and the care of the multitude to his sons, - the elder of whom
was called Joel, and the name of the younger was Abiah. He also
enjoined them to reside and judge the people, the one at the city
of Bethel, and the other at Beersheba, and divided the people
into districts that should be under the jurisdiction of each of
them. Now these men afford us an evident example and
demonstration how some children are not of the like dispositions
with their parents; but sometimes perhaps good and moderate,
though born of wicked parents; and sometimes showing themselves
to be wicked, though born of good parents: for these men turning
aside from their father's good courses, and taking a course that
was contrary to them, perverted justice for the 'filthy lucre of
gifts and bribes, and made their determinations not according to
truth, but according to bribery, and turned aside to luxury, and
a costly way of living; so that as, in the first place, they
practiced what was contrary to the will of God, so did they, in
the second place, what was contrary to the will of the prophet
their father, who had taken a great deal of care, and made a very
careful provision that the multitude should be righteous.

3. But the people, upon these injuries offered to their former
constitution and government by the prophet's sons, were very
uneasy at their actions, and came running to the prophet, who
then lived at the city Ramah, and informed him of the
transgressions of his sons; and said, That as he was himself old
already, and too infirm by that age of his to oversee their
affairs in the manner he used to do, so they begged of him, and
entreated him, to appoint some person to be king over them, who
might rule over the nation, and avenge them of the Philistines,
who ought to be punished for their former oppressions. These