he should die in the battle,
are somewhat unusual digressions in Josephus. They seem to me extracted
from some speeches or declamations of his composed formerly, in the way
of oratory, that lay by him, and which he thought fit to insert upon
this occasion. See before on Antiq. B. I. ch. 6 sect. 8.

[29] This way of speaking in Josephus, of fasting "seven days without
meat or drink," is almost like that of St. Paul, Acts 27:33, "This
day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried, and continued fasting,
having taken nothing:" and as the nature of the thing, and the
impossibility of strictly fasting so long, require us here to understand
both Josephus and the sacred author of this history, 1 Samuel 30:13,
from whom he took it, of only fasting fill the evening; so must we
understand St. Paul, either that this was really the fourteenth day
that they had taken nothing till the evening, or else that this was the
fourteenth day of their tempestuous weather in the Adriatic Sea, as ver.
27, and that on this fourteenth day alone they had continued fasting,
and had taken nothing before that evening. The mention of their long
abstinence, ver. 21, inclines me to believe the former explication to be
the truth, and that the case was then for a fortnight what it was here
for a week, that they kept all those days entirely as lasts till the
evening, but not longer. See Judges 20:26; 21:2; 1 Samuel 14:24; 2
Samuel 1:12; Antiq. B. VII. ch. 7. sect. 4.

BOOK 7 Footnotes

[1] It ought to be here noted, that Joab, Abishai, and Asahel were all
three David's nephews, the sons of his sister Zeraiah, as 1 Chronicles
2:16; and that Amasa was also his nephew by his other sister Abigail,
ver. 17.

[2] This may be a true observation of Josephus's, that Samuel by command
from God entailed the crown on David and his posterity; for no further
did that entail ever reach, Solomon himself having never had any promise
made him that his posterity should always have the right to it.

[3] These words of Josephus concerning the tribe of Issachar, who
foreknew what was to come hereafter," are best paraphrased by the
parallel text. 1 Chronicles 12:32, "Who had understanding of the times
to know what Israel ought to do;" that is, who had so much knowledge in
astronomy as to make calendars for the Israelites, that they might keep
their festivals, and plough and sow, and gather in their harvests and
vintage, in due season.

[4] What our other copies say o