137 



years, (Ant. 6. sub, fin.) this period, with the twenty years of 

 the interregnum, and the twelve years of his age, at its com- 

 mencement, amount to forty-four years, an age evidently too 

 young to answer the expressions and narration of the text, 

 (Sam). 8. V. 1 ) which describes Samuel, in his old age, con- 

 stituting his sons Judges over Israel, and the elders (v. 5.) 

 address him : " Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not 

 in thy ways." (Vide also ] Saml, xii. 2.) This obvious objec- 

 tion overthrows the authority of Josephus, in the age which 

 he assigns to Samuel, and in this he is without scruple rejected 

 by his usual followers, while they tenaciously adhere to his 

 principle of an interregnum, during twenty years, which, it 

 must be admitted, is not very consistent or defensible. It is 

 true that Samuel is called " a child,"* (Saml. 3. v. 1.); but 

 this was before the spirit of prophecy was granted to him, 

 before " all Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a 

 Prophet of the Lord," (Saml, 3. 20.); and besides, it is usual 

 and familiar in Scripture, to apply that term to persons who 

 are otherwise rather advanced in years. Thus, Solomon is 

 called a child, when king of Israel, (1 Kings, 3. v. 7.) and 



T 2 Abijak 



• The expression may, in this view of it, be synonymous with that of Jonah, 

 " 120,000 who know not their right hand from their left," which is generally understood 

 and interpreted, (although it is certainly subject to considerable difficulty) as denoting a 

 spiritual, rather than a physical ignorance, as Samuel's might naturally be in " the days 

 when the word of the Lord was precious;" " for there was no open vision," (1 Saml. 3. 

 V. 1.) but after his vision, "Samuel greiu and the Lord was Vfith him," he is no longer 

 classed among the young. 



