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如申命记 33

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1 以下是摩西在未死之先為以色列人所祝的福:

2 耶和華從西乃而,從西珥向他們顯現,從巴蘭發出光輝,從萬萬者中臨,從他右手為百姓傳出烈火的律法。

3 他疼愛百姓;眾聖徒都在他中。他們在他的下,領受他的言語。

4 摩西將律法傳給我們,作為雅各會眾的產業。

5 百姓的眾首領,以色列的各支派,一同聚會的時候,耶和華(原文作他)在耶書崙中為王。

6 願流便存活,不至亡;願他人數不致稀少。

7 猶大祝福:求耶和華猶大的聲音,引導他歸於本族;他曾用為自己爭戰,你必幫助他攻擊敵人

8 論利未:耶和華阿,你的土明和烏陵都在你的虔誠那裡。你在瑪撒曾試驗他,在米利巴水與他爭論。

9 他論自己的父母:我未曾見;他也不承認弟兄,也不認識自己的兒女。這是因利未人遵行你的話,謹守你的約。

10 他們要將你的典章教訓雅各,將你的律法教訓以色列。他們要把香焚在你面前,把全牲的燔祭獻在你的上。

11 耶和華降福在他的財物上,悅納他裡所辦的事。那些起來攻擊他和恨惡他的人,願你刺透他們的腰,使他們不得再起來

12 論便雅憫耶和華所親愛的必同耶和華安然居住;耶和華終日遮蔽他,也住在他兩之中。

13 論約瑟:願他的耶和華賜福,得上的寶物、甘,以及裡所藏的泉水;

14 太陽所曬熟的美果,月亮所養成的寶物;

15 得上古之山的至寶,永世之嶺的寶物;

16 和其中所充滿的寶物,並住荊中上主的喜悅。願這些福都歸於約瑟的上,歸於那與弟兄迥別之人的頂上。

17 他為牛群中頭生的,有威嚴;他的角是野牛的角,用以牴觸萬邦,直到極。這角是以法蓮的萬萬,瑪拿西

18 論西布倫:西布倫哪,你出外可以歡喜。以薩迦阿,在你帳棚裡可以快樂。

19 他們要將列邦召到上,在那裡獻公的祭;因為他們要裡的豐富,並沙中所藏的珍寶。

20 論迦得:使迦得擴張的應當稱頌!迦得住如母獅;他撕裂,連頭頂也撕裂

21 他為自己選擇一段地,因在那裡有設立律法者的分存留。他與百姓的首領同來;他施行耶和華的耶和華以色列所立的典章。

22 論但:但為小獅子,從巴珊跳出來。

23 論拿弗他利:拿弗他利阿,你足沾恩惠,滿得耶和華的福,可以得西方和方為業。

24 論亞設:願亞設享受多子的福樂,得他弟兄的喜悅,可以把蘸在中。

25 你的門閂(門閂或作:鞋)是銅的,的。你的日子如何,你的力量也必如何。

26 耶書崙哪,沒有能比神的。他為幫助你,乘在天空,顯其威榮,駕行穹蒼。

27 永生的是你的居所;他永久的膀在你以。他在你前面攆出仇敵,:毀滅罷。

28 以色列安然居住;雅各的本源獨居五穀新酒。他的也滴甘

29 以色列阿,你是有福的!誰像你這蒙耶和華所拯的百姓呢?他是你的盾牌,幫助你,是你威榮的刀。你的仇敵必投降你;你必踏在他們的處。

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 3923

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3923. 'Therefore she called his name Dan' means the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421. The particular nature is contained in the name Dan, for he was so called from the verb 'to judge'. But although he was given this name from that verb, it nevertheless includes those things meant in the whole of Rachel's utterance 'God has judged me, and also has heard my voice'. That is, the name Dan holds within it the good of life and the holiness of faith, and also in the highest sense the Lord's righteousness and mercy. This general essential of the Church is meant by Dan and represented by the tribe named after Dan, and it is the first that has to be affirmed and acknowledged before a person can be regenerated or become the Church. Unless such goodness and holiness are affirmed and acknowledged, all the other qualities constituting faith and life cannot possibly be received, nor therefore affirmed, still less acknowledged. For anyone whose affirmation does not go beyond faith to the holiness of faith, which is charity - for charity is the holiness of faith - and does not affirm that holiness of faith through the good of life, that is, through charitable works, can no longer have any enthusiasm for the essence of faith since he rejects it. Acknowledgement as well as affirmation is the first general attainment in a person who is being regenerated but the last with one who has been regenerated. This explains why Dan comes first with one who is to be regenerated and Joseph last, for Joseph is the spiritual man himself, but why Joseph comes first with one who has been regenerated and Dan last. The reason for this is that one who is to be regenerated is at the point of beginning to affirm that these qualities - the holiness of faith and the good of life - are truly such. But one who is regenerate - a spiritual man - has arrived at spiritual good itself, and from here he sees the affirmation of those qualities as that which comes last, because the things that constitute the holiness of faith and the good of life have become firmly established in him.

[2] That 'Dan' means this affirmative attitude which must exist first when a person is being regenerated may also be seen from other places in the Word where Dan is mentioned, for example from the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, concerning his own sons, Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider falls backwards. I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah. Genesis 49:16-18.

'Dan' in this case stands for an affirmative attitude to truth. This attitude is spoken of as a serpent which will be on the road and an asp on the path when someone reasoning about truth does so from sensory evidence. 'Biting the horse's heels' means when that person resorts to the lowest level of the understanding - namely factual knowledge - and bases his conclusions on this. And the fact that when he does so he is drawn away from the truth is meant by 'its rider falls backwards', as a consequence of which it is said that 'I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah'. For 'a serpent' means one who reasons from sensory evidence and from factual knowledge about Divine arcana, see 195-197; 'road' and 'path' mean truth, 627, 2333; 'the horse's heels' means the lowest level of the understanding, which is factual knowledge, 259 - 'a horse' meaning the understanding, 2761, 2762, the lowest level of which is meant by 'the heel'.

[3] In Moses' prophecy regarding the twelve tribes,

To Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp; he leaps out from Bashan. Deuteronomy 33:22.

'A lion' in the internal sense of the Word means the truth of the Church, on account of its strength, truth being that which fights and overcomes. 'A lion's whelp' therefore stands for the first stage truth passes through, which is one of affirmation and acknowledgement. The phrase 'from Bashan' is used because these begin in the good of the natural. In Jeremiah,

Wash your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long are you causing your iniquitous thoughts to lodge within you? For there is a voice of one declaring from Dan, and of one causing iniquity to be heard from Mount Ephraim. Jeremiah 4:14-15.

'From Dan' stands for truth that is to be affirmed, 'from Mount Ephraim' for this being done from the affection for it.

[4] In the same prophet,

Await peace, and no good comes; for a time of healing, and behold, terror! From Dan the snorting of his horses was heard; at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land quaked. And they came and devoured the land and the fulness of it, the city and those dwelling in it. For behold, I am sending into you poisonous serpents which do not respond to charming; and they will bite you. Jeremiah 8:15-17.

'From Dan the snorting of horses was heard' stands for reasoning about truth from an unaffirmative attitude. 'The land which quaked' and 'they devoured the fulness of it' stand for the Church and all things constituting the Church. For people who reason about truth from an unaffirmative or negative attitude destroy everything that is part of faith. 'Poisonous serpents' stands for reasonings, as above.

[5] In Ezekiel,

Dan and Javan came and exchanged wrought iron at your fairs, cassia and calamus were in your trading. Ezekiel 27:19.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth and good, 1201. 'Dan' stands for the first truths that are affirmed, 'fairs and tradings' for acquisitions of truth and good, 2967, 'wrought iron' stands for natural truth, which is primary, 425, 426, 'cassia and calamus' for the same, but natural truth from which good flows.

[6] In Amos,

On that day the beautiful virgins and the young men will faint for thirst. Those swearing to the offence of Samaria, who say, Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives, they will both fall and not rise again. Amos 8:13-14.

'Your God lives, O Dan, and the way of Beersheba lives' stands for their negative attitude towards everything that constitutes faith and its doctrine - 'way' meaning truth, 627, 2333, and 'Beersheba' doctrine, 2723, 2858, 2859, 3466. The reason a negative attitude towards everything constituting faith is meant is that Dan was the last boundary of the land of Canaan, and Beersheba the first; that is, it was situated in the middle or inmost part of the land. For the land of Canaan represented and meant the Lord's kingdom, and so the Church, 1607, 3038, 3481, and therefore every detail of love and faith, since these constitute the Lord's kingdom and Church. Consequently everything in the land of Canaan was representative, being determined by the distances, positions, and boundaries there, 1585, 1866, 3686.

[7] The first - that is, the central or inmost - point of reference to the land, before Jerusalem became such, was Beersheba; for this was where Abraham and also Isaac lived. But the outermost point of reference or the last boundary was Dan. Consequently when everything in its entirety was meant the phrase 'Dan even to Beersheba' was used, as in the second Book of Samuel,

To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 3:10:.

In the same book,

David said to Joab, Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba. 2 Samuel 24:2, 15.

In the first Book of Kings,

Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba. 1 Kings 4:25.

This phrase is used in the historical sense to mean every part of the land of Canaan, but in the internal sense everything constituting the Lord's kingdom, and also everything constituting the Church.

[8] Dan means the first boundary, and also - as stated above - the last boundary, for the reason that the affirmative attitude towards truth and good is the first requirement of all when faith and charity begin to be present in a person, but the last when charity and consequently faith are established in him. This is also why the last lot fell to Dan when the land of Canaan was divided up for inheritance, Joshua 19:40 and following verses; for the lot was cast before Jehovah, Joshua 18:6.

[9] That lot fell therefore according to what each tribe represented. And since the lot to Dan did not fall among the inheritances of all the other tribes but beyond their boundaries, Judges 18:1, that tribe was also left out of the description in John, in Revelation 7:5-8, concerning each twelve thousand who had been sealed. For those who merely affirm truth and also good, but go no further, are not within the Lord's kingdom, that is, among those who have been sealed. Even very wicked people may know truths and goods, and may also affirm them; but the true nature of their affirming is recognized from the life they lead.

[10] Dan is also referred to as a boundary in Genesis 14:14, in which verse it is said that Abraham pursued his enemies as far as there, and in which verse Dan has a similar meaning. The city called Dan, it is true, had yet to be built by Dan's descendants at a later time, Joshua 19:47; Judges 18:29; but even at that time it was referred to as the first boundary when one was entering the land of Canaan but the last when one was leaving it, the inmost part of the land being Hebron, and later on Beersheba, where Abraham and Isaac lived.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.