- that:
- Such execrable vows as these were not unusual among the Jews, who, from their perverted traditions, challenged to themselves a right of punishing without any legal process, those whom they considered transgressors of the law; and in some cases, as in the case of one who had forsaken the law of Moses, they thought they were justified in killing them. They therefore made no scruple of acquainting the chief priests and elders with their conspiracy against the life of Paul, and applying for their connivance and support; who, being chiefly of the sect of the Sadducees, and the apostle's bitterest enemies, were so far from blaming them for it, that they gladly aided and abetted them in this mode of dispatching him, and on its failure they soon afterwards determined upon making a similar attempt ("Thenª the¹ high priestª andª the¹ chiefª of the¹ Jewsª informedª° himª againstª Paul,ª andª besoughtª° him,ª ... And desiredª° favourª againstª him,ª thatª he would send forª° himª toª Jerusalem,ª laying²° waitª¹ inª the¹ wayª to killª° him.ª" {Act 25:2-3}). If these were, in their bad way, conscientious men, they were under no necessity of perishing for hunger, when the providence of God had hindered them from accomplishing their vow; for their vows of abstinence from eating and drinking were as easy to loose as to bind, any of their wise men or Rabbis having power to absolve them, as Dr. Lightfoot has shown from the Talmud. "And the menª of Israelª were distressedª° that¹ day:ª for Saulª had adjuredª°¹ the people,ª saying,ª° Cursedª° [be] the manª that¹ eatethª° [any] foodª until¹ evening,ª that I may be avengedª° on mine enemies.ª°¹ So none¹¹ of the peopleª tastedª° [any] food.ª" {1Sm 14:24} + "But Jonathan²¹ heardª° not¹ when his fatherª charged²° the people² with the oath:ª°¹¹ wherefore he put forthª°¹ the endª of the rodª that¹ [was] in his hand,ª and dippedª° it¹ in an honeycomb,ªª and putª° his handª to¹ his mouth;ª and his eyesª were enlightened.ª° ... Then answeredª° oneª of the people,ª¹ and said,ª° Thy fatherª straitly²° charged²° the people² with an oath,ª°¹¹ saying,ª° Cursedª° [be] the manª that¹ eatethª° [any] foodª this day.ª And the peopleª were faint.²°¹" {1Sm 14:27-28} + "Then saidª° he unto¹ all¹ Israel,ª Be¹ ye¹ on oneª side,ª and I¹ and Jonathan²¹ my sonª will be¹ on the otherª side.ª And the peopleª saidª° unto¹ Saul,ª Doª° what seemethª goodª unto thee. ... And Saulª answered,ª° Godª do¹ so²°¹ and more¹ also:²°¹ for¹ thou shalt surely²° die,ª° Jonathan.²¹" {1Sm 14:40-44} + "For¹ I have heardª° the slanderª of many:ª fearª [was] on every side:ª¹ while they took counselª° togetherª against¹ me, they devisedª° to take awayª° my life.ª" {Psa 31:13}
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