David presently, in Josephus, as well as in our
other copies, 2 Samuel 19:8, sitting as before, in the gate of the city.

[20] By David's disposal of half Mephibosheth's estate to Ziba, one
would imagine that he was a good deal dissatisfied, and doubtful whether
Mephibosheth's story were entirely true or not; nor does David now
invite him to diet with him, as he did before, but only forgives him,
if he had been at all guilty. Nor is this odd way of mourning that
Mephibosheth made use of here, and 2 Samuel 19:24, wholly free
from suspicion by hypocrisy. If Ziba neglected or refused to bring
Mephibosheh an ass of his own, on which he might ride to David, it is
half to suppose that so great a man as he was should not be able to
procure some other beast for the same purpose.

[21] I clearly prefer Josephus's reading here, when it supposes eleven
tribes, including Benjamin, to be on the one side, and the tribe of
Judah alone on the other, since Benjamin, in general, had been still
father of the house of Saul, and less firm to David hitherto, than any
of the rest, and so cannot be supposed to be joined with Judah at this
time, to make it double, especially when the following rebellion was
headed by a Benjamite. See sect. 6, and 2 Samuel 20:2, 4.

[22] This section is a very remarkable one, and shows that, in the
opinion of Josephus, David composed the Book of Psalms, not at several
times before, as their present inscriptions frequently imply, but
generally at the latter end of his life, or after his wars were over.
Nor does Josephus, nor the authors of the known books of the Old and New
Testament, nor the Apostolical Constitutions, seem to have ascribed any
of them to any other author than to David himself. See Essay on the Old
Testament, pages 174, 175. Of these metres of the Psalms, see the note
on Antiq. B. II. ch. 16. sect. 4.

[23] The words of God by Moses, Exodus 30:12, sufficiently satisfy the
reason here given by Josephus for the great plague mentioned in this
chapter:--"When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after
their number, then shall they give a ransom for his soul unto the Lord,
when thou numberest them; that there be no plague amongst them, when
numberest them." Nor indeed could David's or the neglect of executing
this law at this numeration of half a shekel apiece with them, when they
came numbered. The great reason why nations are so committed by and with
their wicked kings and governors that