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士師記 7

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1 耶路巴力就是基甸,他和一切跟隨的人起來,在哈律泉旁安米甸在他們邊的平原,靠近摩利岡。

2 耶和華對基甸:跟隨你的人過多,我不能將米甸人交在他們中,免得以色列人向我誇大,:是我們自己的了我們。

3 現在你要向這些人宣告說:凡懼怕膽怯的,可以離開基列山回去。於是有人回去,只剩下一萬。

4 耶和華對基甸:人還是過多;你要帶他們旁,我好在那裡為你試試他們。我指點誰:這人可以同你去,他就可以同你去;我指點誰:這人不可同你去,他就不可同你去。

5 基甸就帶他們旁。耶和華對基甸:凡用舌頭,像舔的,要使他單站在一處;凡跪的,也要使他單站在一處。

6 於是用捧著舔的有,其餘的都跪下

7 耶和華對基甸:我要用這舔水的你們,將米甸人交在你中;其餘的都可以各歸各處去。

8 就帶著食物和角;其餘的以色列人,基甸都打發他們各歸各的帳棚,只留米甸在他邊的平原裡。

9 當那夜,耶和華吩咐基甸起來到米甸裡去,因我已將他們交在你中。

10 倘若你怕去,就帶你的僕人普拉到那裡去。

11 你必見他們所的,然你就有膽量去攻。於是基甸帶著僕人普拉旁。

12 米甸人、亞瑪力人,和一切東方人都布散在平原,如同蝗蟲那樣多。他們的駱駝無數,多如邊的沙。

13 基甸到了,就聽見一將夢告訴同伴:我做了一夢,夢見一個大麥餅滾入米甸中,到了帳幕,將帳幕撞倒,帳幕就翻傾覆了。

14 同伴:這不是別的,乃是以色列人約阿施的兒子基甸的刀;已將米甸和全軍都交在他的中。

15 基甸見這夢和夢的講解,就敬拜神,回到以色列中,起來罷!耶和華已將米甸的軍隊交在你們中了。

16 於是基甸將分作隊,把角和空瓶交在各裡(瓶內都藏著火把),

17 吩咐他們:你們要我行事:我到了的旁邊怎樣行,你們也要怎樣行。

18 我和一切跟隨我的人吹角的時候,你們也要在的四圍吹角,喊叫耶和華和基甸的刀!

19 基甸和跟隨他的一,在三更之初才換更的時候,旁,就吹角,打破中的瓶。

20 隊的人就都吹角,打破瓶子,左拿著火把,右拿著角,喊說:耶和華和基甸的刀!

21 他們在的四圍各站各的地方;全都亂竄。三百,使他們逃跑

22 就吹角,耶和華使全用刀互相擊殺,逃到西利拉的伯哈示他,直逃到靠近他巴的亞伯米何拉。

23 以色列人就從拿弗他利、亞設,和瑪拿西全地聚集來追趕米甸人

24 基甸打發走遍以法蓮地,說:你們來攻擊米甸人,爭先把守約但河的渡口,直到伯巴拉。於是以法蓮的眾聚集,把守約但河的渡口,直到伯巴拉,

25 捉住了米甸人的兩個首領:一名俄立,一名西伊伯;將俄立殺在俄立磐石上,將西伊伯殺在西伊伯酒醡那裡;又追趕米甸人,將俄立和西伊伯的首級帶過約但河,到基甸那裡。

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 7602

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7602. 'And the barley' means its good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the barley' as the good of the exterior natural. The reason why 'the barley' means that good is that it is a product of the field and is a grain that serves for food. For 'grain' in general means the good of truth, 3580, 5295, 5410, 5959, as do 'barley and wheat' in particular - 'barley' the good of the exterior natural, and 'wheat' the good of the interior natural. The former is meant by 'the barley' in Joel,

The minchah has been cut off, and the drink offering, from the house of Jehovah; the priests have been mourning, the ministers of Jehovah. The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Farmers have been put to shame, vine dressers have wailed over the wheat and over the barley, for the reason that the harvest of the field has perished. Joel 1:9-11.

The prophet is referring at this point to a laying waste of what is good and true, as is clear from what follows it there. Not those products therefore are meant by 'the grain', 'the new wine', 'the wheat', and 'the barley', but spiritual things; that is, 'the wheat' means interior good, and 'the barley' exterior good. 'Barley' has a similar meaning in Ezekiel 4:9 and Deuteronomy 8:8. In the Book of Judges,

When Gideon reached the camp, there was a man recounting a dream to his companion. And he said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream; and behold, a cake of barley bread rolled towards the camp of Midian, and came all the way to a tent, and struck it so that it fell, and overturned it, and so the tent collapsed. Judges 7:13.

'Midian' means those who are guided by the truth that goes with simple good, and in the contrary sense those who fail to lead a good life, 3242, 4756, 4788, 6777. This good is the good of the exterior natural and is meant by 'barley bread'. But sensory pleasure, if this is what a person has in view instead of that good, is what is meant by 'a cake of barley bread'. This is the state that the Midianites described here represented on that occasion.

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