saw what miseries had happened to the inhabitants of Jericho; and to
those of Ai, and suspected that the like sore calamity would come as far
as themselves, they did not think fit to ask for mercy of Joshua; for
they supposed they should find little mercy from him, who made war that
he might entirely destroy the nation of the Canaanites; but they invited
the people of Cephirah and Kiriathjearim, who were their neighbors, to
join in league with them; and told them that neither could they
themselves avoid the danger they were all in, if the Israelites should
prevent them, and seize upon them: so when they had persuaded them, they
resolved to endeavor to escape the forces of the Israelites.
Accordingly, upon their agreement to what they proposed, they sent
ambassadors to Joshua to make a league of friendship with him, and those
such of the citizens as were best approved of, and most capable of doing
what was most advantageous to the multitude. Now these ambassadors
thought it dangerous to confess themselves to be Canaanites, but thought
they might by this contrivance avoid the danger, namely, by saying that
they bare no relation to the Canaanites at all, but dwelt at a very
great distance from them: and they said further, that they came a long
way, on account of the reputation he had gained for his virtue; and as a
mark of the truth of what they said, they showed him the habit they were
in, for that their clothes were new when they came out, but were greatly
worn by the length of thee they had been on their journey; for indeed
they took torn garments, on purpose that they might make him believe so.
So they stood in the midst of the people, and said that they were sent
by the people of Gibeon, and of the circumjacent cities, which were very
remote from the land where they now were, to make such a league of
friendship with them, and this on such conditions as were customary
among their forefathers; for when they understood that, by the favor of
God, and his gift to them, they were to have the possession of the land
of Canaan bestowed upon them, they said that they were very glad to hear
it, and desired to be admitted into the number of their citizens. Thus
did these ambassadors speak; and showing them the marks of their long
journey, they entreated the Hebrews to make a league of friendship with
them. Accordingly Joshua, believing what they said, that they were not
of the nation of the Canaanites, entered into friendship with them; and
Eleazar the high priest, with the senate, sware to them that they would
esteem them their friends and associates, and would attempt nothing that
should be unfair against them, the multitude also assenting to the oaths
that were made to them. So these men, having obtained what they desired,
by deceiving the Israelites, went home: but when Joshua led his army to
the country at the bottom of the mountains of this part of Canaan, he
understood that the Gibeonites dwelt not far from Jerusalem, and that
they were of the stock of the Canaanites; so he sent for their
governors, and reproached them with the cheat they had put upon him; but
they alleged, on their own behalf, that they had no other way to save
themselves but that, and were therefore forced to have recourse to it.
So he called for Eleazar the high priest, and for the senate, who
thought it right to make them public servants, that they might not break
the oath they had made to them; and they ordained them to be so. And
this was the method by which these men found safety and security under
the calamity that was ready to overtake them.
17. But the king of Jerusalem took it to heart that the Gibeonites had
gone over to Joshua; so he called upon the kings of the neighboring
nations to join together, and make war against them. Now when the
Gibeonites saw these kings, which were four, besides the king of
Jerusalem, and perceived that they had pitched their camp at a certain
fountain not far from their city, and were getting ready for the siege
of it, they called upon Joshua to assist them; for such was their case,
as to expect to be destroyed by these Canaanites, but to suppose they
should be saved by those that came for the destruction of the
Canaanites, because of the league of friendship that was between them.
Accordingly, Joshua made haste with his whole army to assist them, and
marching day and night, in the morning he fell upon the enemies as they
were going up to the siege; and when he had discomfited them, he
followed them, and pursued them down the descent of the hills. The place
is called Bethhoron; where he also understood that God assisted him,
which he declared by thunder and thunderbolts, as also by the falling of
hail larger than usual. Moreover, it happened that the day was
lengthened 7 that the night might not come on too soon, and be an
obstruction to the zeal of the Hebrews in pursuing their enemies;
insomuch that Joshua took the kings, who were hidden in a certain cave
at Makkedah, and put them to death. Now, that the day was lengthened at
this thee, and was longer than ordinary, is expressed in the books laid
up in the temple.
18. These kings which made war with, and were ready to fight the
Gibeonites, being thus overthrown, Joshua returned again to the
mountainous parts of Canaan; and when he had made a great slaughter of
the people there, and took their prey, he came to the camp at Gilgal.
And now there went a great fame abroad among the neighboring people of
the courage of the Hebrews; and those that heard what a number of men
were destroyed, were greatly affrighted at it: so the kings that lived
about Mount Libanus, who were Canaanites, and those Canaanites that
dwelt in the plain country, with auxiliaries out of the land of the
Philistines, pitched their camp at Beroth, a city of the Upper Galilee,
not far from Cadesh, which is itself also a place in Galilee. Now the
number of the whole army was three hundred thousand armed footmen, and
ten thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand chariots; so that the
multitude of the enemies affrighted both Joshua himself and the
Israelites; and they, instead of being full of hopes of good success,
were superstitiously timorous, with the great terror with which they
were stricken. Whereupon God upbraided them with the fear they were in,
and asked them whether they desired a greater help than he could afford
them; and promised them that they should overcome their enemies; and
withal charged them to make their enemies' horses useless, and to burn
their chariots. So Joshua became full of courage upon these promises of
God, and went out suddenly against the enemies; and after five days'
march he came upon them, and joined battle with them, and there was a
terrible fight, and such a number were slain as could not be believed by
those that heard it. He also went on in the pursuit a great way, and
destroyed the entire army of the enemies, few only excepted, and all the
kings fell in the battle; insomuch, that when there wanted men to be
killed, Joshua slew their horses, and burnt their chariots and passed
all over their country without opposition, no one daring to meet him in
battle; but he still went on, taking their cities by siege, and again
killing whatever he took.
19. The fifth year was now past, and there was not one of the Canaanites
remained any longer, excepting some that had retired to places of great
strength. So Joshua removed his camp to the mountainous country, and
placed the tabernacle in the city of Shiloh, for that seemed a fit place
for it, because of the beauty of its situation, until such thee as their
affairs would permit them to build a temple; and from thence he went to
Shechem, together with all the people, and raised an altar where Moses
had beforehand directed; then did he divide the army, and placed one
half of them on Mount Gerizzim, and the other half on Mount Ebal, on
which mountain the altar was; he also placed there the tribe of Levi,
and the priests. And when they had sacrificed, and denounced the
[blessings and the] curses, and had left them engraven upon the altar,
they returned to Shiloh.
20. And now Joshua was old, and saw that the cities of the Canaanites
were not easily to be taken, not only because they were situate in such
strong places, but because of the strength of the walls themselves,
which being built round about, the natural strength of the places on
which the cities stood, seemed capable of repelling their enemies from
besieging them, and of making those enemies despair of taking them; for
when the Canaanites had learned that the Israelites came out of Egypt in
order to destroy them, they were busy all that time in making their
cities strong. So he gathered the people together to a congregation at
Shiloh; and when they, with great zeal and haste, were come thither, he
observed to them what prosperous successes they had already had, and
what glorious things had been done, and those such as were worthy of
that God who enabled them to do those things, and worthy of the virtue
of those laws which they followed. He took notice also, that thirty-one
of those kings that ventured to give them battle were overcome, and
every army, how great soever it were, that confided in their own power,
and fought with them, was utterly destroyed; so that not so much as any
of their posterity remained. And as for the cities, since some of them
were taken, but the others must be taken in length of time, by long
sieges, both on account of the strength of their walls, and of the
confidence the inhabitants had in them thereby, he thought it reasonable
that those tribes that came along with them from beyond Jordan, and had
partaken of the dangers they had undergone, being their own kindred,
should now be dismissed and sent home, and should have thanks for the
pains they had taken together with them. As also, he thought it
reasonable that they should send one man out of every tribe, and he such
as had the testimony of extraordinary virtue, who should measure the
land faithfully, and without any fallacy or deceit should inform them of
its real magnitude.
21. Now Joshua, when he had thus spoken to them, found that the
multitude approved of his proposal. So he sent men to measure their
country, and sent with them some geometricians, who could not easily
fail of knowing the truth, on account of their skill in that art. He
also gave them a charge to estimate the measure of that part of the land
that was most fruitful, and what was not so good: for such is the nature
of the land of Canaan, that one may see large plains, and such as are
exceeding fit to produce fruit, which yet, if they were compared to
other parts of the country, might be reckoned exceedingly fruitful; yet,
if it be compared with the fields about Jericho, and to those that
belong to Jerusalem, will appear to be of no account at all; and
although it so falls out that these people have but a very little of
this sort of land, and that it is, for the main, mountainous also, yet
does it not come behind other parts, on account of its exceeding
goodness and beauty; for which reason Joshua thought the land for the
tribes should be divided by estimation of its goodness, rather than the
largeness of its measure, it often happening that one acre of some sort
of land was equivalent to a thousand other acres. Now the men that were
sent, which were in number ten, traveled all about, and made an
estimation of the land, and in the seventh month came to him to the city
of Shiloh, where they had set up the tabernacle.
22. So Joshua took both Eleazar and the senate, and with them the heads
of the tribes, and distributed the land to the nine tribes, and to the
half-tribe of Manasseh, appointing the dimensions to be according to the
largeness of each tribe. So when he had cast lots, Judah had assigned
him by lot the upper part of Judea, reaching as far as Jerusalem, and
its breadth extended to the Lake of Sodom. Now in the lot of this tribe
there were the cities of Askelon and Gaza. The lot of Simeon, which was
the second, included that part of Idumea which bordered upon Egypt and
Arabia. As to the Benjamites, their lot fell so, that its length reached
from the river Jordan to the sea, but in breadth it was bounded by
Jerusalem and Bethel; and this lot was the narrowest of all, by reason
of the goodness of the land, for it included Jericho and the city of
Jerusalem. The tribe of Ephraim had by lot the land that extended in
length from the river Jordan to Gezer; but in breadth as far as from
Bethel, till it ended at the Great Plain. The half-tribe of Manasseh had
the land from Jordan to the city of Dora; but its breadth was at
Bethsham, which is now called Scythopolis. And after these was Issachar,
which had its limits in length, Mount Carmel and the river, but its
limit in breadth was Mount Tabor. The tribe of Zebulon's lot included
the land which lay as far as the Lake of Genesareth, and that which
belonged to Carmel and the sea. The tribe of Aser had that part which
was called the Valley, for such it was, and all that part which lay
over-against Sidon. The city Arce belonged to their share, which is also
named Actipus. The Naphthalites received the eastern parts, as far as
the city of Damascus and the Upper Galilee, unto Mount Libanus, and the
Fountains of Jordan, which rise out of that mountain; that is, out of
that part of it whose limits belong to the neighboring city of Arce. The
Danites' lot included all that part of the valley which respects the
sun-setting, and were bounded by Azotus and Dora; as also they had all
Jamnia and Gath, from Ekron to that mountain where the tribe of Judah
begins.
23. After this manner did Joshua divide the six nations that bear the
name of the sons of Canaan, with their land, to be possessed by the nine
tribes and a half; for Moses had prevented him, and had already
distributed the land of the Amorites, which itself was so called also
from one of the sons of Canaan, to the two tribes and a half, as we have
shown already. But the parts about Sidon, as also those that belonged to
the Arkites, and the Amathites, and the Aradians, were not yet regularly
disposed of.
24. But now was Joshua hindered by his age from executing what he
intended to do [as did those that succeeded him in the government, take
little care of what was for the advantage of the public]; so he gave it
in charge to every tribe to leave no remainder of the race of the
Canaanites in the land that had been divided to them by lot; that Moses
had assured them beforehand, and they might rest fully satisfied about
it, that their own security and their observation of their own laws
depended wholly upon it. Moreover, he enjoined them to give thirty-eight
cities to the Levites, for they had already received ten in the country
of the Amorites; and three of these he assigned to those that fled from
the man-slayers, who were to inhabit there; for he was very solicitous
that nothing should be neglected which Moses had ordained. These cities
were, of the tribe of Judah, Hebron; of that of Ephraim, Shechem; and of
that of Naphthali, Cadesh, which is a place of the Upper Galilee. He
also distributed among them the rest of the prey not yet distributed,
which was very great; whereby they had an affluence of great riches,
both all in general, and every one in particular; and this of gold and
of vestments, and of other furniture, besides a multitude of cattle,
whose number could not be told.
25. After this was over, he gathered the army together to a
congregation, and spake thus to those tribes that had their settlement
in the land of the Amorites beyond Jordan,—for fifty thousand of them
had armed themselves, and had gone to the war along with them:—"Since
that God, who is the Father and Lord of the Hebrew nation, has now given
us this land for a possession, and promised to preserve us in the
enjoyment of it as our own for ever; and since you have with alacrity
offered yourselves to assist us when we wanted that assistance on all
occasions, according to his command; it is but just, now all our
difficulties are over, that you should be permitted to enjoy rest, and
that we should trespass on your alacrity to help us no longer; that so,
if we should again stand in need of it, we may readily have it on any
future emergency, and not tire you out so much now as may make you
slower in assisting us another time. We, therefore, return you our
thanks for the dangers you have undergone with us, and we do it not at
this time only, but we shall always be thus disposed; and be so good as
to remember our friends, and to preserve in mind what advantages we have
had from them; and how you have put off the enjoyments of your own
happiness for our sakes, and have labored for what we have now, by the
goodwill of God, obtained, and resolved not to enjoy your own prosperity
till you had afforded us that assistance. However, you have, by joining
your labor with ours, gotten great plenty of riches, and will carry home
with you much prey, with gold and silver, and, what is more than all
these, our good-will towards you, and a mind willingly disposed to make
a requital of your kindness to us, in what case soever you shall desire
it, for you have not omitted any thing which Moses beforehand required
of you, nor have you despised him because he was dead and gone from you,
so that there is nothing to diminish that gratitude which we owe to you.
We therefore dismiss you joyful to your own inheritances; and we entreat
you to suppose, that there is no limit to be set to the intimate
relation that is between us; and that you will not imagine, because this
river is interposed between us, that you are of a different race from
us, and not Hebrews; for we are all the posterity of Abraham, both we
that inhabit here, and you that inhabit there; and it is the same God
that brought our forefathers and yours into the world, whose worship and
form of government we are to take care of, which he has ordained, and
are most carefully to observe; because while you continue in those laws,
God will also show himself merciful and assisting to you; but if you
imitate the other nations, and forsake those laws, he will reject your
nation." When Joshua had spoken thus, and saluted them all, both those
in authority one by one, and the whole multitude in common, he himself
staid where he was; but the people conducted those tribes on their
journey, and that not without tears in their eyes; and indeed they
hardly knew how to part one from the other.
26. Now when the tribe of Reuben, and that of Gad, and as many of the
Manassites as followed them, were passed over the river, they built an
altar on the banks of Jordan, as a monument to posterity, and a sign of
their relation to those that should inhabit on the other side. But when
those on the other side heard that those who had been dismissed had
built an altar, but did not hear with what intention they built it, but
supposed it to be by way of innovation, and for the introduction of
strange gods, they did not incline to disbelieve it; but thinking this
defamatory report, as if it were built for divine worship, was credible,
they appeared in arms, as though they would avenge themselves on those
that built the altar; and they were about to pass over the river, and to
punish them for their subversion of the laws of their country; for they
did not think it fit to regard them on account of their kindred or the
dignity of those that had given the occasion, but to regard the will of
God, and the manner wherein he desired to be worshipped; so these men
put themselves in array for war. But Joshua, and Eleazar the high
priest, and the senate, restrained them; and persuaded them first to
make trial by words of their intention, and afterwards, if they found
that their intention was evil, then only to proceed to make war upon
them. Accordingly, they sent as ambassadors to them Phineas the son of
Eleazar, and ten more persons that were in esteem among the Hebrews, to
learn of them what was in their mind, when, upon passing over the river,
they had built an altar upon its banks. And as soon as these ambassadors
were passed over, and were come to them, and a congregation was
assembled, Phineas stood up and said, That the offense they had been
guilty of was of too heinous a nature to be punished by words alone, or
by them only to be amended for the future; yet that they did not so look
at the heinousness of their transgression as to have recourse to arms,
and to a battle for their punishment immediately, but that, on account
of their kindred, and the probability there was that they might be
reclaimed, they took this method of sending an ambassage to them: "That
when we have learned the true reasons by which you have been moved to
build this altar, we may neither seem to have been too rash in
assaulting you by our weapons of war, if it prove that you made the
altar for justifiable reasons, and may then justly punish you if the
accusation prove true; for we can hardly hardly suppose that you, have
been acquainted with the will of God and have been hearers of those laws
which he himself hath given us, now you are separated from us, and gone
to that patrimony of yours, which you, through the grace of God, and
that providence which he exercises over you, have obtained by lot, can
forget him, and can leave that ark and that altar which is peculiar to
us, and can introduce strange gods, and imitate the wicked practices of
the Canaanites. Now this will appear to have been a small crime if you
repent now, and proceed no further in your madness, but pay a due
reverence to, and keep in mind the laws of your country; but if you
persist in your sins, we will not grudge our pains to preserve our laws;
but we will pass over Jordan and defend them, and defend God also, and
shall esteem of you as of men no way differing from the Canaanites, but
shall destroy you in the like manner as we destroyed them; for do not
you imagine that, because you are got over the river, you are got out of
the reach of God's power; you are every where in places that belong to
him, and impossible it is to overrun his power, and the punishment he
will bring on men thereby: but if you think that your settlement here
will be any obstruction to your conversion to what is good, nothing need
hinder us from dividing the land anew, and leaving this old land to be
for the feeding of sheep; but you will do well to return to your duty,
and to leave off these new crimes; and we beseech you, by your children
and wives, not to force us to punish you. Take therefore such measures
in this assembly, as supposing that your own safety, and the safety of
those that are dearest to you, is therein concerned, and believe that it
is better for you to be conquered by words, than to continue in your
purpose, and to experience deeds and war therefore."
27. When Phineas had discoursed thus, the governors of the assembly, and
the whole multitude, began to make an apology for themselves, concerning
what they were accused of; and they said, That they neither would depart
from the relation they bare to them, nor had they built the altar by way
of innovation; that they owned one and the same common God with all the
Hebrews, and that brazen altar which was before the tabernacle, on which
they would offer their sacrifices; that as to the altar they had raised,
on account of which they were thus suspected, it was not built for
worship, "but that it might be a sign and a monument of our relation to
you for ever, and a necessary caution to us to act wisely, and to
continue in the laws of our country, but not a handle for transgressing
them, as you suspect: and let God be our authentic witness, that this
was the occasion of our building this altar: whence we beg you will have
a better opinion of us, and do not impute such a thing to us as would
render any of the posterity of Abraham well worthy of perdition, in case
they attempt to bring in new rites, and such as are different from our
usual practices."
28. When they had made this answer, and Phineas had commended them for
it, he came to Joshua, and explained before the people what answer they
had received. Now Joshua was glad that he was under no necessity of
setting them in array, or of leading them to shed blood, and make war
against men of their own kindred; and accordingly he offered sacrifices
of thanksgiving to God for the same. So Joshua after that dissolved this
great assembly of the people, and sent them to their own inheritances,
while he himself lived in Shechem. But in the twentieth year after this,
when he was very old, he sent for those of the greatest dignity in the
several cities, with those in authority, and the senate, and as many of
the common people as could be present; and when they were come, he put
them in mind of all the benefits God had bestowed on them, which could
not but be a great many, since from a low estate they were advanced to
so great a degree of glory and plenty; and exhorted them to take notice
of the intentions of God, which had been so gracious towards them; and
told them that the Deity would continue their friend by nothing else but
their piety; and that it was proper for him, now that he was about to
depart out of this life, to leave such an admonition to them; and he
desired that they would keep in memory this his exhortation to them.
29. So Joshua, when he had thus discoursed to them, died, having lived a
hundred and ten years; forty of which he lived with Moses, in order to
learn what might be for his advantage afterwards. He also became their
commander after his death for twenty-five years. He was a man that
wanted not wisdom nor eloquence to declare his intentions to the people,
but very eminent on both accounts. He was of great courage and
magnanimity in action and in dangers, and very sagacious in procuring
the peace of the people, and of great virtue at all proper seasons. He
was buried in the city of Timnab, of the tribe of Ephraim 9 About the
same time died Eleazar the high priest, leaving the high priesthood to
his son Phineas. His monument also, and sepulcher, are in the city of
Gabatha.
CHAPTER 2. How, After The Death Of Joshua Their Commander, The
Israelites Transgressed The Laws Of Their Country, And Experienced Great
Afflictions; And When There Was A Sedition Arisen, The Tribe Of Benjamin
Was Destroyed Excepting Only Six Hundred Men.
1. After the death of Joshua and Eleazar, Phineas prophesied, 10 that
according to God's will they should commit the government to the tribe
of Judah, and that this tribe should destroy the race of the Canaanites;
for then the people were concerned to learn what was the will of God.
They also took to their assistance the tribe of Simeon; but upon this
condition, that when those that had been tributary to the tribe of Judah
should be slain, they should do the like for the tribe of Simeon.
2. But the affairs of the Canaanites were at this time in a flourishing
condition, and they expected the Israelites with a great army at the
city Bezek, having put the government into the hands of Adonibezek,
which name denotes the Lord of Bezek, for Adoni in the Hebrew tongue
signifies Lord. Now they hoped to have been too hard for the Israelites,
because Joshua was dead; but when the Israelites had joined battle with
them, I mean the two tribes before mentioned, they fought gloriously,
and slew above ten thousand of them, and put the rest to flight; and in
the pursuit they took Adonibezek, who, when his fingers and toes were
cut off by them, said, "Nay, indeed, I was not always to lie concealed
from God, as I find by what I now endure, while I have not been ashamed
to do the same to seventy-two kings." 11 So they carried him alive as
far as Jerusalem; and when he was dead, they buried him in the earth,
and went on still in taking the cities: and when they had taken the
greatest part of them, they besieged Jerusalem; and when they had taken
the lower city, which was not under a considerable time, they slew all
the inhabitants; but the upper city was not to be taken without great
difficulty, through the strength of its walls, and the nature of the
place.
3. For which reason they removed their camp to Hebron; and when they had
taken it, they slew all the inhabitants. There were till then left the
race of giants, who had bodies so large, and countenances so entirely
different from other men, that they were surprising to the sight, and
terrible to the hearing. The bones of these men are still shown to this
very day, unlike to any credible relations of other men. Now they gave
this city to the Levites as an extraordinary reward, with the suburbs of
two thousand cities; but the land thereto belonging they gave as a free
gift to Caleb, according to the injunctions of Moses. This Caleb was one
of the spies which Moses sent into the land of Canaan. They also gave
land for habitation to the posterity of Jethro, the Midianite, who was
the father-in-law to Moses; for they had left their own country, and
followed them, and accompanied them in the wilderness.
4. Now the tribes of Judah and Simeon took the cities which were in the
mountainous part of Canaan, as also Askelon and Ashdod, of those that
lay near the sea; but Gaza and Ekron escaped them, for they, lying in a
flat country, and having a great number of chariots, sorely galled those
that attacked them. So these tribes, when they were grown very rich by
this war, retired to their own cities, and laid aside their weapons of
war.
5. But the Benjamites, to whom belonged Jerusalem, permitted its
inhabitants to pay tribute. So they all left off, the one to kill, and
the other to expose themselves to danger, and had time to cultivate the
ground. The rest of the tribes imitated that of Benjamin, and did the
same; and, contenting themselves with the tributes that were paid them,
permitted the Canaanites to live in peace.
6. However, the tribe of Ephraim, when they besieged Bethel, made no
advance, nor performed any thing worthy of the time they spent, and of
the pains they took about that siege; yet did they persist in it, still
sitting down before the city, though they endured great trouble thereby:
but, after some time, they caught one of the citizens that came to them
to get necessaries, and they gave him some assurances that, if he would
deliver up the city to them, they would preserve him and his kindred; so
he aware that, upon those terms, he would put the city into their hands.
Accordingly, he that, thus betrayed the city was preserved with his
family; and the Israelites slew all the inhabitants, and retained the
city for themselves.
7. After this, the Israelites grew effeminate as to fighting any more
against their enemies, but applied themselves to the cultivation of the
land, which producing them great plenty and riches, they neglected the
regular disposition of their settlement, and indulged themselves in
luxury and pleasures; nor were they any longer careful to hear the laws
that belonged to their political government: whereupon God was provoked
to anger, and put them in mind, first, how, contrary to his directions,
they had spared the Canaanites; and, after that, how those Canaanites,
as opportunity served, used them very barbarously. But the Israelites,
though they were in heaviness at these admonitions from God, yet were
they still very unwilling to go to war; and since they got large
tributes from the Canaanites, and were indisposed for taking pains by
their luxury, they suffered their aristocracy to be corrupted also, and
did not ordain themselves a senate, nor any other such magistrates as
their laws had formerly required, but they were very much given to
cultivating their fields, in order to get wealth; which great indolence
of theirs brought a terrible sedition upon them, and they proceeded so
far as to fight one against another, from the following occasion:—
8. There was a Levite 12 a man of a vulgar family, that belonged to the
tribe of Ephraim, and dwelt therein: this man married a wife from
Bethlehem, which is a place belonging to the tribe of Judah. Now he was
very fond of his wife, and overcome with her beauty; but he was unhappy
in this, that he did not meet with the like return of affection from
her, for she was averse to him, which did more inflame his passion for
her, so that they quarreled one with another perpetually; and at last
the woman was so disgusted at these quarrels, that she left her husband,
and went to her parents in the fourth month. The husband being very
uneasy at this her departure, and that out of his fondness for her, came
to his father and mother-in-law, and made up their quarrels, and was
reconciled to her, and lived with them there four days, as being kindly
treated by her parents. On the fifth day he resolved to go home, and
went away in the evening; for his wife's parents were loath to part with
their daughter, and delayed the time till the day was gone. Now they had
one servant that followed them, and an ass on which the woman rode; and
when they were near Jerusalem, having gone already thirty furlongs, the
servant advised them to take up their lodgings some where, lest some
misfortune should befall them if they traveled in the night, especially
since they were not far off enemies, that season often giving reason for
suspicion of dangers from even such as are friends; but the husband was
not pleased with this advice, nor was he willing to take up his lodging
among strangers, for the city belonged to the Canaanites, but desired
rather to go twenty furlongs farther, and so to take their lodgings in
some Israelite city. Accordingly, he obtained his purpose, and came to
Gibeah, a city of the tribe of Benjamin, when it was just dark; and
while no one that lived in the market-place invited him to lodge with
him, there came an old man out of the field, one that was indeed of the
tribe of Ephraim, but resided in Gibeah, and met him, and asked him who
he was, and for what reason he came thither so late, and why he was
looking out for provisions for supper when it was dark? To which he
replied, that he was a Levite, and was bringing his wife from her
parents, and was going home; but he told him his habitation was in the
tribe of Ephraim: so the old man, as well because of their kindred as
because they lived in the same tribe, and also because they had thus
accidentally met together, took him in to lodge with him. Now certain
young men of the inhabitants of Gibeah, having seen the woman in the
market-place, and admiring her beauty, when they understood that she
lodged with the old man, came to the doors, as contemning the weakness
and fewness of the old man's family; and when the old man desired them
to go away, and not to offer any violence or abuse there, they desired
him to yield them up the strange woman, and then he should have no harm
done to him: and when the old man alleged that the Levite was of his
kindred, and that they would be guilty of horrid wickedness if they
suffered themselves to be overcome by their pleasures, and so offend
against their laws, they despised his righteous admonition, and laughed
him to scorn. They also threatened to kill him if he became an obstacle
to their inclinations; whereupon, when he found himself in great
distress, and yet was not willing to overlook his guests, and see them
abused, he produced his own daughter to them; and told them that it was
a smaller breach of the law to satisfy their lust upon her, than to
abuse his guests, supposing that he himself should by this means prevent
any injury to be done to those guests. When they no way abated of their
earnestness for the strange woman, but insisted absolutely on their
desires to have her, he entreated them not to perpetrate any such act of
injustice; but they proceeded to take her away by force, and indulging
still more the violence of their inclinations, they took the woman away
to their house, and when they had satisfied their lust upon her the
whole night, they let her go about daybreak. So she came to the place
where she had been entertained, under great affliction at what had
happened; and was very sorrowful upon occasion of what she had suffered,
and durst not look her husband in the face for shame, for she concluded
that he would never forgive her for what she had done; so she fell down,
and gave up the ghost: but her husband supposed that his wife was only
fast asleep, and, thinking nothing of a more melancholy nature had
happened, endeavored to raise her up, resolving to speak comfortably to
her, since she did not voluntarily expose herself to these men's lust,
but was forced away to their house; but as soon as he perceived she was
dead, he acted as prudently as the greatness of his misfortunes would
admit, and laid his dead wife upon the beast, and carried her home; and
cutting her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, he sent them to every
tribe, and gave it in charge to those that carried them, to inform the
tribes of those that were the causes of his wife's death, and of the
violence they had offered to her.
9. Upon this the people were greatly disturbed at what they saw, and at
what they heard, as never having had the experience of such a thing
before; so they gathered themselves to Shiloh, out of a prodigious and a
just anger, and assembling in a great congregation before the
tabernacle, they immediately resolved to take arms, and to treat the
inhabitants of Gibeah as enemies; but the senate restrained them from
doing so, and persuaded them, that they ought not so hastily to make war
upon people of the same nation with them, before they discoursed them by
words concerning the accusation laid against them; it being part of
their law, that they should not bring an army against foreigners
themselves, when they appear to have been injurious, without sending an
ambassage first, and trying thereby whether they will repent or not: and
accordingly they exhorted them to do what they ought to do in obedience
to their laws, that is, to send to the inhabitants of Gibeah, to know
whether they would deliver up the offenders to them, and if they deliver
them up, to rest satisfied with the punishment of those offenders; but
if they despised the message that was sent them, to punish them by
taking, up arms against them. Accordingly they sent to the inhabitants
of Gibeah, and accused the young men of the crimes committed in the
affair of the Levite's wife, and required of them those that had done
what was contrary to the law, that they might be punished, as having
justly deserved to die for what they had done; but the inhabitants of
Gibeah would not deliver up the young men, and thought it too
reproachful to them, out of fear of war, to submit to other men's
demands upon them; vaunting themselves to be no way inferior to any in
war, neither in their number nor in courage. The rest of their tribe
were also making great preparation for war, for they were so insolently
mad as also to resolve to repel force by force.
10. When it was related to the Israelites what the inhabitants of Gibeah
had resolved upon, they took their oath that no one of them would give
his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite, but make war with greater fury
against them than we have learned our forefathers made war against the
Canaanites; and sent out presently an army of four hundred thousand
against them, while the Benjamites' army-was twenty-five thousand and
six hundred; five hundred of whom were excellent at slinging stones with
their left hands, insomuch that when the battle was joined at Gibeah the
Benjamites beat the Israelites, and of them there fell two thousand men;
and probably more had been destroyed had not the night came on and
prevented it, and broken off the fight; so the Benjamites returned to
the city with joy, and the Israelites returned to their camp in a great
fright at what had happened. On the next day, when they fought again,
the Benjamites beat them; and eighteen thousand of the Israelites were
slain, and the rest deserted their camp out of fear of a greater
slaughter. So they came to Bethel, 13 a city that was near their camp,
and fasted on the next day; and besought God, by Phineas the high
priest, that his wrath against them might cease, and that he would be
satisfied with these two defeats, and give them the victory and power
over their enemies. Accordingly God promised them so to do, by the
prophesying of Phineas.
11. When therefore they had divided the army into two parts, they laid
the one half of them in ambush about the city Gibeah by night, while the
other half attacked the Benjamites, who retiring upon the assault, the
Benjamites pursued them, while the Hebrews retired by slow degrees, as
very desirous to draw them entirely from the city; and the other
followed them as they retired, till both the old men and the young men
that were left in the city, as too weak to fight, came running out
together with them, as willing to bring their enemies under. However,
when they were a great way from the city the Hebrews ran away no longer,
but turned back to fight them, and lifted up the signal they had agreed
on to those that lay in ambush, who rose up, and with a great noise fell
upon the enemy. Now, as soon as ever they perceived themselves to be
deceived, they knew not what to do; and when they were driven into a
certain hollow place which was in a valley, they were shot at by those
that encompassed them, till they were all destroyed, excepting six
hundred, which formed themselves into a close body of men, and forced
their passage through the midst of their enemies, and fled to the
neighboring mountains, and, seizing upon them, remained there; but the
rest of them, being about twenty-five thousand, were slain. Then did the
Israelites burn Gibeah, and slew the women, and the males that were
under age; and did the same also to the other cities of the Benjamites;
and, indeed, they were enraged to that degree, that they sent twelve
thousand men out of the army, and gave them orders to destroy Jabesh
Gilead, because it did not join with them in fighting against the
Benjamites. Accordingly, those that were sent slew the men of war, with
their children and wives, excepting four hundred virgins. To such a
degree had they proceeded in their anger, because they not only had the
suffering of the Levite's wife to avenge, but the slaughter of their own
soldiers.
12. However, they afterward were sorry for the calamity they had brought
upon the Benjamites, and appointed a fast on that account, although they
supposed those men had suffered justly for their offense against the
laws; so they recalled by their ambassadors those six hundred which had
escaped. These had seated themselves on a certain rock called Rimmon,
which was in the wilderness. So the ambassadors lamented not only the
disaster that had befallen the Benjamites, but themselves also, by this
destruction of their kindred; and persuaded them to take it patiently;
and to come and unite with them, and not, so far as in them lay, to give
their suffrage to the utter destruction of the tribe of Benjamin; and
said to them, "We give you leave to take the whole land of Benjamin to
yourselves, and as much prey as you are able to carry away with you." So
these men with sorrow confessed, that what had been done was according
to the decree of God, and had happened for their own wickedness; and
assented to those that invited them, and came down to their own tribe.
The Israelites also gave them the four hundred virgins of Jabesh Gilead
for wives; but as to the remaining two hundred, they deliberated about
it how they might compass wives enough for them, and that they might
have children by them; and whereas they had, before the war began, taken
an oath, that no one would give his daughter to wife to a Benjamite,
some advised them to have no regard to what they had sworn, because the
oath had not been taken advisedly and judiciously, but in a passion, and
thought that they should do nothing against God, if they were able to
save a whole tribe which was in danger of perishing; and that perjury
was then a sad and dangerous thing, not when it is done out of
necessity, but when it is done with a wicked intention. But when the
senate were affrighted at the very name of perjury, a certain person
told them that he could show them a way whereby they might procure the
Benjamites wives enough, and yet keep their oath. They asked him what
his proposal was. He said, "That three times in a year, when we meet in
Shiloh, our wives and our daughters accompany us: let then the
Benjamites be allowed to steal away, and marry such women as they can
catch, while we will neither incite them nor forbid them; and when their
parents take it ill, and desire us to inflict punishment upon them, we
will tell them, that they were themselves the cause of what had
happened, by neglecting to guard their daughters, and that they ought
not to be over angry at the Benjamites, since that anger was permitted
to rise too high already." So the Israelites were persuaded to follow
this advice, and decreed, That the Benjamites should be allowed thus to
steal themselves wives. So when the festival was coming on, these two
hundred Benjamites lay in ambush before the city, by two and three
together, and waited for the coming of the virgins, in the vineyards and
other places where they could lie concealed. Accordingly the virgins
came along playing, and suspected nothing of what was coming upon them,
and walked after an unguarded manner, so those that laid scattered in
the road, rose up, and caught hold of them: by this means these
Benjamites got them wives, and fell to agriculture, and took good care
to recover their former happy state. And thus was this tribe of the
Benjamites, after they had been in danger of entirely perishing, saved
in the manner forementioned, by the wisdom of the Israelites; and
accordingly it presently flourished, and soon increased to be a
multitude, and came to enjoy all other degrees of happiness. And such
was the conclusion of this war.
CHAPTER 3. How The Israelites After This Misfortune Grew Wicked And
Served The Assyrians; And How God Delivered Them By Othniel, Who Ruled
Over The Forty Years.
1. Now it happened that the tribe of Dan suffered in like manner with
the tribe of Benjamin; and it came to do so on the occasion
following:—When the Israelites had already left off the exercise of
their arms for war, and were intent upon their husbandry, the Canaanites
despised them, and brought together an army, not because they expected
to suffer by them, but because they had a mind to have a sure prospect
of treating the Hebrews ill when they pleased, and might thereby for the
time to come dwell in their own cities the more securely; they prepared
therefore their chariots, and gathered their soldiery together, their
cities also combined together, and drew over to them Askelon and Ekron,
which were within the tribe of Judah, and many more of those that lay in
the plain. They also forced the Danites to fly into the mountainous
country, and left them not the least portion of the plain country to set
their foot on. Since then these Danites were not able to fight them, and
had not land enough to sustain them, they sent five of their men into
the midland country, to seek for a land to which they might remove their
habitation. So these men went as far as the neighborhood of Mount
Libanus, and the fountains of the Lesser Jordan, at the great plain of
Sidon, a day's journey from the city; and when they had taken a view of
the land, and found it to be good and exceeding fruitful, they
acquainted their tribe with it, whereupon they made an expedition with
the army, and built there the city Dan, of the same name with the son of
Jacob, and of the same name with their own tribe.
2. The Israelites grew so indolent, and unready of taking pains, that
misfortunes came heavier upon them, which also proceeded in part from
their contempt of the Divine worship; for when they had once fallen off
from the regularity of their political government, they indulged
themselves further in living according to their own pleasure, and
according to their own will, till they were full of the evil doings that
were common among the Canaanites. God therefore was angry with them, and
they lost that their happy state which they had obtained by innumerable
labors, by their luxury; for when Chushan, king of the Assyrians, had
made war against them, they lost many of their soldiers in the battle,
and when they were besieged, they were taken by force; nay, there were
some who, out of fear, voluntarily submitted to him, and though the
tribute laid upon them was more than they could bear, yet did they pay
it, and underwent all sort of oppression for eight years; after which
time they were freed from them in the following manner:—
3. There was one whose name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz, of the tribe
of Judah, an active man and of great courage. He had an admonition from
God not to overlook the Israelites in such a distress as they were now
in, but to endeavor boldly to gain them their liberty; so when he had
procured some to assist him in this dangerous undertaking, [and few they
were, who, either out of shame at their present circumstances, or out of
a desire of changing them, could be prevailed on to assist him,] he
first of all destroyed that garrison which Chushan had set over them;
but when it was perceived that he had not failed in his first attempt,
more of the people came to his assistance; so they joined battle with
the Assyrians, and drove them entirely before them, and compelled them
to pass over Euphrates. Hereupon Othniel, who had given such proofs of
his valor, received from the multitude authority to judge the people;
and when he had ruled over them forty years, he died.
CHAPTER 4. How Our People Served The Moabites Eighteen Years, And Were
Then Delivered From Slavery By One Ehud Who Retained The Dominion Eighty
Years.
1. When Othniel was dead, the affairs of the Israelites fell again into
disorder: and while they neither paid to God the honor due to him, nor
were obedient to the laws, their afflictions increased, till Eglon, king
of the Moabites, did so greatly despise them on account of the disorders
of their political government, that he made war upon them, and overcame
them in several battles, and made the most courageous to submit, and
entirely subdued their army, and ordered them to pay him tribute. And
when he had built him a royal palace at Jericho, 14 he omitted no method
whereby he might distress them; and indeed he reduced them to poverty
for eighteen years. But when God had once taken pity of the Israelites,
on account of their afflictions, and was moved to compassion by their
supplications put up to him, he freed them from the hard usage they had
met with under the Moabites. This liberty he procured for them in the
following manner;—
2. There was a young man of the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Ehud,
the son of Gera, a man of very great courage in bold undertakings, and
of a very strong body, fit for hard labor, but best skilled in using his
left hand, in which was his whole strength; and he also dwelt at
Jericho. Now this man became familiar with Eglon, and that by means of
presents, with which he obtained his favor, and insinuated himself into
his good opinion; whereby he was also beloved of those that were about
the king. Now, when on a time he was bringing presents to the king, and
had two servants with him, he put a dagger on his right thigh secretly,
and went in to him: it was then summer time, and the middle of the day,
when the guards were not strictly on their watch, both because of the
heat, and because they were gone to dinner. So the young man, when he
had offered his presents to the king, who then resided in a small parlor
that stood conveniently to avoid the heat, fell into discourse with him,
for they were now alone, the king having bid his servants that attended
him to go their ways, because he had a mind to talk with Ehud. He was
now sitting on his throne; and fear seized upon Ehud lest he should miss
his stroke, and not give him a deadly wound; so he raised himself up,
and said he had a dream to impart to him by the command of God; upon
which the king leaped out of his throne for joy of the dream; so Ehud
smote him to the heart, and leaving his dagger in his body, he went out
and shut the door after him. Now the king's servants were very still, as
supposing that the king had composed himself to sleep.
3. Hereupon Ehud informed the people of Jericho privately of what he had
done, and exhorted them to recover their liberty; who heard him gladly,
and went to their arms, and sent messengers over the country, that
should sound trumpets of rams' horns; for it was our custom to call the
people together by them. Now the attendants of Eglon were ignorant of
what misfortune had befallen him for a great while; but, towards the
evening, fearing some uncommon accident had happened, they entered into
his parlor, and when they found him dead, they were in great disorder,
and knew not what to do; and before the guards could be got together,
the multitude of the Israelites came upon them, so that some of them
were slain immediately, and some were put to flight, and ran away toward
the country of Moab, in order to save themselves. Their number was above
ten thousand. The Israelites seized upon the ford of Jordan, and pursued
them, and slew them, and many of them they killed at the ford, nor did
one of them escape out of their hands; and by this means it was that the
Hebrews freed themselves from slavery under the Moabites. Ehud also was
on this account dignified with the government over all the multitude,
and died after he had held the government eighty years 15 He was a man
worthy of commendation, even besides what he deserved for the
forementioned act of his. After him Shamgat, the son of Anath, was
elected for their governor, but died in the first year of his
government.
CHAPTER 5. How The Canaanites Brought The Israelites Under Slavery For
Twenty Years; After Which They Were Delivered By Barak And Deborah, Who
Ruled Over Them For Forty Years.
1. And now it was that the Israelites, taking no warning by their former
misfortunes to amend their manners, and neither worshipping God nor
submitting to the laws, were brought under slavery by Jabin, the king of
the Canaanites, and that before they had a short breathing time after
the slavery under the Moabites; for this Jabin out of Hazor, a city that
was situate over the Semechonitis, and had in pay three hundred footmen,
and ten thousand horsemen, with fewer than three thousand chariots.
Sisera was commander of all his army, and was the principal person in
the king's favor. He so sorely beat the Israelites when they fought with
him, that he ordered them to pay tribute.
2. So they continued to that hardship for twenty years, as not good
enough of themselves to grow wise by their misfortunes. God was willing
also hereby the more to subdue their obstinacy and ingratitude towards
himself: so when at length they were become penitent, and were so wise
as to learn that their calamities arose from their contempt of the laws,
they besought Deborah, a certain prophetess among them, [which name in
the Hebrew tongue signifies a Bee,] to pray to God to take pity on them,
and not to overlook them, now they were ruined by the Canaanites. So God
granted them deliverance, and chose them a general, Barak, one that was
of the tribe of Naphtali. Now Barak, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies
Lightning.
3. So Deborah sent for Barak, and bade him choose out ten thousand young
men to go against the enemy, because God had said that that number was
sufficient, and promised them victory. But when Barak said that he would
not be the general unless she would also go as a general with him, she
had indignation at what he said "Thou, O Barak, deliverest up meanly
that authority which God hath given thee into the hand of a woman, and I
do not reject it!" So they collected ten thousand men, and pitched their
camp at Mount Tabor, where, at the king's command, Sisera met them, and
pitched his camp not far from the enemy; whereupon the Israelites, and
Barak himself, were so affrighted at the multitude of those enemies,
that they were resolved to march off, had not Deborah retained them, and
commanded them to fight the enemy that very day, for that they should
conquer them, and God would be their assistance.
4. So the battle began; and when they were come to a close fight, there
came down from heaven a great storm, with a vast quantity of rain and
hail, and the wind blew the rain in the face of the Canaanites, and so
darkened their eyes, that their arrows and slings were of no advantage
to them, nor would the coldness of the air permit the soldiers to make
use of their swords; while this storm did not so much incommode the
Israelites, because it came in their backs. They also took such courage,
upon the apprehension that God was assisting them, that they fell upon
the very midst of their enemies, and slew a great number of them; so
that some of them fell by the Israelites, some fell by their own horses,
which were put into disorder, and not a few were killed by their own
chariots. At last Sisera, as soon as he saw himself beaten, fled away,
and came to a woman whose name was Jael, a Kenite, who received him,
when he desired to be concealed; and when he asked for somewhat to
drink, she gave him sour milk, of which he drank so unmeasurably that he
fell asleep; but when he was asleep, Jael took an iron nail, and with a
hammer drove it through his temples into the floor; and when Barak came
a little afterward, she showed Sisera nailed to the ground: and thus was
this victory gained by a woman, as Deborah had foretold. Barak also
fought with Jabin at Hazor; and when he met with him, he slew him: and
when the general was fallen, Barak overthrew the city to the foundation,
and was the commander of the Israelites for forty years.
CHAPTER 6. How The Midianites And Other Nations Fought Against The
Israelites And Beat Them, And Afflicted Their Country For Seven Years,
How They Were Delivered By Gideon, Who Ruled Over The Multitude For
Forty Years.
1. Now when Barak and Deborah were dead, whose deaths happened about the
same time, afterwards the Midianites called the Amalekites and Arabians
to their assistance, and made war against the Israelites, and were too
hard for those that fought against them; and when they had burnt the
fruits of the earth, they carried off the prey. Now when they had done
this for three years, the multitude of the Israelites retired to the
mountains, and forsook the plain country. They also made themselves
hollows under ground, and caverns, and preserved therein whatsoever had
escaped their enemies; for the Midianites made expeditions in harvest-
time, but permitted them to plough the land in winter, that so, when the
others had taken the pains, they might have fruits for them to carry
away. Indeed, there ensued a famine and a scarcity of food; upon which
they betook themselves to their supplications to God, and besought him
to save them.
2. Gideon also, the son of Joash, one of the principal persons of the
tribe of Manasseh, brought his sheaves of corn privately, and thrashed
them at the wine-press; for he was too fearful of their enemies to
thrash them openly in the thrashing-floor. At this time somewhat
appeared to him in the shape of a young man, and told him that he was a
happy man, and beloved of God. To which he immediately replied, "A
mighty indication of God's favor to me, that I am forced to use this
wine-press instead of a thrashing-floor!" But the appearance exhorted
him to be of good courage, and to make an attempt for the recovery of
their liberty. He answered, that it was impossible for him to recover
it, because the tribe to which he belonged was by no means numerous; and
because he was but young himself, and too inconsiderable to think of
such great actions. But the other promised him, that God would supply
what he was defective in, and would afford the Israelites victory under
his conduct.
3. Now, therefore, as Gideon was relating this to some young men, they
believed him, and immediately there was an army of ten thousand men got
ready for fighting. But God stood by Gideon in his sleep, and told him
that mankind were too fond of themselves, and were enemies to such as
excelled in virtue. Now that they might not pass God over, but ascribe
the victory to him, and might not fancy it obtained by their own power,
because they were a great many, and able of themselves to fight their
enemies, but might confess that it was owing to his assistance, he
advised him to bring his army about noon, in the violence of the heat,
to the river, and to esteem those that bent down on their knees, and so
drank, to be men of courage; but for all those that drank tumultuously,
that he should esteem them to do it out of fear, and as in dread of
their enemies. And when Gideon had done as God had suggested to him,
there were found three hundred men that took water with their hands
tumultuously; so God bid him take these men, and attack the enemy.
Accordingly they pitched their camp at the river Jordan, as ready the
next day to pass over it.
4. But Gideon was in great fear, for God had told him beforehand that he
should set upon his enemies in the night-time; but God, being willing to
free him from his fear, bid him take one of his soldiers, and go near to
the Midianites' tents, for that he should from that very place have his
courage raised, and grow bold. So he obeyed, and went and took his
servant Phurah with him; and as he came near to one of the tents, he
discovered that those that were in it were awake, and that one of them
was telling to his fellow soldier a dream of his own, and that so
plainly that Gideon could hear him. The dream was this:—He thought he
saw a barley-cake, such a one as could hardly be eaten by men, it was so
vile, rolling through the camp, and overthrowing the royal tent, and the
tents of all the soldiers. Now the other soldier explained this vision
to mean the destruction of the army; and told them what his reason was
which made him so conjecture, viz. That the seed called barley was all
of it allowed to be of the vilest sort of seed, and that the Israelites
were known to be the vilest of all the people of Asia, agreeably to the
seed of barley, and that what seemed to look big among the Israelites
was this Gideon and the army that was with him; "and since thou sayest
thou didst see the cake overturning our tents, I am afraid lest God hath
granted the victory over us to Gideon."
5. When Gideon had heard this dream, good hope and courage came upon
him; and he commanded his soldiers to arm themselves, and told them of
this vision of their enemies. They also took courage at what was told
them, and were ready to perform what he should enjoin them. So Gideon
divided his army into three parts, and brought it out about the fourth
watch of the night, each part containing a hundred men: they all bare
empty pitchers and lighted lamps in their hands, that their onset might
not be discovered by their enemies. They had also each of them a ram's
horn in his right hand, which he used instead of a trumpet. The enemy's
camp took up a large space of ground, for it happened that they had a
great many camels; and as they were divided into different nations, so
they were all contained in one circle. Now when the Hebrews did as they
were ordered beforehand, upon their approach to their enemies, and, on
the signal given, sounded with their rams' horns, and brake their
pitchers, and set upon their enemies with their lamps, and a great
shout, and cried, "Victory to Gideon, by God's assistance," a disorder
and a fright seized upon the other men while they were half asleep, for
it was night-time, as God would have it; so that a few of them were
slain by their enemies, but the greatest part by their own soldiers, on
account of the diversity of their language; and when they were once put
into disorder, they killed all that they met with, as thinking them to
be enemies also. Thus there was a great slaughter made. And as the
report of Gideon's victory came to the Israelites, they took their
weapons and pursued their enemies, and overtook them in a certain valley
encompassed with torrents, a place which these could not get over; so
they encompassed them, and slew them all, with their kings, Oreb and
Zeeb. But the remaining captains led those soldiers that were left,
which were about eighteen thousand, and pitched their camp a great way
off the Israelites. However, Gideon did not grudge his pains, but
pursued them with all his army, and joining battle with them, cut off
the whole enemies' army, and took the other leaders, Zeba and Zalmuna,
and made them captives. Now there were slain in this battle of the
Midianites, and of their auxiliaries the Arabians, about a hundred and
twenty thousand; and the Hebrews took a great prey, gold, and silver,
and garments, and camels, and asses. And when Gideon was come to his own
country of Ophrah, he slew the kings of the Midianites.
6. However, the tribe of Ephraim was so displeased at the good success
of Gideon, that they resolved to make war against him, accusing him
because he did not tell them of his expedition against their enemies.
But Gideon, as a man of temper, and that excelled in every virtue,
pleaded, that it was not the result of his own authority or reasoning,
that made him attack the enemy without them; but that it was the command
of God, and still the victory belonged to them as well as those in the
army. And by this method of cooling their passions, he brought more
advantage to the Hebrews, than by the success he had against these
enemies, for he thereby delivered them from a sedition which was arising
among them; yet did this tribe afterwards suffer the punishment of this
their injurious treatment of Gideon, of which we will give an account in
due time.
7. Hereupon Gideon would have laid down the government, but was over-
persuaded to take it, which he enjoyed forty years, and distributed
justice to them, as the people came to him in their differences; and
what he determined was esteemed valid by all. And when he died, he was
buried in his own country of Ophrah.
CHAPTER 7. That The Judges Who Succeeded Gideon Made War With The
Adjoining Nations For A Long Time.
1. Now Gideon had seventy sons that were legitimate, for he had many
wives; but he had also one that was spurious, by his concubine Drumah,
whose name was Abimelech, who, after his father's death, retired to
Shechem to his mother's relations, for they were of that place: and when
he had got money of such of them as were eminent for many instances of
injustice, he came with them to his father's house, and slew all his
brethren, except Jotham, for he had the good fortune to escape and be
preserved; but Abimelech made the government tyrannical, and constituted
himself a lord, to do what he pleased, instead of obeying the laws; and
he acted most rigidly against those that were the patrons of justice.
2. Now when, on a certain time, there was a public festival at Shechem,
and all the multitude was there gathered together, Jotham his brother,
whose escape we before related, went up to Mount Gerizzim, which hangs
over the city Shechem, and cried out so as to be heard by the multitude,
who were attentive to him. He desired they would consider what he was
going to say to them: so when silence was made, he said, That when the
trees had a human voice, and there was an assembly of them gathered
together, they desired that the fig-tree would rule over them; but when
that tree refused so to do, because it was contented to enjoy that honor
which belonged peculiarly to the fruit it bare, and not that which
should be derived to it from abroad, the trees did not leave off their
intentions to have a ruler, so they thought proper to make the offer of
that honor to the vine; but when the vine was chosen, it made use of the
same words which the fig-tree had used before, and excused itself from
accepting the government: and when the olive-tree had done the same, the
brier, whom the trees had desired to take the kingdom, [it is a sort of
wood good for firing,] it promised to take the government, and to be
zealous in the exercise of it; but that then they must sit down under
its shadow, and if they should plot against it to destroy it, the
principle of fire that was in it should destroy them. He told them, that
what he had said was no laughing matter; for that when they had
experienced many blessings from Gideon, they overlooked Abimelech, when
he overruled all, and had joined with him in slaying his brethren; and
that he was no better than a fire himself. So when he had said this, he
went away, and lived privately in the mountains for three years, out of
fear of Abimelech.
3. A little while after this festival, the Shechemites, who had now
repented themselves of having slain the sons of Gideon, drove Abimelech
away, both from their city and their tribe; whereupon he contrived how
he might distress their city. Now at the season of vintage, the people
were afraid to go out and gather their fruits, for fear Abimelech should
do them some mischief. Now it happened that there had come to them a man
of authority, one Gaal, that sojourned with them, having his armed men
and his kinsmen with him; so the Shechemites desired that he would allow
them a guard during their vintage; whereupon he accepted of their
desires, and so the people went out, and Gaal with them at the head of
his soldiery. So they gathered their fruit with safety; and when they
were at supper in several companies, they then ventured to curse
Abimelech openly; and the magistrates laid ambushes in places about the
city, and caught many of Abimelech's followers, and destroyed them.
4. Now there was one Zebul, a magistrate of the Shechemites, that had
entertained Abimelech. He sent messengers, and informed him how much
Gaal had irritated the people against him, and excited him to lay
ambushes before the city, for that he would persuade Gaal to go out
against him, which would leave it in his power to be revenged on him;
and when that was once done, he would bring him to be reconciled to the
city. So Abimelech laid ambushes, and himself lay with them. Now Gaal
abode in the suburbs, taking little care of himself; and Zebul was with
him. Now as Gaal saw the armed men coming on, he said to Zebul, That
some armed men were coming; but the other replied, They were only
shadows of huge stones: and when they were come nearer, Gaal perceived
what was the reality, and said, They were not shadows, but men lying in
ambush. Then said Zebul, "Didst not thou reproach Abimelech for
cowardice? why dost thou not then show how very courageous thou art
thyself, and go and fight him?" So Gaal, being in disorder, joined
battle with Abimelech, and some of his men fell; whereupon he fled into
the city, and took his men with him. But Zebul managed his matters so in
the city, that he procured them to expel Gaal out of the city, and this
by accusing him of cowardice in this action with the soldiers of
Ahimelech. But Abimelech, when he had learned that the Shechemites were
again coming out to gather their grapes, placed ambushes before the
city, and when they were coming out, the third part of his army took
possession of the gates, to hinder the citizens from returning in again,
while the rest pursued those that were scattered abroad, and so there
was slaughter every where; and when he had overthrown the city to the
very foundations, for it was not able to bear a siege, and had sown its
ruins with salt, he proceeded on with his army till all the Shechemites
were slain. As for those that were scattered about the country, and so
escaped the danger, they were gathered together unto a certain strong
rock, and settled themselves upon it, and prepared to build a wall about
it: and when Abimelech knew their intentions, he prevented them, and
came upon them with his forces, and laid faggots of dry wood round the
place, he himself bringing some of them, and by his example encouraging
the soldiers to do the same. And when the rock was encompassed round
about with these faggots, they set them on fire, and threw in whatsoever
by nature caught fire the most easily: so a mighty flame was raised, and
nobody could fly away from the rock, but every man perished, with their
wives and children, in all about fifteen hundred men, and the rest were
a great number also. And such was the calamity which fell upon the
Shechemites; and men's grief on their account had been greater than it
was, had they not brought so much mischief on a person who had so well
deserved of them, and had they not themselves esteemed this as a
punishment for the same.
5. Now Abimelech, when he had affrighted the Israelites with the
miseries he had brought upon the Shechemites, seemed openly to affect
greater authority than he now had, and appeared to set no bounds to his
violence, unless it were with the destruction of all. Accordingly he
marched to Thebes, and took the city on the sudden; and there being a
great tower therein, whereunto the whole multitude fled, he made
preparation to besiege it. Now as he was rushing with violence near the
gates, a woman threw a piece of a millstone upon his head, upon which
Abimelech fell down, and desired his armor-bearer to kill him lest his
death should be thought to be the work of a woman:—who did what he was
bid to do. So he underwent this death as a punishment for the wickedness
he had perpetrated against his brethren, and his insolent barbarity to
the Shechemites. Now the calamity that happened to those Shechemites was
according to the prediction of Jotham, However, the army that was with
Abimelech, upon his fall, was scattered abroad, and went to their own
homes.
6. Now it was that Jair the Gileadite, 16 of the tribe of Manasseh, took
the government. He was a man happy in other respects also, but
particularly in his children, who were of a good character. They were
thirty in number, and very skillful in riding on horses, and were
intrusted with the government of the cities of Gilead. He kept the
government twenty-two years, and died an old man; and he was buried in
Camon, a city of Gilead.
7. And now all the affairs of the Hebrews were managed uncertainly, and
tended to disorder, and to the contempt of God and of the laws. So the
Ammonites and Philistines had them in contempt, and laid waste the
country with a great army; and when they had taken all Perea, they were
so insolent as to attempt to gain the possession of all the rest. But
the Hebrews, being now amended by the calamities they had undergone,
betook themselves to supplications to God; and brought sacrifices to
him, beseeching him not to be too severe upon them, but to be moved by
their prayers to leave off his anger against them. So God became more
merciful to them, and was ready to assist them.
8. When the Ammonites had made an expedition into the land of Gilead,
the inhabitants of the country met them at a certain mountain, but
wanted a commander. Now there was one whose name was Jephtha, who, both
on account of his father's virtue, and on account of that army which he
maintained at his own expenses, was a potent man: the Israelites
therefore sent to him, and entreated him to come to their assistance,
and promised him the dominion over them all his lifetime. But he did not
admit of their entreaty; and accused them, that they did not come to his
assistance when he was unjustly treated, and this in an open manner by
his brethren; for they cast him off, as not having the same mother with
the rest, but born of a strange mother, that was introduced among them
by his father's fondness; and this they did out of a contempt of his
inability [to vindicate himself]. So he dwelt in the country of Gilead,
as it is called, and received all that came to him, let them come from
what place soever, and paid them wages. However, when they pressed him
to accept the dominion, and sware they would grant him the government
over them all his life, he led them to the war.
9. And when Jephtha had taken immediate care of their affairs, he placed
his army at the city Mizpeh, and sent a message to the Ammonite [king],
complaining of his unjust possession of their land. But that king sent a
contrary message; and complained of the exodus of the Israelites out of
Egypt, and desired him to go out of the land of the Amorites, and yield
it up to him, as at first his paternal inheritance. But Jephtha returned
this answer: That he did not justly complain of his ancestors about the
land of the Amorites, and ought rather to thank them that they left the
land of the Ammonites to them, since Moses could have taken it also; and
that neither would he recede from that land of their own, which God had
obtained for them, and they had now inhabited [above] three hundred
years, but would fight with them about it.
10. And when he had given them this answer, he sent the ambassadors
away. And when he had prayed for victory, and had vowed to perform
sacred offices, and if he came home in safety, to offer in sacrifice
what living creature soever should first meet him, 17 he joined battle
with the enemy, and gained a great victory, and in his pursuit slew the
enemies all along as far as the city of Minnith. He then passed over to
the land of the Ammonites, and overthrew many of their cities, and took
their prey, and freed his own people from that slavery which they had
undergone for eighteen years. But as he came back, he fell into a
calamity no way correspondent to the great actions he had done; for it
was his daughter that came to meet him; she was also an only child and a
virgin: upon this Jephtha heavily lamented the greatness of his
affliction, and blamed his daughter for being so forward in meeting him,
for he had vowed to sacrifice her to God. However, this action that was
to befall her was not ungrateful to her, since she should die upon
occasion of her father's victory, and the liberty of her fellow
citizens: she only desired her father to give her leave, for two months,
to bewail her youth with her fellow citizens; and then she agreed, that
at the forementioned time he might do with her according to his vow.
Accordingly, when that time was over, he sacrificed his daughter as a
burnt-offering, offering such an oblation as was neither conformable to
the law nor acceptable to God, not weighing with himself what opinion
the hearers would have of such a practice.
11. Now the tribe of Ephraim fought against him, because he did not take
them along with him in his expedition against the Ammonites, but because
he alone had the prey, and the glory of what was done to himself. As to
which he said, first, that they were not ignorant how his kindred had
fought against him, and that when they were invited, they did not come
to his assistance, whereas they ought to have come quickly, even before
they were invited. And in the next place, that they were going to act
unjustly; for while they had not courage enough to fight their enemies,
they came hastily against their own kindred: and he threatened them
that, with God's assistance, he would inflict a punishment upon them,
unless they would grow wiser. But when he could not persuade them, he
fought with them with those forces which he sent for out of Gilead, and
he made a great slaughter among them; and when they were beaten, he
pursued them, and seized on the passages of Jordan by a part of his army
which he had sent before, and slew about forty-two thousand of them.
12. So when Jephtha had ruled six years, he died, and was buried in his
own country, Sebee, which is a place in the land of Gilead.
13. Now when Jephtha was dead, Ibzan took the government, being of the
tribe of Judah, and of the city of Bethlehem. He had sixty children,
thirty of them sons, and the rest daughters; all whom he left alive
behind him, giving the daughters in marriage to husbands, and taking
wives for his sons. He did nothing in the seven years of his
administration that was worth recording, or deserved a memorial. So he
died an old man, and was buried in his own country.
14. When Ibzan was dead after this manner, neither did Helon, who
succeeded him in the government, and kept it ten years, do any thing
remarkable: he was of the tribe of Zebulon.
15. Abdon also, the son of Hilel, of the tribe of Ephraim, and born at
the city Pyrathon, was ordained their supreme governor after Helon. He
is only recorded to have been happy in his children; for the public
affairs were then so peaceable, and in such security, that neither did
he perform any glorious action. He had forty sons, and by them left
thirty grandchildren; and he marched in state with these seventy, who
were all very skillful in riding horses; and he left them all alive
after him. He died an old man, and obtained a magnificent burial in
Pyrathon.
CHAPTER 8. Concerning The Fortitude Of Samson, And What Mischiefs He
Brought Upon The Philistines.
1. After Abdon was dead, the Philistines overcame the Israelites, and
received tribute of them for forty years; from which distress they were
delivered after this manner:—
2. There was one Manoah, a person of such great virtue, that he had few
men his equals, and without dispute the principal person of his country.
He had a wife celebrated for her beauty, and excelling her
contemporaries. He had no children; and, being uneasy at his want of
posterity, he entreated God to give them seed of their own bodies to
succeed them; and with that intent he came constantly into the suburbs
18 together with his wife; which suburbs were in the Great Plain. Now he
was fond of his wife to a degree of madness, and on that account was
unmeasurably jealous of her. Now, when his wife was once alone, an
apparition was seen by her: it was an angel of God, and resembled a
young man beautiful and tall, and brought her the good news that she
should have a son, born by God's providence, that should be a goodly
child, of great strength; by whom, when he was grown up to man's estate,
the Philistines should be afflicted. He exhorted her also not to poll
his hair, and that he should avoid all other kinds of drink, [for so had
God commanded,] and be entirely contented with water. So the angel, when
he had delivered that message, went his way, his coming having been by
the will of God.
3. Now the wife informed her husband when he came home of what the angel
had said, who showed so great an admiration of the beauty and tallness
of the young man that had appeared to her, that her husband was
astonished, and out of himself for jealousy, and such suspicions as are
excited by that passion: but she was desirous of having her husband's
unreasonable sorrow taken away; accordingly she entreated God to send
the angel again, that he might be seen by her husband. So the angel came
again by the favor of God, while they were in the suburbs, and appeared
to her when she was alone without her husband. She desired the angel to
stay so long till she might bring her husband; and that request being
granted, she goes to call Manoah. When he saw the angel he was not yet
free from suspicion, and he desired him to inform him of all that he had
told his wife; but when he said it was sufficient that she alone knew
what he had said, he then requested of him to tell who he was, that when
the child was born they might return him thanks, and give him a present.
He replied that he did not want any present, for that he did not bring
them the good news of the birth of a son out of the want of any thing.
And when Manoah had entreated him to stay, and partake of his
hospitality, he did not give his consent. However he was persuaded, at
the earnest request of Manoah to stay so long as while he brought him
one mark of his hospitality; so he slew a kid of the goats, and bid his
wife boil it. When all was ready, the angel enjoined him to set the
loaves and the flesh, but without the vessels, upon the rock; which when
they had done, he touched the flesh with the rod which he had in his
hand, which, upon the breaking out of a flame, was consumed, together
with the loaves; and the angel ascended openly, in their sight, up to
heaven, by means of the smoke, as by a vehicle. Now Manoah was afraid
that some danger would come to them from this sight of God; but his wife
bade him be of good courage, for that God appeared to them for their
benefit.
4. So the woman proved with child, and was careful to observe the
injunctions that were given her; and they called the child, when he was
born, Samson, which name signifies one that is strong. So the child grew
apace; and it appeared evidently that he would be a prophet, 19 both by
the moderation of his diet, and the permission of his hair to grow.
5. Now when he once came with his parents to Timhath, a city of the
Philistines, when there was a great festival, he fell in love with a
maid of that country, and he desired of his parents that they would
procure him the damsel for his wife: but they refused so to do, because
she was not of the stock of Israel; yet because this marriage was of
God, who intended to convert it to the benefit of the Hebrews, he over-
persuaded them to procure her to be espoused to him. And as he was
continually coming to her parents, he met a lion, and though he was
naked, he received his onset, and strangled him with his hands, and cast
the wild beast into a woody piece of ground on the inside of the road.
6. And when he was going another time to the damsel, he lit upon a swarm
of bees making their combs in the breast of that lion; and taking three
honey-combs away, he gave them, together with the rest of his presents,
to the damsel. Now the people of Timhath, out of a dread of the young
man's strength, gave him during the time of the wedding-feast [for he
then feasted them all] thirty of the most stout of their youth, in
pretense to be his companions, but in reality to be a guard upon him,
that he might not attempt to give them any disturbance. Now as they were
drinking merrily and playing, Samson said, as was usual at such times,
"Come, if I propose you a riddle, and you can expound it in these seven
days' time, I will give you every one a linen shirt and a garment, as
the reward of your wisdom." So they being very ambitious to obtain the
glory of wisdom, together with the gains, desired him to propose his
riddle. He, "That a devourer produced sweet food out of itself, though
itself were very disagreeable." And when they were not able, in three
days' time, to find out the meaning of the riddle, they desired the
damsel to discover it by the means of her husband, and tell it them; and
they threatened to burn her if she did not tell it them. So when the
damsel entreated Samson to tell it her, he at first refused to do it;
but when she lay hard at him, and fell into tears, and made his refusal
to tell it a sign of his unkindness to her, he informed her of his
slaughter of a lion, and how he found bees in his breast, and carried
away three honey-combs, and brought them to her. Thus he, suspecting
nothing of deceit, informed her of all, and she revealed it to those
that desired to know it. Then on the seventh day, whereon they were to
expound the riddle proposed to them, they met together before sun-
setting, and said, "Nothing is more disagreeable than a lion to those
that light on it, and nothing is sweeter than honey to those that make
use of it." To which Samson made this rejoinder: "Nothing is more
deceitful than a woman for such was the person that discovered my
interpretation to you." Accordingly he gave them the presents he had
promised them, making such Askelonites as met him upon the road his
prey, who were themselves Philistines also. But he divorced this his
wife; and the girl despised his anger, and was married to his companion,
who made the former match between them.
7. At this injurious treatment Samson was so provoked, that he resolved
to punish all the Philistines, as well as her: so it being then summer-
time, and the fruits of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping,
he caught three hundred foxes, and joining lighted torches to their
tails, he sent them into the fields of the Philistines, by which means
the fruits of the fields perished. Now when the Philistines knew that
this was Samson's doing, and knew also for what cause he did it, they
sent their rulers to Timhath, and burnt his former wife, and her
relations, who had been the occasion of their misfortunes.
8. Now when Samson had slain many of the Philistines in the plain
country, he dwelt at Etam, which is a strong rock of the tribe of Judah;
for the Philistines at that time made an expedition against that tribe:
but the people of Judah said that they did not act justly with them, in
inflicting punishments upon them while they paid their tribute, and this
only on account of Samson's offenses. They answered, that in case they
would not be blamed themselves, they must deliver up Samson, and put him
into their power. So they being desirous not to be blamed themselves,
came to the rock with three thousand armed men, and complained to Samson
of the bold insults he had made upon the Philistines, who were men able
to bring calamity upon the whole nation of the Hebrews; and they told
him they were come to take him, and to deliver him up to them, and put
him into their power; so they desired him to bear this willingly.
Accordingly, when he had received assurance from them upon oath, that
they would do him no other harm than only to deliver him into his
enemies' hands, he came down from the rock, and put himself into the
power of his countrymen. Then did they bind him with two cords, and lead
him on, in order to deliver him to the Philistines; and when they came
to a certain place, which is now called the Jaw-bone, on account of the
great action there performed by Samson, though of old it had no
particular name at all, the Philistines, who had pitched their camp not
far off, came to meet them with joy and shouting, as having done a great
thing, and gained what they desired; but Samson broke his bonds asunder,
and catching up the jaw-bone of an ass that lay down at his feet, fell
upon his enemies, and smiting them with his jaw-bone, slew a thousand of
them, and put the rest to flight and into great disorder.
9. Upon this slaughter Samson was too proud of what he had performed,
and said that this did not come to pass by the assistance of God, but
that his success was to be ascribed to his own courage; and vaunted
himself, that it was out of a dread of him that some of his enemies fell
and the rest ran away upon his use of the jaw-bone; but when a great
thirst came upon him, he considered that human courage is nothing, and
bare his testimony that all is to be ascribed to God, and besought him
that he would not be angry at any thing he had said, nor give him up
into the hands of his enemies, but afford him help under his affliction,
and deliver him from the misfortune he was under. Accordingly God was
moved with his entreaties, and raised him up a plentiful fountain of
sweet water at a certain rock whence it was that Samson called the place
the Jaw-bone, 20 and so it is called to this day.
10. After this fight Samson held the Philistines in contempt, and came
to Gaza, and took up his lodgings in a certain inn. When the rulers of
Gaza were informed of his coming thither, they seized upon the gates,
and placed men in ambush about them, that he might not escape without
being perceived; but Samson, who was acquainted with their contrivances
against him, arose about midnight, and ran by force upon the gates, with
their posts and beams, and the rest of their wooden furniture, and
carried them away on his shoulders, and bare them to the mountain that
is over Hebron, and there laid them down.
11. However, he at length 21 transgressed the laws of his country, and
altered his own regular way of living, and imitated the strange customs
of foreigners, which thing was the beginning of his miseries; for he
fell in love with a woman that was a harlot among the Philistines: her
name was Delilah, and he lived with her. So those that administered the
public affairs of the Philistines came to her, and, with promises,
induced her to get out of Samson what was the cause of that his
strength, by which he became unconquerable to his enemies. Accordingly,
when they were drinking, and had the like conversation together, she
pretended to admire the actions he had done, and contrived to get out of
him by subtlety, by what means he so much excelled others in strength.
Samson, in order to delude Delilah, for he had not yet lost his senses,
replied, that if he were bound with seven such green withs of a vine as
might still be wreathed, he should be weaker than any other man. The
woman said no more then, but told this to the rulers of the Philistines,
and hid certain of the soldiers in ambush within the house; and when he
was disordered in drink and asleep, she bound him as fast as possible
with the withs; and then upon her awakening him, she told him some of
the people were upon him; but he broke the withs, and endeavored to
defend himself, as though some of the people were upon him. Now this
woman, in the constant conversation Samson had with her, pretended that
she took it very ill that he had such little confidence in her
affections to him, that he would not tell her what she desired, as if
she would not conceal what she knew it was for his interest to have
concealed. However, he deluded her again, and told her, that if they
bound him with seven cords, he should lose his strength. And when, upon
doing this, she gained nothing, he told her the third time, that his
hair should be woven into a web; but when, upon doing this, the truth
was not yet discovered, at length Samson, upon Delilah's prayer, [for he
was doomed to fall into some affliction,] was desirous to please her,
and told her that God took care of him, and that he was born by his
providence, and that "thence it is that I suffer my hair to grow, God
having charged me never to poll my head, and thence my strength is
according to the increase and continuance of my hair." When she had
learned thus much, and had deprived him of his hair, she delivered him
up to his enemies, when he was not strong enough to defend himself from
their attempts upon him; so they put out his eyes, and bound him, and
had him led about among them.
12. But in process of time Samson's hair grew again. And there was a
public festival among the Philistines, when the rulers, and those of the
most eminent character, were feasting together; [now the room wherein
they were had its roof supported by two pillars;] so they sent for
Samson, and he was brought to their feast, that they might insult him in
their cups. Hereupon he, thinking it one of the greatest misfortunes, if
he should not be able to revenge himself when he was thus insulted,
persuaded the boy that led him by the hand, that he was weary and wanted
to rest himself, and desired he would bring him near the pillars; and as
soon as he came to them, he rushed with force against them, and
overthrew the house, by overthrowing its pillars, with three thousand
men in it, who were all slain, and Samson with them. And such was the
end of this man, when he had ruled over the Israelites twenty years. And
indeed this man deserves to be admired for his courage and strength, and
magnanimity at his death, and that his wrath against his enemies went so
far as to die himself with them. But as for his being ensnared by a
woman, that is to be ascribed to human nature, which is too weak to
resist the temptations to that sin; but we ought to bear him witness,
that in all other respects he was one of extraordinary virtue. But his
kindred took away his body, and buried it in Sarasat his own country,
with the rest of his family.
CHAPTER 9. How Under Eli's Government Of The Israelites Booz Married
Ruth, From Whom Came Obed The Grandfather Of David.
1. Now after the death of Samson, Eli the high priest was governor of
the Israelites. Under him, when the country was afflicted with a famine,
Elimelech of Bethlehem, which is a city of the tribe of Judah, being not
able to support his family under so sore a distress, took with him Naomi
his wife, and the children that were born to him by her, Chillon and
Mahlon, and removed his habitation into the land of Moab; and upon the
happy prosperity of his affairs there, he took for his sons wives of the
Moabites, Orpah for Chillon, and Ruth for Mahlon. But in the compass of
ten years, both Elimelech, and a little while after him, the sons, died;
and Naomi being very uneasy at these accidents, and not being able to
bear her lonesome condition, now those that were dearest to her were
dead, on whose account it was that she had gone away from her own
country, she returned to it again, for she had been informed it was now
in a flourishing condition. However, her daughters-in-law were not able
to think of parting with her; and when they had a mind to go out of the
country with her, she could not dissuade them from it; but when they
insisted upon it, she wished them a more happy wedlock than they had
with her sons, and that they might have prosperity in other respects
also; and seeing her own affairs were so low, she exhorted them to stay
where they were, and not to think of leaving their own country, and
partaking with her of that uncertainty under which she must return.
Accordingly Orpah staid behind; but she took Ruth along with her, as not
to be persuaded to stay behind her, but would take her fortune with her,
whatsoever it should prove.
2. When Ruth was come with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, Booz, who was
near of kin to Elimelech, entertained her; and when Naomi was so called
by her fellow citizens, according to her true name, she said, "You might
more truly call me Mara." Now Naomi signifies in the Hebrew tongue
happiness, and Mara, sorrow. It was now reaping time; and Ruth, by the
leave of her mother-in-law, went out to glean, that they might get a
stock of corn for their food. Now it happened that she came into Booz's
field; and after some time Booz came thither, and when he saw the
damsel, he inquired of his servant that was set over the reapers
concerning the girl. The servant had a little before inquired about all
her circumstances, and told them to his master, who kindly embraced her,
both on account of her affection to her mother-in-law, and her
remembrance of that son of hers to whom she had been married, and wished
that she might experience a prosperous condition; so he desired her not
to glean, but to reap what she was able, and gave her leave to carry it
home. He also gave it in charge to that servant who was over the
reapers, not to hinder her when she took it away, and bade him give her
her dinner, and make her drink when he did the like to the reapers. Now
what corn Ruth received of him she kept for her mother-in-law, and came
to her in the evening, and brought the ears of corn with her; and Naomi
had kept for her a part of such food as her neighbors had plentifully
bestowed upon her. Ruth also told her mother-in-law what Booz had said
to her; and when the other had informed her that he was near of kin to
them, and perhaps was so pious a man as to make some provision for them,
she went out again on the days following, to gather the gleanings with
Booz's maidservants.
3. It was not many days before Booz, after the barley was winnowed,
slept in his thrashing-floor. When Naomi was informed of this
circumstance she contrived it so that Ruth should lie down by him, for
she thought it might be for their advantage that he should discourse
with the girl. Accordingly she sent the damsel to sleep at his feet; who
went as she bade her, for she did not think it consistent with her duty
to contradict any command of her mother-in-law. And at first she lay
concealed from Booz, as he was fast asleep; but when he awaked about
midnight, and perceived a woman lying by him, he asked who she was;—and
when she told him her name, and desired that he whom she owned for her
lord would excuse her, he then said no more; but in the morning, before
the servants began to set about their work, he awaked her, and bid her
take as much barley as she was able to carry, and go to her mother-in-
law before any body there should see that she had lain down by him,
because it was but prudent to avoid any reproach that might arise on
that account, especially when there had been nothing done that was ill.
But as to the main point she aimed at, the matter should rest here,—"He
that is nearer of kin than I am, shall be asked whether he wants to take
thee to wife: if he says he does, thou shalt follow him; but if he
refuse it, I will marry thee, according to the law."
4. When she had informed her mother-in-law of this, they were very glad
of it, out of the hope they had that Booz would make provision for them.
Now about noon Booz went down into the city, and gathered the senate
together, and when he had sent for Ruth, he called for her kinsman also;
and when he was come, he said, "Dost not thou retain the inheritance of
Elimelech and his sons?" He confessed that he did retain it, and that he
did as he was permitted to do by the laws, because he was their nearest
kinsman. Then said Booz, "Thou must not remember the laws by halves, but
do every thing according to them; for the wife of Mahlon is come hither,
whom thou must marry, according to the law, in case thou wilt retain
their fields." So the man yielded up both the field and the wife to
Booz, who was himself of kin to those that were dead, as alleging that
he had a wife already, and children also; so Booz called the senate to
witness, and bid the woman to loose his shoe, and spit in his face,
according to the law; and when this was done, Booz married Ruth, and
they had a son within a year's time. Naomi was herself a nurse to this
child; and by the advice of the women, called him Obed, as being to be
brought up in order to be subservient to her in her old age, for Obed in
the Hebrew dialect signifies a servant. The son of Obed was Jesse, and
David was his son, who was king, and left his dominions to his sons for
one and twenty generations. I was therefore obliged to relate this
history of Ruth, because I had a mind to demonstrate the power of God,
who, without difficulty, can raise those that are of ordinary parentage
to dignity and splendor, to which he advanced David, though he were born
of such mean parents.
CHAPTER 10. Concerning The Birth Of Samuel; And How He Foretold The
Calamity That Befell The Sons Of Eli.
1. And now upon the ill state of the affairs of the Hebrews, they made
war again upon the Philistines. The occasion was this: Eli, the high
priest, had two sons, Hophni and Phineas. These sons of Eli were guilty
of injustice towards men, and of impiety towards God, and abstained from
no sort of wickedness. Some of their gifts they carried off, as
belonging to the honorable employment they had; others of them they took
away by violence. They also were guilty of impurity with the women that
came to worship God at the tabernacle, obliging some to submit to their
lust by force, and enticing others by bribes; nay, the whole course of
their lives was no better than tyranny. Their father therefore was angry
at them for such their wickedness, and expected that God would suddenly
inflict his punishments upon them for what they had done. The multitude
took it heinously also. And as soon as God had foretold what calamity
would befall Eli's sons, which he did both to Eli himself and to Samuel
the prophet, who was yet but a child, he openly showed his sorrow for
his sons' destruction.
2. I will first despatch what I have to say about the prophet Samuel,
and after that will proceed to speak of the sons of Eli, and the
miseries they brought on the whole people of the Hebrews. Elcanah, a
Levite, one of a middle condition among his fellow citizens, and one
that dwelt at Ramathaim, a city of the tribe of Ephraim, married two
wives, Hannah and Peninnah. He had children by the latter; but he loved
the other best, although she was barren. Now Elcanah came with his wives
to the city Shiloh to sacrifice, for there it was that the tabernacle of
God was fixed, as we have formerly said. Now when, after he had
sacrificed, he distributed at that festival portions of the flesh to his
wives and children, and when Hannah saw the other wife's children
sitting round about their mother, she fell into tears, and lamented
herself on account of her barrenness and lonesomeness; and suffering her
grief to prevail over her husband's consolations to her, she went to the
tabernacle to beseech God to give her seed, and to make her a mother;
and to vow to consecrate the first son she should bear to the service of
God, and this in such a way, that his manner of living should not be
like that of ordinary men. And as she continued at her prayers a long
time, Eli, the high priest, for he sat there before the tabernacle, bid
her go away, thinking she had been disordered with wine; but when she
said she had drank water, but was in sorrow for want of children, and
was beseeching God for them, he bid her be of good cheer, and told her
that God would send her children.
3. So she came to her husband full of hope, and ate her meal with
gladness. And when they had returned to their own country she found
herself with child, and they had a son born to them, to whom they gave
the name of Samuel, which may be styled one that was asked of God. They
therefore came to the tabernacle to offer sacrifice for the birth of the
child, and brought their tithes with them; but the woman remembered the
vows she had made concerning her son, and delivered him to Eli,
dedicating him to God, that he might become a prophet. Accordingly his
hair was suffered to grow long, and his drink was water. So Samuel dwelt
and was brought up in the temple. But Elcanah had other sons by Hannah,
and three daughters.
4. Now when Samuel was twelve years old, he began to prophesy: and once
when he was asleep, God called to him by his name; and he, supposing he
had been called by the high priest, came to him: but when the high
priest said he did not call him, God did so thrice. Eli was then so far
illuminated, that he said to him, "Indeed, Samuel, I was silent now as
well as before: it is God that calls thee; do thou therefore signify it
to him, and say, I am here ready." So when he heard God speak again, he
desired him to speak, and to deliver what oracles he pleased to him, for
he would not fail to perform any ministration whatsoever he should make
use of him in;—to which God replied, "Since thou art here ready, learn
what miseries are coming upon the Israelites,—such indeed as words
cannot declare, nor faith believe; for the sons of Eli shall die on one
day, and the priesthood shall be transferred into the family of Eleazar;
for Eli hath loved his sons more than he hath loved my worship, and to
such a degree as is not for their advantage." Which message Eli obliged
the prophet by oath to tell him, for otherwise he had no inclination to
afflict him by telling it. And now Eli had a far more sure expectation
of the perdition of his sons; but the glory of Samuel increased more and
more, it being found by experience that whatsoever he prophesied came to
pass accordingly. 22
CHAPTER 11. Herein Is Declared What Befell The Sons Of Eli, The Ark, And
The People And How Eli Himself Died Miserably.
1. About this time it was that the Philistines made war against the
Israelites, and pitched their camp at the city Aphek. Now when the
Israelites had expected them a little while, the very next day they
joined battle, and the Philistines were conquerors, and slew above four
thousand of the Hebrews, and pursued the rest of their multitude to
their camp.
2. So the Hebrews being afraid of the worst, sent to the senate, and to
the high priest, and desired that they would bring the ark of God, that
by putting themselves in array, when it was present with them, they
might be too hard for their enemies, as not reflecting that he who had
condemned them to endure these calamities was greater than the ark, and
for whose sake it was that this ark came to be honored. So the ark came,
and the sons of the high priest with it, having received a charge from
their father, that if they pretended to survive the taking of the ark,
they should come no more into his presence, for Phineas officiated
already as high priest, his father having resigned his office to him, by
reason of his great age. So the Hebrews were full of courage, as
supposing that, by the coming of the ark, they should be too hard for
their enemies: their enemies also were greatly concerned, and were
afraid of the ark's coming to the Israelites: however, the upshot did
not prove agreeable to the expectation of both sides, but when the
battle was joined, that victory which the Hebrews expected was gained by
the Philistines, and that defeat the Philistines were afraid of fell to
the lot of the Israelites, and thereby they found that they had put
their trust in the ark in vain, for they were presently beaten as soon
as they came to a close fight with their enemies, and lost about thirty
thousand men, among whom were the sons of the high priest; but the ark
was carried away by the enemies.
3. When the news of this defeat came to Shiloh, with that of the
captivity of the ark, [for a certain young man, a Benjamite, who was in
the action, came as a messenger thither,] the whole city was full of
lamentations. And Eli, the high priest, who sat upon a high throne at
one of the gates, heard their mournful cries, and supposed that some
strange thing had befallen his family. So he sent for the young man; and
when he understood what had happened in the battle, he was not much
uneasy as to his sons, or what was told him withal about the army, as
having beforehand known by Divine revelation that those things would
happen, and having himself declared them beforehand,—for what sad things
come unexpectedly they distress men the most; but as soon as [he heard]
the ark was carried captive by their enemies, he was very much grieved
at it, because it fell out quite differently from what he expected; so
he fell down from his throne and died, having in all lived ninety-eight
years, and of them retained the government forty.
4. On the same day his son Phineas's wife died also, as not able to
survive the misfortune of her husband; for they told her of her
husband's death as she was in labor. However, she bare a son at seven
months, who lived, and to whom they gave the name of Icabod, which name
signifies disgrace,—and this because the army received a disgrace at
this time.
5. Now Eli was the first of the family of Ithamar, the other son of
Aaron, that had the government; for the family of Eleazar officiated as
high priest at first, the son still receiving that honor from the father
which Eleazar bequeathed to his son Phineas; after whom Abiezer his son
took the honor, and delivered it to his son, whose name was Bukki, from
whom his son Ozi received it; after whom Eli, of whom we have been
speaking, had the priesthood, and so he and his posterity until the time
of Solomon's reign; but then the posterity of Eleazar reassumed it.
FOOTNOTES
1 (return) [ The Amorites were one of the seven nations of Canaan. Hence
Reland is willing to suppose that Josephus did not here mean that their
land beyond Jordan was a seventh part of the whole land of Canaan, but
meant the Arnorites as a seventh nation. His reason is, that Josephus,
as well as our Bible, generally distinguish the land beyond Jordan from
the land of Canaan; nor can it be denied, that in strictness they were
all forgot: yet after two tribes and a half of the twelve tribes came to
inherit it, it might in a general way altogether be well included under
the land of Canaan, or Palestine, or Judea, of which we have a clear
example here before us in Josephus, whose words evidently imply, that
taking the whole land of Canaan, or that inhabited by all the twelve
tribes together, and parting it into seven parts, the part beyond Jordan
was in quantity of ground one seventh part of the whole. And this well
enough agrees to Reland's own map of that country, although this land
beyond Jordan was so peculiarly fruitful, and good for pasturage, as the
two tribes and a half took notice, Numbers 32:1, 4, 16, that it
maintained about a fifth part of the whole people.]
2 (return) [ It plainly appears by the history of these spies, and the
innkeeper Rahab's deception of the king of Jericho's messengers, by
telling them what was false in order to save the lives of the spies, and
yet the great commendation of her faith and good works in the New
Testament, Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25, as well as by many other parallel
examples, both in the Old Testament and in Josephus, that the best men
did not then scruple to deceive those public enemies who might justly be
destroyed; as also might deceive ill men in order to save life, and
deliver themselves from the tyranny of their unjust oppressors, and this
by telling direct falsehoods; I mean, all this where no oath was
demanded of them, otherwise they never durst venture on such a
procedure. Nor was Josephus himself of any other opinion or practice, as
I shall remark in the note on Antiq. B. IX. ch. 4. sect. 3. And observe,
that I still call this woman Rahab, an innkeeper, not a harlot, the
whole history, both in our copies, and especially in Josephus, implying
no more. It was indeed so frequent a thing, that women who were
innkeepers were also harlots, or maintainers of harlots, that the word
commonly used for real harlots was usually given them. See Dr. Bernard's
note here, and Judges 11:1, and Antiq. B. V. ch. 7. sect. 8.]
3 (return) [ Upon occasion of this devoting of Jericho to destruction,
and the exemplary punishment of Achar, who broke that duerein or
anathema, and of the punishment of the future breaker of it, Hiel, 1
Kings 16:34, as also of the punishment of Saul, for breaking the like
chefera or anathema, against the Amalekites, 1 Samuel 15., we may
observe what was the true meaning of that law, Leviticus 27:28: "None
devoted which shall be devoted of shall be redeemed; but shall be put to
death;" i.e. whenever any of the Jews' public enemies had been, for
their wickedness, solemnly devoted to destruction, according to the
Divine command, as were generally the seven wicked nations of Canaan,
and those sinners the Amalekites, 1 Samuel 15:18, it was utterly
unlawful to permit those enemies to be redeemed; but they were to be all
utterly destroyed. See also Numbers 23:2, 3.]
4 (return) [ That the name of this chief was not Achan, as in the common
copies, but Achar, as here in Josephus, and in the Apostolical Constit.
B. VII. ch. 2., and elsewhere, is evident by the allusion to that name
in the curse of Joshua, "Why hast thou troubled us?—the Lord shall
trouble thee;" where the Hebrew word alludes only to the name Achar, but
not to Achan. Accordingly, this Valley of Achar, or Achor, was and is a
known place, a little north of Gilgal, so called from the days of Joshua
till this day. See Joshua 7:26; Isaiah 65:10; Hosea 2:15; and Dr.
Bernard's notes here.]
5 (return) [ Here Dr. Bernard very justly observes, that a few words are
dropped out of Josephus's copies, on account of the repetition of the
word shekels, and that it ought to be read thus:—"A piece of gold that
weighed fifty shekels, and one of silver that weighed two hundred
shekels," as in our other copies, Joshua 7:21.]
6 (return) [ I agree here with Dr. Bernard, and approve of Josephus's
interpretation of Gilgal for liberty. See Joshua 5:9.]
7 (return) [ Whether this lengthening of the day, by the standing still
of the sun and moon, were physical and real, by the miraculous stoppage
of the diurnal motion of the earth for about half a revolution, or
whether only apparent, by aerial phosphori imitating the sun and moon as
stationary so long, while clouds and the night hid the real ones, and
this parhelion or mock sun affording sufficient light for Joshua's
pursuit and complete victory, [which aerial phosphori in other shapes
have been more than ordinarily common of late years,] cannot now be
determined: philosophers and astronomers will naturally incline to this
latter hypothesis. In the mean time, the fact itself was mentioned in
the book of Jasher, now lost, Joshua 10:13, and is confirmed by Isaiah,
28:21, Habakkuk, 3:11, and by the son of Sirach, Ecclus. 46:4. In the
18th Psalm of Solomon, yet it is also said of the luminaries, with
relation, no doubt, to this and the other miraculous standing still and
going back, in the days of Joshua and Hezekiah, "They have not wandered,
from the day that he created them; they have not forsaken their way,
from ancient generations, unless it were when God enjoined them [so to
do] by the command of his servants." See Authent. Rec. part i. p. 154.
[8: Of the books laid up in the temple, see the note on Antiq. B. III.
ch. 1. sect. 7.]
9 (return) [ Since not only Procopius and Suidas, but an earlier author,
Moses Chorenensis, p. 52, 53, and perhaps from his original author
Mariba Carina, one as old as Alexander the Great, sets down the famous
inscription at Tangier concerning the old Canaanites driven out of
Palestine by Joshua, take it here in that author's own words: "We are
those exiles that were governors of the Canaanites, but have been driven
away by Joshua the robber, and are come to inhabit here." See the note
there. Nor is it unworthy of our notice what Moses Chorenensis adds, p.
53, and this upon a diligent examination, viz. that "one of those
eminent men among the Canaanites came at the same time into Armenia, and
founded the Genthuniaa family, or tribe; and that this was confirmed by
the manners of the same family or tribe, as being like those of the
Canaanites."]