1
以法蓮和瑪拿西的分地約瑟的子孫抽籤所得的地業，是從靠近耶利哥的約旦河起，到耶利哥東邊的水泉，經過從耶利哥上去的曠野，進到在山地的伯特利；
3
又向西下到押利提人的境界，去到下伯．和崙和基色的境界，直通到海。
5
以下是以法蓮人按著家族所得的境界：他們的產業在東方的疆界，是亞他綠．亞達，直到上伯．和崙。
6
以法蓮支派的分地向西伸展到北面的密米他，又向東繞到他納．示羅，經過雅挪哈的東邊；
7
從雅挪哈下到亞他綠，又到拿拉，和耶利哥接壤，伸展到約旦河；
8
又從他普亞向西行，到加拿河，直通到海；這就是以法蓮支派按著家族所得的產業。
Joshua 16: The territories of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Chapter 16 tells about the land given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph. Only Ephraim’s territory is covered in this chapter; Manasseh’s territory is discussed in Joshua 17.
The first three verses describe Ephraim and Manasseh’s territories as one large area. Half of Manasseh had already been given land on the other side of the River Jordan, (see Joshua 13 for more). Together, Ephraim and (the second half of) Manasseh’s territory is in the center of the land west of the Jordan.
This seems to suggest that the spiritual meaning of those two tribes is of major importance for us. Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, stands for our understanding of the Lord’s truths, while Manasseh, the older son, stands for the good which these truths lead us to do (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 8399).
It is a spiritual truth that we need an understanding of what is true - in the Word, and about the Lord - before we can begin to do what is genuinely good. Yet it is good which is the most important thing in our spiritual life, so this is really the first in importance (see Swedenborg’s True Christian Religion 336[2]).
This ‘switch’ is reflected in Genesis chapter 48, when Joseph takes his two sons to his dying father, Israel, for him to bless them. But Israel (Jacob) blesses younger Ephraim first, and Manasseh second; he reverses the order of their birth. For us, it is important to see that both good and truth combined are essential, each for the sake of the other. The tribes’ central location in the Land of Canaan and adjoining territories illustrate this point.
Verse 9 brings out this unity even further. It says: “The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.” Not only were the two territories adjacent, but they overlapped, with separate cities for Ephraim being among the territory of Manasseh. Truth and good are partnered in a kind of marriage together (read Swedenborg’s Doctrine of Life 33).
The last verse of this short chapter raises another interesting point, which has been mentioned previously: while Israel had conquered the land of Canaan, there were places where the people of Canaan still lived among the Israelites. Verse 10 states: “And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced labourers.”
We came across a similar situation in Joshua 9 with the Gibeonites, who made a treaty with Israel but became woodcutters and watercarriers to serve Israel. The meaning for us is that the lower or more outward, natural things of life are there to serve our spiritual life. They are not to be destroyed, because natural life is the arena in which we live out the beliefs and values that form our spiritual life (True Christian Religion 339).
The Canaanites in Gezer, who were forced to work for the Ephraimites, represent our lower nature. It is still active in us at times, rising up, showing itself, but we realize that this takes place so that it works for our spiritual growth and regeneration (Arcana Caelestia 5947).
Joshua 16: The territories of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Chapter 16 tells about the land given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph. Only Ephraim’s territory is covered in this chapter; Manasseh’s territory is discussed in Joshua 17.
The first three verses describe Ephraim and Manasseh’s territories as one large area. Half of Manasseh had already been given land on the other side of the River Jordan, (see Joshua 13 for more). Together, Ephraim and (the second half of) Manasseh’s territory is in the center of the land west of the Jordan.
This seems to suggest that the spiritual meaning of those two tribes is of major importance for us. Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, stands for our understanding of the Lord’s truths, while Manasseh, the older son, stands for the good which these truths lead us to do (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 8399).
It is a spiritual truth that we need an understanding of what is true - in the Word, and about the Lord - before we can begin to do what is genuinely good. Yet it is good which is the most important thing in our spiritual life, so this is really the first in importance (see Swedenborg’s True Christian Religion 336[2]).
This ‘switch’ is reflected in Genesis chapter 48, when Joseph takes his two sons to his dying father, Israel, for him to bless them. But Israel (Jacob) blesses younger Ephraim first, and Manasseh second; he reverses the order of their birth. For us, it is important to see that both good and truth combined are essential, each for the sake of the other. The tribes’ central location in the Land of Canaan and adjoining territories illustrate this point.
Verse 9 brings out this unity even further. It says: “The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.” Not only were the two territories adjacent, but they overlapped, with separate cities for Ephraim being among the territory of Manasseh. Truth and good are partnered in a kind of marriage together (read Swedenborg’s Doctrine of Life 33).
The last verse of this short chapter raises another interesting point, which has been mentioned previously: while Israel had conquered the land of Canaan, there were places where the people of Canaan still lived among the Israelites. Verse 10 states: “And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced labourers.”
We came across a similar situation in Joshua 9 with the Gibeonites, who made a treaty with Israel but became woodcutters and watercarriers to serve Israel. The meaning for us is that the lower or more outward, natural things of life are there to serve our spiritual life. They are not to be destroyed, because natural life is the arena in which we live out the beliefs and values that form our spiritual life (True Christian Religion 339).
The Canaanites in Gezer, who were forced to work for the Ephraimites, represent our lower nature. It is still active in us at times, rising up, showing itself, but we realize that this takes place so that it works for our spiritual growth and regeneration (Arcana Caelestia 5947).
耶利哥
Jericho' signifies instruction and also the good of life because no one can be instructed in the truths of doctrine but he who is in...
約旦
约旦河将迦南地与东边的土地分开。这种分离代表了人的心灵分为内部和外部，而教会正是在人的内部心灵中形成的。 河北还有梅洛姆和加利利两个湖泊的限制，南边还有死海的限制。这些限制里面是心灵的内部事物，外面是外部事物。 圣经》中提到的外面的国家，可以帮助我们。他们代表着基本的知识、推理能力、理性、好奇心等品质，作为朋友，可以支持我们的宗教信仰，作为敌人，可以反对我们的宗教信仰，也可以变出假神让我们崇拜。 里面的土地代表着一种再生的状态，也可以代表这种状态的最终结局，也就是天堂。 那么，从外面看，约旦河是通向更好的入口，是旅途的目标，它的水代表着悔改的精神洗礼，这是教会的第一件事，这也是为什么约翰在那里施洗，纳曼在那里洗礼。 从里面看，约旦河是教会外的边缘，因此以色列子民经常被外面的国家所困扰：米甸人、亚扪人、叙利亚人、埃及人、巴比伦人，以及我们在《历代志》、《列王纪》和《先知书》中读到的其他国家。 我们外在的心智能力可以为好的东西服务，但也可以为坏的东西服务。
約旦河
约旦河将迦南地与东边的土地分开。这种分离代表了人的心灵分为内部和外部，而教会正是在人的内部心灵中形成的。 河北还有梅洛姆和加利利两个湖泊的限制，南边还有死海的限制。这些限制里面是心灵的内部事物，外面是外部事物。 圣经》中提到的外面的国家，可以帮助我们。他们代表着基本的知识、推理能力、理性、好奇心等品质，作为朋友，可以支持我们的宗教信仰，作为敌人，可以反对我们的宗教信仰，也可以变出假神让我们崇拜。 里面的土地代表着一种再生的状态，也可以代表这种状态的最终结局，也就是天堂。 那么，从外面看，约旦河是通向更好的入口，是旅途的目标，它的水代表着悔改的精神洗礼，这是教会的第一件事，这也是为什么约翰在那里施洗，纳曼在那里洗礼。 从里面看，约旦河是教会外的边缘，因此以色列子民经常被外面的国家所困扰：米甸人、亚扪人、叙利亚人、埃及人、巴比伦人，以及我们在《历代志》、《列王纪》和《先知书》中读到的其他国家。 我们外在的心智能力可以为好的东西服务，但也可以为坏的东西服务。
水
'Waters' signify truths in the natural self, and in the opposite sense, falsities. 'Waters' signify particularly the spiritual parts of a person, or the intellectual...
山
The Writings tell us that the Lord's love is the sun of heaven, and it is natural for us to look above ourselves to the...
伯特利
当雅各做了一个著名的梦，梦见一个通向天堂的楼梯，他给这个地方起了个名字叫 "贝瑟尔"，希伯来语的意思是 "上帝的家" 这个字面的意义反映在属灵的意义上。书中告诉我们，"贝瑟尔 "代表了我们对主神圣的爱的认识和理解，那是他对我们所有人的完美的爱，那是他的本质。当我们知道了主的爱，对主的爱有了一定的了解，那就使它在我们里面有了一个 "房子"，让它在我们里面生长，影响我们自己的爱。 在旧约中，"贝瑟尔 "在后来的《旧约》中有相反的含义，在耶罗波安在那里设立金牛犊，使之成为偶像崇拜的中心之后。然后，它代表了从邪爱中产生的崇拜。
下
"Down" is used many different ways in natural language, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down,"...
海
Water generally represents what Swedenborg calls “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas,...
兒子
A child is a young boy or girl in the care of parents, older than a suckling or an infant, but not yet an adolescent....
瑪拿西
'Manasseh' signifies the will of the spiritual church.
以法蓮
以法莲是约瑟在埃及所生的第二个儿子，和他的哥哥玛拿西一起，被雅各提升到和约瑟的兄弟们一样的地位。因此，当以色列各支派被命名时，以法莲和玛拿西与他们的叔父--流便、西缅、利未、犹大、但、拿弗他利、迦得、亚设、以萨迦、西布伦和便雅悯--一起被列为族长，但约瑟却没有。 根据瑞典堡的说法，以法莲代表教会的智力方面，即探索和理解真实的部分--特别是可以从圣经中得出的真实想法。同时，玛拿西代表了教会的情感方面，即感受、爱和关心的部分。 这就演变成以法莲一生中最著名的故事。雅各老了，快死的时候，约瑟带着他的两个儿子来受祝福。他把玛拿西作为长子送给雅各的右手，把以法莲送给雅各的左手。但雅各双手交叉，把主要的祝福给了以法莲。 按照瑞典堡的说法，玛拿西是长子，因为归根结底，我们所爱的东西使我们成为我们自己，我们的爱形成了我们的生命。所以，我们的爱是我们人类存在的最核心、最主要的方面，我们的智力是次要的角色。但是随着我们的发展，我们需要扭转这些。我们可以用我们的智力去理解什么是好的、正确的，并强迫自己去做，即使我们的欲望是为了自私的东西。如果我们出于跟随主、做好人的决心而坚持这样做，主最终会把我们心中的私心去除，让我们真正爱上善的东西。主让雅各在玛拿西之上祝福以法莲，就是在告诉我们，我们要追求属灵的旅程，必须把智慧放在第一位。
北
'North' signifies people who are in obscurity regarding truth. North,' in Isaiah 14:31, signifies hell. The North,' as in Jeremiah 3:12, signifies people who are...
伸展
The hand in the Bible represents power, which is easy to understand, so to reach out or stretch out the hand means to exercise power,...
河
A 'stream' signifies aspects of intelligence.
鎮
Cities of the mountain and cities of the plain (Jeremiah 33:13) signify doctrines of charity and faith.
村莊
'Villages' signify the external aspects of faith and the church. Rituals are the external parts of the church. Doctrines are the internal parts when they...
住
在圣经时代，特别是旧约时代，许多人都是游牧民族，他们住在帐篷里，可以快速地打点、移动和重新搭建。当然，还有一些人住在房子里，一般是用石头和木头做的，相当永久。介于这两者之间的是更大、更精致的帐篷式结构，称为帐棚或住所；摩西为约柜所建的帐棚就是以这种模式为基础。 那么，"住 "在某个地方，意义重大--它比单纯的参观要多得多--但却不如住在那里永久。而事实上，在《圣经》中，住在某处，代表着进入那种属灵的状态，并与之交往，但不一定是永久的。 同时，"住处 "代表着激发居住在其中的人的各种爱，从最邪恶的--例如以赛亚书第9章中的 "那些住在死亡阴影里的人"--到会幕本身的崇高状态，会幕是作为主的住处而建造的，代表着天堂的所有细节。
Zde uvedené položky jsou poskytnuty se svolením našich přátel z General Church of the New Jerusalem. Můžete prohledávat/procházet celou knihovnu kliknutím na odkaz this link.
Land of Canaan Map
Coloring Page | Ages 7 - 14
Would you like to choose another language for your user interface? (You can do that anytime with our language chooser button 
)
