Biblical Antiquities of Philo: The Biblical Antiquities of Philo: Chapter LVI

Sacred Texts Bible Apocrypha Index Previous Next CHAPTER LVI. LVI. And at that time the children of Israel required a king in their Just. And they gathered together unto Samuel, and said: Behold, now, thou art grown old, and thy sons walk not in the ways of the Lord; now, therefore, appoint a king over us to judge betwixt us, for the word is fulfilled which Moses spake unto our fathers in the wilderness, saying: Thou shalt surely appoint over thee a prince of your brethren. 2. And when Samuel heard mention of the kingdom, he was sore p. 228 grieved in his heart, and said: Behold now I see that there is no more (or not yet) for us a time of a perpetual kingdom, neither of building the house of the Lord our God, inasmuch as these desire a king before the time. And now, if the Lord refuse it altogether (or But even if the Lord so will), it seemeth unto me that a king cannot be established. 3. And the Lord said unto him in the night: Be not grieved, for I will send them a king which shall lay them waste, and he himself shall be laid waste thereafter. Now he that shall come unto thee to-morrow at the sixth hour, he it is that shall reign over them. p. 229 said to Saul: Who will grant that thy word should come even unto accomplishment of itself, that thou mayest live many days? 1 but consider this, that thy words shall be likened unto the words of a prophet, whose name shall be Hieremias. 7. And as Saul went away that day, the people came unto Samuel, saying: Give us a king as thou didst promise us. And he said to them: Behold, the king shall come unto you after three days. And lo, Saul came. And there befell him all the signs which Samuel had told him. Are not these things written in the book of the Kings? Footnotes 229:1 LVI. 6. Who will grant, etc.: quis dabit uerbum tuum per se uenire usque ad finem ut longaeuus sis? Next: Chapter LVII