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约书亚记 13

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1 约书亚年纪老迈,耶和华对他:你年纪老迈了,还有许多未得之

2 就是非利士人的全境和基述人的全

3 埃及前的西曷河往,直到以革伦的境界,就算属迦南人之地。有非利士人五个首领所管的迦萨人、亚实突人、亚实基伦人、迦特人、以革伦人之地,并有南方亚卫人之地。

4 又有迦南人的全,并属西顿人的米亚拉到亚弗,直到亚摩利人的境界。

5 还有迦巴勒人之,并向日出的全利巴嫩,就是从黑门根的巴力迦得,直到哈马口。

6 地的一切居民,从利巴嫩直到米斯利弗玛音,就是所有的西顿人,我必在以色列人面前赶出他们去。你只管照我所吩咐的,将这地拈阄分给以色列人为业。

7 现在你要把这分给个支派和玛拿西半个支派为业。

8 玛拿西那半支派和流便、迦得二支派已经受了产业,就是耶和华的仆人摩西在约但河东所赐他们的:

9 是从亚嫩谷边的亚罗珥和谷中的城,并米底巴的全平原,直到底本,

10 和在希实本作王亚摩利王西宏的诸城,直到亚扪人的境界;

11 又有基列地、基述人、玛迦人的地界,并黑门全、巴珊全地,直到撒迦;

12 又有巴珊王噩的全国─他在亚斯他录和以得来作王(利乏音人所存留的只剩下他)。这些地的人都是摩西所击杀、所赶逐的。

13 以色列人却没有赶逐基述人、玛迦人;这些人仍以色列中,直到今日。

14 只是利未支派,摩西(原文作他)没有把产业分他们。他们的产业乃是献与耶和华以色列的火祭,正如耶和华所应许他们的。

15 摩西按着流便支派的宗族分他们产业。

16 他们的境界是亚嫩谷边的亚罗珥和谷中的城,靠近米底巴的全平原;

17 希实本并属希实本平原的各城,底本、巴末巴力、伯巴力勉、

18 雅杂、基底莫、米法押、

19 基列亭、西比玛、的细列哈沙辖、

20 伯毗珥、毗斯迦山坡、伯耶西末,

21 平原的各城,并亚摩利王西宏的全国。这西宏曾在希实本作王,摩西把他和米甸的族长以未、利金、苏珥、户珥、利巴击杀了;这都是属西宏为首领的。

22 那时以色列人在所杀的人中,也用刀杀了比珥的儿子术士巴兰

23 流便人的境界就是约但河与靠近约但河的地。以上是流便人按着宗族所得为业的诸城,并属城的村庄

24 摩西按着迦得支派的宗族分他们产业。

25 他们的境界是雅谢和基列的各城,并亚扪人的一半,直到拉巴前的亚罗珥;

26 从希实本到拉抹米斯巴和比多宁,又从玛哈念到底璧的境界,

27 中的伯亚兰、伯宁拉、疏割、撒分,就是希实本王西宏国中的馀地,以及约但河与靠近约但河的地,直到基尼烈的极边,都在约但河东。

28 以上是迦得人按着宗族所得为业的诸城,并属城的村庄

29 摩西把产业分玛拿西半支派,是按着玛拿西半支派的宗族所分的。

30 他们的境界是从玛哈念起,包括巴珊全地,就是巴珊王噩的全国,并在巴珊、睚珥的一切城邑,共六十个。

31 基列的一半,并亚斯他录、以得来,就是属巴珊王噩国的二城,是按着宗族给玛拿西儿子玛吉的一半子孙。

32 以上是摩西在约但河东对着耶利哥摩押平原所分给他们的产业。

33 只是利未支派,摩西没有把产业分给他们。耶和华以色列的是他们的产业,正如耶和华所应许他们的。

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 140

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140. Because thou hast there them, that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel. That this signifies those whose understanding is enlightened, and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church is evident from the historical parts of the Word which treat of Balaam and Balak, understood according to the spiritual sense, which shall therefore here be first treated of.

[2] Balaam was a soothsayer from Pethor of Mesopotamia, and was therefore called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the people of Israel; but Jehovah prevented this, and caused him to speak prophetically; notwithstanding, he afterwards consulted with Balak how he might destroy that people by guile, by withdrawing them from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of Baal-peor. By Balaam, therefore, are meant those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church.

That Balaam was a soothsayer is evident from these words in Moses:

"The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came unto Balaam" (Numbers 22:7).

"When Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to seek for divinations" (Numbers 24:1).

And in Joshua:

"Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the sons of Israel slay with the sword upon their slain" (13:22).

That he was called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the people of Israel, may be seen, Numbers 22:5, 6, 16, 17; Deuteronomy 23:3, 4; but that Jehovah prevented this, and caused him to speak prophetically, Numbers 22:9, 10, 12, 20; 23:5, 16. The prophecies which he uttered may be seen Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:5-9, 15-19, 20-24; all of which things are truths, because it is said, that:

"Jehovah put a word into his mouth" (Numbers 23:5, 12, 16).

That afterwards he consulted with Balak how he might destroy the people of Israel by guile, by withdrawing them from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of Baal-peor, is clear from these words in Moses:

"In Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods. And especially did he join himself unto Baal-peor. Therefore twenty and four thousand were slain of Israel" (Numbers 25:1-3, 9).

They slew Balaam amongst the Midianites: and the sons of Israel led captive all the women of the Midianites, which thing was "agreeable to the counsel of Balaam to deliver them to iniquity against Jehovah, in the matter of Peor" (Numbers 31:8, 16).

That by Balaam are meant those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths follows from what is said in the above passages; for he spoke truth prophetically concerning Israel, and also concerning the Lord; that he spoke also concerning the Lord may be seen in his prophecy (Numbers 24:17). To speak prophetically concerning Israel, is not to speak concerning the people of Israel, but concerning the Lord's church, which is signified by Israel. The enlightenment of his understanding he himself also describes in these words:

"The saying of Balaam, the son of Beor, of the man whose eyes are opened, who heareth the words of God, falls prostrate, and has his eyes uncovered" (Numbers 24:3, 4, 15, 16).

To have the eyes opened, or to have them uncovered, is to have the understanding enlightened; for eyes in the Word signify the understanding (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2701, 4410-4421, 4523-4534, 9051, 10569).

[3] That by Balaam are also meant those who love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church is also evident from what has been shown above; and moreover, that when he rode upon the ass, he continually meditated the use of divinations, to destroy the sons of Israel. When he could not accomplish this by curses, he consulted with Balak to destroy them by calling them to the sacrifices of his gods, and to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; by the sons of Israel whom he wished to destroy, is signified the church, because the church was instituted amongst them (see Arcana Coelestia 6426, 8805, 9340).

[4] The arcanum concerning the ass upon which Balaam rode, which turned three times out of the way on seeing an angel with a sword drawn, and the fact of its speaking to Balaam, shall be here briefly explained. Balaam, when he rode upon the ass, continually meditated divinations against the sons of Israel; the gain with which he should be honoured was in his mind, as is clear from these words concerning him,

"He went not as at other times to seek for divinations" (Numbers 24:1).

He was also a soothsayer in heart, therefore he thought of nothing else, when he thought in himself. By the ass upon which he rode is signified, in the spiritual sense of the Word, an enlightened Intellectual; therefore to ride upon an ass or mule was amongst the distinctions of a chief judge and of king (as may be seen above, n. 31; and in Arcana Coelestia 2781, 5741, 9212). The angel with the sword drawn signifies Divine truth enlightening and fighting against falsity (as may be seen above, n. 131); hence, the ass turning three times out of the way signifies that the enlightened understanding did not agree with the thought of the soothsayer, which also is meant by what the angel said to Balaam:

"Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is evil before me" (Numbers 22:32).

By way, in the spiritual sense of the Word, is signified that which a man thinks from intention (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 479, 534, 590, and in the small work, The Last Judgment 48). That he was withheld from the thought and intention of using divinations by the fear of death, is clear from what the angel said to him:

"Unless the ass had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee" (Numbers 22:33).

[5] It sounded in the ears of Balaam as if the ass spoke to him, although she did not speak, but the speech was heard as if proceeding from her. That this is the case, has often been shown me by actual experience. It has been granted me to hear horses, as it were, speaking, although the speech was not from them, but as it were from them. This was actually the case with Balaam, to the intent that this history might be described in the Word for the sake of the internal sense in detail. In the internal sense is described how the Lord defends those who are in truths and goods, lest they should be hurt by those who speak as from enlightenment, and yet have the disposition and intention to lead astray. He who believes that Balaam could do injury to the sons of Israel by divinations is much deceived; for these could avail nothing against them; this Balaam also confessed when he said:

"Divination avails not against Jacob, nor soothsayings against Israel" (Numbers 23:23).

The reason why Balaam could lead that people astray by guile was because they were such in heart that they worshipped Jehovah with the mouth only, but Baal-peor with the heart; and because they were of such a nature, this was permitted.

[6] Moreover it is to be noted that man's understanding can be enlightened, although his will is in evil; for the intellectual faculty is separated from the voluntary faculty in the case of all those who are not regenerated; but these two faculties act as one only in those who are regenerated; for it is the office of the understanding to know, to think, and to speak truths, but that of the will, to will the things that are understood, and from the will or love to do them. The disagreement between these faculties is quite manifest with evil spirits; for when such are turned towards good spirits they even understand truths, and also acknowledge them, almost as if they were enlightened; but as soon as they turn themselves from them, they return to the love of their will, and see nothing of truth; indeed, they even deny the things that they had heard (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 153, 424, 455).

[7] The possibility of having his understanding enlightened has been granted to man for the sake of reformation. For in man's will dwells every kind of evil, both that into which he is born, and that into which he comes of himself; and the will cannot be amended unless man knows, and by the understanding acknowledges, truths and goods, and also evils and falsities, otherwise he cannot turn away from the latter and love the former. (More may be seen concerning the will and the understanding in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 28-35.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.