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約書亞記 21

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1 那時,利未人的眾族長來到祭司以利亞撒和嫩的兒子約書亞,並以色列各支派的族長面前,

2 迦南的示羅對他們:從前耶和華藉著摩西吩咐我們城邑居住,並城邑的郊野可以牧養我們牲畜

3 於是以色列人耶和華所吩咐的,從自己的地業中,將以下所記的城邑和城邑的郊野了利未人。

4 為哥轄族拈鬮:利未人的祭司、亞倫的子孫,從猶大支派、西緬支派、便雅憫支派的地業中,按鬮得了十三座城。

5 哥轄其的子孫,從以法蓮支派、但支派、瑪拿西半支派的地業中,按鬮得了座城。

6 革順的子孫,從以薩迦支派、亞設支派、拿弗他利支派、住巴珊的瑪拿西半支派的地業中,按鬮得了十三座城。

7 米拉利的子孫,按著宗族,從流便支派、迦得支派、西布倫支派的地業中,按鬮得了十二座城。

8 以色列人照著耶和華摩西所吩咐的,將這些城邑和城邑的郊野,按鬮分利未人。

9 猶大支派、西緬支派的地業中,將以下所記的城了利未支派哥轄宗族亞倫的子孫;因為他們拈出頭一鬮,

10 a

11 猶大地的基列亞巴和四圍的郊野了他們。亞巴是亞衲族的始祖。(基列亞巴就是希伯崙)。

12 惟將屬城的田地和村莊了耶孚尼的兒子迦勒為業。

13 以色列人將希伯崙,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,了祭司亞倫的子孫;又他們立拿和屬城的郊野,

14 雅提珥和屬城的郊野,以實提莫和屬城的郊野,

15 何崙和屬城的郊野,底璧和屬城的郊野,

16 亞因和屬城的郊野,淤他和屬城的郊野,伯示麥和屬城的郊野,共座城,是從這支派中分出來的。

17 又從便雅憫支派的地業中給了他們基遍和屬城的郊野,迦巴和屬城的郊野,

18 亞拿突和屬城的郊野,亞勒們和屬城的郊野,共座城。

19 亞倫子孫作祭司的共有十三座城,還有屬城的郊野。

20 利未支派中哥轄的宗族,就是哥轄其的子孫,拈鬮所得的城有從以法蓮支派中分出來的。

21 以色列人將以法蓮地的示劍,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,了他們;又他們基色和屬城的郊野,

22 基伯先和屬城的郊野,伯和崙和屬城的郊野,共座城;

23 又從但支派的地業中給了他們伊利提基和屬城的郊野,基比頓和屬城的郊野,

24 亞雅崙和屬城的郊野,迦特臨門和屬城的郊野,共座城;

25 又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中給了他們他納和屬城的郊野,迦特臨門和屬城的郊野,共兩座城。

26 哥轄其的子孫共有座城,還有屬城的郊野。

27 以色列人又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中將巴珊的哥蘭,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了利未支派革順的子孫;又給他們比施提拉和屬城的郊野,共兩座城;

28 又從以薩迦支派的地業中給了他們基善和屬城的郊野,大比拉和屬城的郊野,

29 耶末和屬城的郊野,隱干寧和屬城的郊野,共座城;

30 又從亞設支派的地業中給了他們米沙勒和屬城的郊野,押頓和屬城的郊野,

31 黑甲和屬城的郊野,利合和屬城的郊野,共座城;

32 又從拿弗他利支派的地業中將加利利的基低斯,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了他們;又給他們哈末多珥和屬城的郊野,加珥坦和屬城的郊野,共座城。

33 革順人按著宗族所得的城,共十三座,還有屬城的郊野。

34 利未支派米拉利子孫,從西布倫支派的地業中所得的,就是約念和屬城的郊野,加珥他和屬城的郊野,

35 丁拿和屬城的郊野,拿哈拉和屬城的郊野,共座城;

36 又從流便支派的地業中給了他們比悉和屬城的郊野,雅雜和屬城的郊野,

37 基底莫和屬城的郊野,米法押和屬城的郊野,共座城;

38 又從迦得支派的地業中,將基列的拉末,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了他們;又給他們瑪哈念和屬城的郊野,

39 希實本和屬城的郊野,雅謝和屬城的郊野,共座城。

40 利未支派的人,就是米拉利的子孫,按著宗族拈鬮所得的,共十二座城。

41 利未人在以色列人的地業中所得的城,共四十座,並有屬城的郊野。

42 這些城四圍都有屬城的郊野,城城都是如此。

43 這樣,耶和華將從前向他們列祖起誓所應許的全以色列人,他們就得了為業,在其中。

44 耶和華照著向他們列祖起誓所應許的一切話,使他們四境平安;他們一切仇敵中,沒有一在他們面前站立得住。耶和華把一切仇敵都交在他們中。

45 耶和華應許賜福給以色列家的一句也沒有落空,都應驗了。

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 21

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

Joshua 21: The cities of the Levite priests and the end of the settlement.

In this chapter, the last remaining part of the settlement was completed: the provision for the Levites, the priests of Israel. This tribe had been appointed priests because only they had answered the call, “Who is on the side of the Lord?” when the Israelites had been worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness (see Exodus 32:26).

Much of the chapter is spent listing the cities given to the three sons of Aaron, who was appointed high priest. Each extended family of Aaron’s sons was given about sixteen cities. It seems very significant that a lot of these cities were the same ones given to the other tribes, and were also the cities of refuge.

Levi’s name means ‘joined’, which is very suitable for the Levite priests, who received cities in every tribal territory. This meant that the presence of priests was everywhere (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 342).

Spiritually speaking, this distribution is a wonderful illustration that our spirit lives throughout our whole body. Every part of us is alive! Every single thing in our body, from one blood cell to our heart and lungs, is maintained by our spirit, which itself is maintained by the influx of the Lord’s life. The function of everything in our body is in a perfect correspondence with the kingdom of heaven.

So, spiritually, the Levites stand for the presence of the Lord everywhere, in everything. This underlines the point that everything in the natural world - even the cities and territories described in this chapter of Joshua - reflect something about God and heaven (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Revealed 194). But there is another important meaning for the distribution of the priestly Levites in cities all through the tribal territories: we must keep on acknowledging that everything is a blessing from the Lord, that everything we do is for God, and that the Lord alone does what is truly good (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 91).

After the distribution of cities to the Levites, Israel was fully established in the land of Canaan. The rest of this chapter is a consolidating statement which is worth including in full:

v43. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

v44. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

v45. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

These are words of fulfillment, culmination, assurance and blessing. Everything here traces back to the Lord. The Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, granted them victory over their enemies, and gave them the Land of Canaan; the Lord had spoken in complete truth. “All came to pass.”

This final statement is a promise of our own capacity for regeneration and spiritual progress. We are able to overcome our natural desires and selfish states; we have been established in our life with the ability to understand and do what is good. In devoting ourselves to the Lord, we find strength to see that He will never fail us, and will change us for the better. ‘All came to pass’ is our affirmation that our life is always under God’s care and providence (Arcana Caelestia 977).

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Joshua 21

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1 Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

2 And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

3 And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.

4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

5 And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

6 And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

7 The children of Merari by their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

8 And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

9 And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name,

10 Which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had: for theirs was the first lot.

11 And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

12 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,

14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes.

17 And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.

19 All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.

21 For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs,

22 And Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs; four cities.

23 And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

24 Aijalon with her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; four cities.

25 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs; two cities.

26 All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath that remained.

27 And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, out of the other half tribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beesh-terah with her suburbs; two cities.

28 And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, Dabareh with her suburbs,

29 Jarmuth with her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities.

30 And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

31 Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs; four cities.

32 And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs; three cities.

33 All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

34 And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

35 Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs; four cities.

36 And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

37 Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities.

38 And out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

39 Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs; four cities in all.

40 So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, which were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

41 All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

42 These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them: thus were all these cities.

43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

44 And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.