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约书亚记 18

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1 以色列的会众聚集在示罗,把会幕设立在那里,那已经被他们制伏了。

2 以色列人中其馀的个支派还没有分给他们地业。

3 约书亚对以色列人耶和华─你们列祖的所赐你们的,你们耽延不去得,要到几时呢?

4 你们每支派当选举个人,我要打发他们去,他们就要起身走遍那,按着各支派应得的明(或作:画图),就回到我这里

5 他们要将地分做分;犹大仍在方,住在他的境内。约瑟家仍在北方,住在他的境内。

6 你们要将分做分,明了拿到我这里。我要在耶和华─我们面前,为你们拈阄。

7 利未人在你们中间没有分,因为供耶和华祭司的职任就是他们的产业。迦得支派、流便支派,和玛拿西半支派已经在约但河东得了地业,就是耶和华仆人摩西他们的。

8 势的人起身去的时候,约书亚嘱咐他们说:你们去走遍那,划明势,就回到我这里来。我要在示罗这里,耶和华面前,为你们拈阄。

9 他们就去了,走遍那,按着城邑分做分,在册子上,回到示罗中见约亚。

10 约书亚就在示罗,耶和华面前,为他们拈阄。约书亚在那里,按着以色列人的支派,将分给他们。

11 便雅悯支派,按着宗族拈阄所得之地,是在犹大、约瑟子孙中间。

12 他们的界是从约但河起,往上贴近耶利哥边;又往西通过地,直到伯亚文的旷野

13 从那里往接连到路斯,贴近路斯(路斯就是伯特利),又到亚他绿亚达,靠近伯和仑边的

14 从那里往西,又向南,从伯和仑对面的,直达到犹大人的城基列巴力(基列巴力就是基列耶琳);这是西界。

15 界是从基列耶琳的尽边起,往西达到尼弗多亚的水源;

16 到欣嫩子对面的尽边,就是利乏音边的;又到欣嫩,贴近耶布斯的边;又到隐罗结;

17 又往通到隐示麦,达到亚都冥坡对面的基利绿;又到流便之子波罕的磐

18 又接连到亚拉巴对面,往到亚拉巴;

19 又接连到伯曷拉的边,直通到汊,就是约但河的头;这是界。

20 东界是约但河。这是便雅悯人按着宗族,照他们四围的交界所得的地业。

21 便雅悯支派按着宗族所得的城邑就是:耶利哥、伯曷拉、伊麦基悉、

22 伯亚拉巴、洗玛脸、伯特利

23 亚文、巴拉、俄弗拉、

24 基法阿摩尼、俄弗尼、迦巴,共十二座城,还有属城的村庄

25 又有基遍拉玛、比录、

26 米斯巴、基非拉、摩撒、

27 利坚、伊利毗勒、他拉拉、

28 洗拉、以利弗、耶布斯(耶布斯就是耶路撒冷)、基比亚、基列,共十四座城,还有属城的村庄。这是便雅悯人按着宗族所得的地业。

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 18

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 18: The rest of the land is divided up among the 7 remaining tribes, and the tribe of Benjamin receives its lot.

After several chapters covering the allocation of the land for Reuben, Gad, Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still seven tribes to be provided for. Before this was done, Joshua gathered these seven tribes together and told them to choose three men from each tribe. These men went and surveyed the region, divided up all the land and cities into seven parts, and recorded everything in a book. Then they came back to Joshua, who cast lots to decide where the seven remaining tribes would live.

The first of the seven allocations was for the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and he was a full brother to Joseph. Their mother, Rachel, whom Jacob had loved so much, died giving birth to Benjamin.

The city of Jerusalem was first allocated to Benjamin, but in time became more associated with Judah. In fact, these were the two tribes which later made up the kingdom of Judah, as opposed to the ten northern tribes forming the kingdom of Israel. Benjamin’s territory included the cities of Jericho, Ai and Gibeon, all of which had been significant soon after Israel crossed the River Jordan. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a Benjamite.

This story about surveying the land represents our need to know things as they truly are. This could mean many things: for example, exploring the idea of heaven, or hell, or life in this world, or a spiritual teaching such as providence. It might be to learn about justice and compassion, or true freedom. It may be our need to look honestly within ourselves and recognize some of our self-centred ways (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 1612).

The Israelite’s findings about the land were recorded in a book, which really would have been a scroll. This is like our ‘book of life’, in which everything about us down to the least detail is preserved so that in eternity, we shall know who we are (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Explained 199). Joshua drew lots so the Lord’s will would be clear to the people of Israel.

The spiritual meaning of Benjamin needs some careful explanation. Technically, it means ’the spiritual of the celestial’, and this is our ability to understand the reason for the most loving experiences we can have. It is heightened thinking joining with heightened feeling. Benjamin was the youngest son, the special brother of Joseph, who stands for the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 4585).

With this in mind, it is useful to know that Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, lay in the territory of Benjamin. Bethlehem’s name means ‘house of bread’ giving us the idea of nourishment for our physical and our spiritual lives. God came into the world to bring us the food of heaven and nourishment from the Word, so that we may fight our evils and choose what is good (Arcana Caelestia 6247, 4594).

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Apocalypse Explained # 199

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199. And I will not blot his name out of the book of life, signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it. This is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality of man's state of life (See above, n. 148); and from the signification of "the book of life," as being heaven (of which presently); therefore, "not to blot his name out of the book of life" signifies that they will be in heaven because their state in respect to love and faith is such, thus because they are fitted for heaven. "The book of life" signifies heaven, because a man who is in the love to the Lord and faith in Him is a heaven in least form, and this heaven of man corresponds to heaven in the greatest form; therefore he who has heaven in himself also comes into heaven, for he is fitted for it. (That there is such correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) From this it is that "the book of life" is that with man that corresponds to the heaven with him. Because this remains with man to eternity, if he has become spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, it is said, "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." In the world indeed it may be blotted out if man does not remain spiritual to the end of life; but if he does so remain it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith, and such conjunction with the Lord as there has been in the world remains with man after death.

[2] From this it can be seen that "the book of life" means that from the Lord which has been written on man's spirit, that is, on his heart and soul, or what is the same, on his love and faith; and what is written by the Lord in man is heaven. From this it is clear what is meant by "the book of life" in the following passages. In Daniel:

The Ancient of Days sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).

In the same:

The people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1).

In David:

Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the righteous (Psalms 69:28).

In Moses:

Moses said, Blot me, I pray, out of the book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of the book (Exodus 32:32-33).

In Revelation:

All shall worship the beast whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

Again:

I saw that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And if any was not found written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-13, 15).

Again:

There shall enter into the New Jerusalem only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).

In David:

My bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret. Upon Thy book all the days were written in which they were formed, and not one of them is wanting (Psalms 139:15-16).

"All the days were written" means all states of life. (That each and all things that man has thought, willed, spoken, and done, even all that he has seen and heard, are with him in his spirit as if written therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 462, 463; and Arcana Coelestia 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is man's "book of life," see n. 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.