BOOK V.
CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SIX YEARS.
FROM THE DEATH OF MOSES TO THE DEATH OF ELI.
CHAPTER 1.
HOW JOSHUA, THE COMMANDER OF THE HEBREWS, MADE WAR WITH THE
CANAANITES, AND OVERCAME THEM, AND DESTROYED THEM, AND DIVIDED
THEIR LAND BY LOT TO THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL.
1. WHEN Moses was taken away from among men, in the manner already
described, and when all the solemnities belonging to the mourning
for him were finished, and the sorrow for him was over, Joshua
commanded the multitude to get themselves ready for an expedition.
He also sent spies to Jericho to discover what forces they had,
and what were their intentions; but he put his camp in order,
as intending soon to pass over Jordan at a proper season. And
calling to him the rulers of the tribe of Reuben, and the governors
of the tribe of Gad, and [the half tribe of] Manasseh, for half
of this tribe had been permitted to have their habitation in the
country of the Amorites, which was the seventh part of the land
of Canaan, (1) he put them in mind what they had promised Moses;
and he exhorted them that, for the sake of the care that Moses
had taken of them who had never been weary of taking pains for
them no, not when he was dying, and for the sake of the public
welfare, they would prepare themselves, and readily perform what
they had promised; so he took fifty thousand of them who followed
him, and he marched from Abila to Jordan, sixty furlongs.
2. Now when he had pitched his camp, the spies came to him immediately,
well acquainted with the whole state of the Canaanites; for at
first, before they were at all discovered, they took a full view
of the city of Jericho without disturbance, and saw which parts
of the walls were strong, and which parts were otherwise, and
indeed insecure, and which of the gates were so weak as might
afford an entrance to their army. Now those that met them took
no notice of them when they saw them, and supposed they were only
strangers, who used to be very curious in observing everything
in the city, and did not take them for enemies; but at even they
retired to a certain inn that was near to the wall, whither they
went to eat their supper; which supper when they had done, and
were considering how to get away, information was given to the
king as he was at supper, that there were some persons come from
the Hebrews' camp to view the city as spies, and that they were
in the inn kept by Rahab, and were very solicitous that they might
not be discovered. So he sent immediately some to them, and commanded
to catch them, and bring them to him, that he might examine them
by torture, and learn what their business was there. As soon as
Rahab understood that these messengers were coming, she hid the
spies under stalks of flax, which were laid to dry on the top
of her house; and said to the messengers that were sent by the
king, that certain unknown strangers had supped with her a little
before sun-setting, and were gone away, who might easily be taken,
if they were any terror to the city, or likely to bring any danger
to the king. So these messengers being thus deluded by the woman,
(2) and suspecting no imposition, went their ways, without so
much as searching the inn; but they immediately pursued them along
those roads which they most probably supposed them to have gone,
and those particularly which led to the river, but could hear
no tidings of them; so they left off the pains of any further
pursuit. But when the tumult was over, Rahab brought the men down,
and desired them as soon as they should have obtained possession
of the land of Canaan, when it would be in their power to make
her amends for her preservation of them, to remember what danger
she had undergone for their sakes; for that if she had been caught
concealing them, she could not have escaped a terrible destruction,
she and all her family with her, and so bid them go home; and
desired them to swear to her to preserve her and her family when
they should take the city, and destroy all its inhabitants, as
they had decreed to do; for so far she said she had been assured
by those Divine miracles of which she had been informed. So these
spies acknowledged that they owed her thanks for what she had
done already, and withal swore to requite her kindness, not only
in words, but in deeds. But they gave her this advice, That when
she should perceive that the city was about to be taken, she should
put her goods, and all her family, by way of security, in her
inn, and to hang out scarlet threads before her doors, [or windows,]
that the commander of the Hebrews might know her house, and take
care to do her no harm; for, said they, we will inform him of
this matter, because of the concern thou hast had to preserve
us: but if any one of thy family fall in the battle, do not thou
blame us; and we beseech that God, by whom we have sworn, not
then to be displeased with us, as though we had broken our oaths.
So these men, when they had made this agreement, went away, letting
themselves down by a rope from the wall, and escaped, and came
and told their own people whatsoever they had done in their journey
to this city. Joshua also told Eleazar the high priest, and the
senate, what the spies had sworn to Rahab, who continued what
had been sworn.
3. Now while Joshua, the commander, was in fear about their passing
over Jordan, for the river ran with a strong current, and could
not be passed over with bridges, for there never had been bridges
laid over it hitherto; and while he suspected, that if he should
attempt to make a bridge, that their enemies would not afford
him thee to perfect it, and for ferry-boats they had none, - God
promised so to dispose of the river, that they might pass over
it, and that by taking away the main part of its waters. So Joshua,
after two days, caused the army and the whole multitude to pass
over in the manner following: - The priests went first of all,
having the ark with them; then went the Levites bearing the tabernacle
and the vessels which belonged to the sacrifices; after which
the entire multitude followed, according to their tribes, having
their children and their wives in the midst of them, as being
afraid for them, lest they should be borne away by the stream.
But as soon as the priests had entered the river first, it appeared
fordable, the depth of the water being restrained and the sand
appearing at the bottom, because the current was neither so strong
nor so swift as to carry it away by its force; so they all passed
over the river without fear, finding it to be in the very same
state as God had foretold he would put it in; but the priests
stood still in the midst of the river till the multitude should
be passed over, and should get to the shore in safety; and when
all were gone over, the priests came out also, and permitted the
current to run freely as it used to do before. Accordingly the
river, as soon as the Hebrews were come out of it, arose again
presently, and carne to its own proper magnitude as before.
4. So the Hebrews went on farther fifty furlongs, and pitched
their camp at the distance of ten furlongs from Jericho; but Joshua
built an altar of those stones which all the heads of the tribes,
at the command of the prophets, had taken out of the deep, to
be afterwards a memorial of the division of the stream of this
river, and upon it offered sacrifice to God; and in that place
celebrated the passover, and had great plenty of all the things
which they wanted hitherto; for they reaped the corn of the Canaanites,
which was now ripe, and took other things as prey; for then it
was that their former food, which was manna, and of which they
had eaten forty years, failed them.
5. Now while the Israelites did this, and the Canaanites did not
attack them, but kept themselves quiet within their own walls,
Joshua resolved to besiege them; so on the first day of the feast
[of the passover], the priests carried the ark round about, with
some part of the armed men to be a guard to it. These priests
went forward, blowing with their seven trumpets; and exhorted
the army to be of good courage, and went round about the city,
with the senate following them; and when the priests had only
blown with the trumpets, for they did nothing more at all, they
returned to the camp. And when they had done this for six days,
on the seventh Joshua gathered the armed men and all the people
together, and told them these good tidings, That the city should
now be taken, since God would on that day give it them, by the
falling down of the walls, and this of their own accord, and without
their labor. However, he charged them to kill every one they should
take, and not to abstain from the slaughter of their enemies,
either for weariness or for pity, and not to fall on the spoil,
and be thereby diverted from pursuing their enemies as they ran
away; but to destroy all the animals, and to take nothing for
their own peculiar advantage. He commanded them also to bring
together all the silver and gold, that it might be set apart as
first-fruits unto God out of this glorious exploit, as having
gotten them from the city they first took; only that they should
save Rahab and her kindred alive, because of the oath which the
spies had sworn to her.
6. When he had said this, and had set his army in order, be brought
it against the city: so they went round the city again, the ark
going before them, and the priests encouraging the people to be
zealous in the work; and when they had gone round it seven times,
and had stood still a little, the wall fell down, while no instruments
of war, nor any other force, was applied to it by the Hebrews.
7. So they entered into Jericho, and slew all the men that were
therein, while they were aftrighted at the surprising overthrow
of the walls, and their courage was become useless, and they were
not able to defend themselves; so they were slain, and their throats
cut, some in the ways, and others as caught in their houses; nothing
afforded them assistance, but they all perished, even to the women
and the children; and the city was filled with dead bodies, and
not one person escaped. They also burnt the whole city, and the
country about it; but they saved alive Rahab, with her family,
who had fled to her inn. And when she was brought to him, Joshua
owned to her that they owed her thanks for her preservation of
the spies: so he said he would not appear to be behind her in
his benefaction to her; whereupon he gave her certain lands immediately,
and had her in great esteem ever afterwards.
8. And if any part of the city escaped the fire, he overthrew
it from the foundation; and he denounced a curse (3)against its
inhabitants, if any should desire to rebuild it; how, upon his
laying the foundation of the walls, he should be deprived of his
eldest son; and upon finishing it, he should lose his youngest
son. But what happened hereupon we shall speak of hereafter.
9. Now there was an immense quantity of silver and gold, and besides
those of brass also, that was heaped together out of the city
when it was taken, no one transgressing the decree, nor purloining
for their own peculiar advantage; which spoils Joshua delivered
to the priests, to be laid up among their treasures. And thus
did Jericho perish.
10. But there was one Achar, (4) the son [of Charmi, the son]
of Zebedias, of the tribe of Judah, who finding a royal garment
woven entirely of gold, and a piece of gold that weighed two hundred
shekels; (5) and thinking it a very hard case, that what spoils
he, by running some hazard, had found, he must give away, and
offer it to God, who stood in no need of it, while he that wanted
it must go without it, - made a deep ditch in his own tent, and
laid them up therein, as supposing he should not only be concealed
from his fellow soldiers, but from God himself also.
11. Now the place where Joshua pitched his camp was called Gilgal,
which denotes liberty; (6) for since now they had passed
over Jordan, they looked on themselves as freed from the miseries
which they had undergone from the Egyptians, and in the wilderness.
12. Now, a few days after the calamity that befell Jericho, Joshua
sent three thousand armed men to take Ai, a city situate above
Jericho; but, upon the sight of the people of Ai, with them they
were driven back, and lost thirty-six of their men. When this
was told the Israelites, it made them very sad, and exceeding
disconsolate, not so much because of the relation the men that
were destroyed bare to them, though those that were destroyed
were all good men, and deserved their esteem, as by the despair
it occasioned; for while they believed that they were already,
in effect, in possession of the land, and should bring back the
army out of the battles without loss, as God had promised beforehand,
they now saw unexpectedly their enemies bold with success; so
they put sackcloth over their garments, and continued in tears
and lamentation all the day, without the least inquiry after food,
but laid what had happened greatly to heart.
13. When Joshua saw the army so much afflicted, and possessed
with forebodings of evil as to their whole expedition, he used
freedom with God, and said, "We are not come thus far out
of any rashness of our own, as though we thought ourselves able
to subdue this land with our own weapons, but at the instigation
of Moses thy servant for this purpose, because thou hast promised
us, by many signs, that thou wouldst give us this land for a possession,
and that thou wouldst make our army always superior in war to
our enemies, and accordingly some success has already attended
upon us agreeably to thy promises; but because we have now unexpectedly
been foiled, and have lost some men out of our army, we are grieved
at it, as fearing what thou hast promised us, and what Moses foretold
us, cannot be depended on by us; and our future expectation troubles
us the more, because we have met with such a disaster in this
our first attempt. But do thou, O Lord, free us from these suspicions,
for thou art able to find a cure for these disorders, by giving
us victory, which will both take away the grief we are in at present,
and prevent our distrust as to what is to come."
14. These intercessions Joshua put up to God, as he lay prostrate
on his face: whereupon God answered him, That he should rise up,
and purify his host from the pollution that had got into it; that
"things consecrated to me have been impudently stolen from
me," and that "this has been the occasion why this defeat
had happened to them;" and that when they should search out
and punish the offender, he would ever take care they should have
the victory over their enemies. This Joshua told the people; and
calling for Eleazar the high priest, and the men in authority,
he cast lots, tribe by tribe; and when the lot showed that this
wicked action was done by one of the tribe of Judah, he then again
proposed the lot to the several families thereto belonging; so
the truth of this wicked action was found to belong to the family
of Zachar; and when the inquiry was made man by man, they took
Achar, who, upon God's reducing him to a terrible extremity,
could not deny the fact: so he confessed the theft, and produced
what he had taken in the midst of them, whereupon he was immediately
put to death; and attained no more than to be buried in the night
in a disgraceful manner, and such as was suitable to a condemned
malefactor.
15. When Joshua had thus purified the host, he led them against
Ai: and having by night laid an ambush round about the city, he
attacked the enemies as soon as it was day; but as they advanced
boldly against the Israelites, because of their former victory,
he made them believe he retired, and by that means drew them a
great way from the city, they still supposing that they were pursuing
their enemies, and despised them, as though the case had been
the same with that in the former battle; after which Joshua ordered
his forces to turn about, and placed them against their front.
He then made the signals agreed upon to those that lay in ambush,
and so excited them to fight; so they ran suddenly into the city,
the inhabitants being upon the walls, nay, others of them being
in perplexity, and coming to see those that were without the gates.
Accordingly, these men took the city, and slew all that they met
with; but Joshua forced those that came against him to come to
a close fight, and discomfited them, and made them run away; and
when they were driven towards the city, and thought it had not
been touched, as soon as they saw it was taken, and perceived
it was burnt, with their wives and children, they wandered about
in the fields in a scattered condition, and were no way able to
defend themselves, because they had none to support them. Now
when this calamity was come upon the men of Ai, there were a great
number of children, and women, and servants, and an immense quantity
of other furniture. The Hebrews also took herds of cattle, and
a great deal of money, for this was a rich country. So when Joshua
came to Gilgal, he divided all these spoils among the soldiers.
16. But the Gibeonites, who inhabited very near to Jerusalem,
when they 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. (8)
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 aftrighted 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
aftrighted 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 thee, 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 thee. We, therefore, return you our thanks for the
dangers you have undergone with us, and we do it not at this thee
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 thee 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 thee 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 tojudge 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 thee, 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 aftrighted 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 8.
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 Shecbem 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 aftrighted 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 thee 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' thee, 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 thee, 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 thee; 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 thee 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 a
