. but was afterwards given up to the tribe of Dan, Josh. xix. 43. though it does not appear from history that the Jews ever had a peaceable possession of it. It was situated near the Mediterranean sea, between Ashdod and Jamnia, in a moist and hot soil, and was therefore very much infested with flies. Calmet's Dict. and Patrick's Com. B. The description which the messengers give of Elijah is, That he was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins, 2 Kings i. 8, where his being an hairy man, may either denote his wearing long hair on his head, and his beard, as the ancient Greek philosophers were wont to do, and as Lucan describes Cato, Intensos rigidam in frontem descendere canos Passus erat, meestamque genis increscere barbam. Or it may denote his habit, which was made of skins, rough, and with their hair on, as the ancient heroes were clothed in the skins of lions, tigers, and bears: as the Evangelists represent the Baptist in a raiment of camel's hair, Mat. iii. 4. as the apostle describes the prophets, wandering about in sheep skins and goat skins, Heb. xi. 37. and as Statius dresses up old Tiresius, longævi vatis opacos Tiresiæ vultus, vocemque et vellera nota Induitur.. § 2 Kings i. 6. Theb. lib. 2. B. that that was sent found Elijah sitting upon the top of a hill, he commanded him to come down, and to come to the king; for so had he enjoined but that in case he refused they would carry him by force, Elijah replied, "That you may have a trial whether I be a true prophet, I will pray that, * fire may fall from heaven and destroy both the soldiers and thyself." So he prayed, and a whirlwind of fire fell from heaven, and destroyed the captain and those that were with him. And when the king was informed of the destruction of these men, he was very angry, and sent another captain with the like number of armed men that were sent before. And when this captain also threatened the prophet, that, unless he came down of his own accord, he would take and carry him away; upon his prayer against him the fire from heaven slew this captain as well as the other. And when, upon inquiry, the king was informed of what happened to him, he sent out a third captain. But when this captain, who was a wise man, and of a mild disposition, came to the place where Elijah happened to be, he spake civilly to him; and said, he knew that it was without his own consent, and only in submission to the king's command, that he came to him; and that those that came before, did not come willingly, but on the same account. He therefore desired him to have pity on those armed men that were with him, and to come down and follow him to the king. So Elijah accepted of his discreet words and courteous It is commonly esteemed a cruel action of Elijah, when he called for fire from heaven, and consumed 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 our Saviour notices it as an instance of greater severity than the spirit of the New Testament allows. Luke ix. 54. But we must consider, that it is not unlikely that these captains and soldiers believed 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 Abimelech, and the priests at Nob, they behaviour, and came down and followed him. And when he came to the king he told him, "God hath said, since thou hast despised him as not being God, and so unable to foretel the truth about thy distemper, but hast sent to the god of Ekron to inquire of him; know this, that thou shalt die." Accordingly the king died in a very little time, † as Elijah had foretold: and Jehoram his brother succeeded him in the kingdom, for he died without children. This Jehoram t was like his father Ahab in wickedness, and reigned twelve years, indulging himself in all sorts of wickedness and impiety towards God;. for leaving off his worship, he worshipped foreign gods. But in other respects he was an active man. Now at this time Elijah disappeared from among men ; and no one knows of his death to this very day; but he left behind him his disciple Elisha, as we have formerly declared. And indeed, as to Elijah, and as to Enoch, who lived before the deluge, it was written in the sacred books. that they disappeared; but so, that nobody knew they died. CHAP. III. OF AN EXPEDITION MADE BY JORAM AND JEHOSHAPHAT AGAINST THE MOABITES; THE WORKS OF ELISHA, AND THE DEATH OF JEHOSHAPHAT. WHE THEN Joram had taken upon him $ the kingdom, he determined to make an expedition against the king of Moab,, knew it to be an unlawful command, and would not obey it. 1 Sam. xxii. 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. See the Notes on VII. 13, and VIII. 14. † An. 898. Josephus's character of Joram seems much worse than that in our Hebrew and Greek copies; which say, 2. Kings iii. 2, 3, that although he followed the calves of Jeroboam, yet did he not act like his father Ahab, (and his mother Jezebel, because he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.) Where we may note, that not only the Alexandrian MS. omits the last branch inclosed in parentheses; but that the following characters and circumstances, and divine punishment of this Joram in all our copies, favor the worse character in Josephus. See 2 Kings iii. 13, 14. vi. 31, 32. ix. 7, 8, 9, 10. 22-26. § An. 895. whose name was Mesha. For as we have said before, he was departed from his disobedience to his brother Abaziah; while he payed to his father Ahab, * two hundred thousand sheep, with their fleeces of wool. When When therefore he had gathered his own army together, he sent to Jehoshaphat, and intreated him; that since he had from the beginning been a friend to his father, he would assist him in the war that he was entering into against the Moabites, who had departed from their obedience. Jehoshaphat readily promised that he would assist him, and would oblige the king of Edom, who was under his authority, to make the same expedition also. When Joram had received these assurances, he took his army with him, and came to Jerusalem; and when he had been sumptuously entertained by the king of Jerusalem, it was resolved upon by them to make their march against their enemies through the wilderness of Edom. And when they had taken a compass of seven days' journey, they were in distress for want of water for the cattle, and for the army; from the mistake of their roads by the guides that conducted them: insomuch that they were all in an agony, especially Joram; and cried to God, by reason of their sorrow, and desired to know what wickedness had been committed by them, that induced him to deliver three kings together, without fighting, into the hands of the king of Moab? But Jehoshaphat, who was a righteous man, encouraged him, and bade him send to the camp, and know whether any prophet of God was come along with them: that they might by him learn from God what they should do. And when one of the servants of Joram said, he had seen there Elisha, the son of Shaphat, the disciple of Elijah, the three kings went to him, at the intreaty of Jehoshaphat. And when they were come to the prophet's tent, without the camp; they asked him, what would become of the army? and Joram was particularly pressing with him about it. And when he replied to him, that he should not trouble him; but go to his father's and mother's prophets; for they, to be sure, were true prophets; he still desired him to prophecy, and to save them. So he sware by God, that he would not answer him, unless it were on account of Jehoshaphat, who was a holy and righteous man; and when, at his desire, they brought him a man that could play on the psaltery, the divine spirit came upon him, as the music played; and he commanded them to dig many trenches in the valley: "For," said he, "though there appear neither cloud, nor wind, nor storm of rain, ye shall see this river full of water, till the army and cattle be saved by drinking of it. Nor will this be all the favor that you shall receive from God; but you shall also overcome your enemies, and take the best and strongest cities of the Moabites; and you shall † cut down their fruit-trees, and lay waste their country, and stop up their fountains and rivers.' Accordingly, the next day before sun-rise, a great torrent ran strongly for God had caused it to rain very plentifully at the distance of three days' journey in Edom. So that the army and the cattle found water in abundance. But when the Moabites heard that the three kings were coming upon them, and made their approach through the wilderness, the king of Moab gathered his army together presently, and commanded them to encamp upon the mountains; that when the enemies should attempt to enter their country, they might not be concealed from them. But at the rising of the sun, when they saw the water in the torrent; for it was not far from the land of Moab, and that it was of the colour of blood; (for at such a time the water especially looks red, by the shining of the sun upon it;) they formed a false notion of the state of their enemies, as if they had slain one their wickedness. See Jer. xlviii. 11, 12, 13, and many similar 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. another |