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利未記 25

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1 耶和華在西乃摩西

2 你曉諭以色列人:你們到了我所賜你們那的時候,就要向耶和華守安息。

3 年要耕種田地,也要修理葡萄園,收藏地的出產。

4 第七年,要守聖安息,就是向耶和華守的安息,不可耕種田,也不可修理葡萄園

5 遺落自長的莊稼不可收割;沒有修理的葡萄樹也不可摘取葡萄。這年,要守聖安息。

6 在安息年所出的,要給你和你的僕人、婢女、雇工人,並寄居的外人當食物。

7 這年的土產也要給你的牲畜和你上的走當食物。

8 你要計算個安息年,就是年。這便為你成了個安息年,共是四十年。

9 當年七初十日,你要大發角聲;這日就是贖罪日,要在遍發出角聲。

10 第五十年,你們要當作年,在遍給一切的居民宣告自由。這年必為你們的禧年,各要歸自己的產業,各歸本

11 第五十年要作為你們的禧年。這年不可耕種;地中自長的,不可收割;沒有修理的葡萄樹也不可摘取葡萄。

12 因為這是禧年,你們要當作年,地中自出的土產。

13 這禧年,你們各要歸自己的地業。

14 你若甚麼給鄰舍,或是從鄰舍的中買甚麼,彼此不可虧負。

15 你要按禧年以的年數向鄰舍買;他也要按年數的收成給你。

16 年歲若多,要照數加添價值;年歲若少,要照數減去價值,因為他照收成的數目給你。

17 你們彼此不可虧負,只要敬畏你們的,因為我是耶和華─你們的

18 我的律例,你們要遵行,我的典章,你們要謹守,就可以在那上安然居住

19 必出土產,你們就要飽,在那上安然居住

20 你們若:這第七年我們不耕種,也不收藏土產,甚麼呢?

21 我必在第六年將我所命的福賜給你們,地便生年的土產。

22 第八年,你們要耕種,也要陳糧,等到第九年出產收的時候,你們還陳糧。

23 不可永,因為是我的;你們在我面前是客旅,是寄居的。

24 在你們所得為業的全,也要准人將贖回。

25 你的弟兄(弟兄是指本國人說;下同)若漸漸窮乏,了幾分地業,他近的親屬就要把弟兄所贖回

26 若沒有能給他贖回的,他自己漸漸富足,能夠贖回

27 就要算出地的年數,把餘剩年數的價值還那買主,自己便歸回自己的地業。

28 倘若不能為自己得回所賣的,仍要存在買主的裡直到禧年;到了禧年,地業要出買主的,自己便歸回自己的地業。

29 城內的住宅了以後,一年之內可以贖回;在一整年,必有贖回的權柄。

30 若在一整年之內不贖回,這城內的房屋就定準永歸買主,世世代為業;在禧年也不得出買主的手。

31 房屋在無城牆村莊裡,要看如鄉下的田一樣,可以贖回;到了禧年,都要出買主的手。

32 然而利未人所得為業的城邑,其中的房屋,利未人可以隨時贖回。

33 若是一個利未人不將所賣的房屋贖回,是在所得為業的城內,到了禧年就要出買主的手,因為利未人城邑的房屋是他們在以色列人中的產業。

34 只是他們各城郊野之地不可,因為是他們永遠的產業。

35 你的弟兄在你那裡若漸漸貧窮,中缺乏,你就要幫補他,使他與你同住,像外人和寄居的一樣。

36 不可向他取利,也不可向他多要;只要敬畏你的,使你的弟兄與你同住。

37 他,不可向他取利;他,也不可向他多要。

38 我是耶和華─你們的,曾領你們從埃及出來,為要把迦南你們,要作你們的

39 你的弟兄若在你那裡漸漸窮乏,將自己給你,不可叫他像奴僕服事你。

40 他要在你那裡像雇工人和寄居的一樣,要服事你直到禧年。

41 到了禧年,他和他兒女要離開你,一同出去歸回本家,到他祖宗的地業那裡去。

42 因為他們是我的僕人,是我從埃及領出來的,不可為奴僕。

43 不可嚴嚴的轄管他,只要敬畏你的

44 至於你的奴僕、婢女,可以從你四圍的國中買。

45 並且那寄居在你們中間的外人和他們的家屬,在你們上所生的,你們也可以從其中買人;他們要作你們的產業。

46 你們要將他們遺留給你們的子孫為產業,要永遠從他們中間揀出奴僕;只是你們的弟兄以色列人,你們不可嚴嚴的轄管。

47 住在你那裡的外人,或是寄居的,若漸漸富足,你的弟兄卻漸漸窮乏,將自己給那外人,或是寄居的,或是外人的宗族,

48 了以,可以將他贖回。無論是他的弟兄,

49 或伯叔、伯叔的兒子,本家的近支,都可以贖他。他自己若漸漸富足,也可以自贖。

50 他要和買主計算,從自己的那年起,算到禧年;所的價值照著年數多少,好像工人每年的工價。

51 若缺少的年數多,就要按著年數從買價中償還他的贖價

52 若到禧年只缺少幾年,就要按著年數和買主計算,償還他的贖價。

53 他和買主同住,要像每年雇的工人,買主不可嚴嚴的轄管他。

54 他若不這樣被贖,到了禧年,要和他的兒女一同出去。

55 因為以色列人都是我的僕人,是我從埃及領出來的。我是耶和華─你們的

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 9210

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9210. 'You shall not be like a money-lender' means that it must be done in a spirit of charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a money-lender' as someone who does good for the sake of gain; for a money-lender entrusts money to another for the sake of interest and gives help to another for the sake of reward. And since real charity does not have gain or reward as the end in view, but the neighbour's good, 'you shall not be like a money-lender' means that the thing must be done in a spirit of charity. Anyone who does not know what Christian charity is may think that it consists not only in giving to the needy and poor but also in doing good to his fellow citizen, country, or Church for any reason whatever, that is, with no matter what end in view. But he should recognize that the end is what gives all of a person's deeds their true character. If the end or intention is to do good for the sake of reputation, in order to acquire important positions or else monetary gain, the good that he does is not good because it is done for the sake of self and thus also originates in self. But if the end is to do good for his fellow citizen's, country's, or Church's sake, thus for his neighbour's sake, the good he does is good since it is done for the sake of good itself, which in general is the real neighbour, 5025, 6706, 6711, 6712, 8123, and so is also done for the Lord's sake since such good does not have its origin in the person but in the Lord, and what originates in the Lord is the Lord's. This is the good that is meant by the Lord in Matthew,

Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

[2] As it is with good, so it is also with truth. Those who do the truth for its own sake do it also for the Lord's sake since it comes from Him. Doing truth for its own sake is doing good; for truth becomes good when it passes from the understanding into the will, and from the will goes out into actions. Doing good in this manner is Christian charity. People who do good in the spirit of Christian charity may sometimes look for reputation earned as a result of doing it, so as to obtain an important position or else monetary gain. But their attitude is altogether different from that of anyone for whom these things are his end in view. For they regard what is good and right as the essential, one and only thing that matters, and accordingly rank it in highest position. As for monetary gain in comparison with this, or an important position, or reputation for the sake of them, they regard as non-essential, and accordingly rank it in lowest position. When the eyes of people such as these are fixed on what is right and good they are like soldiers fighting in battle for their country. During it they give no thought at all to their life, nor thus to their status or their assets in the world, which compared with what they are doing are of no importance to them. But those who rank self and the world at the top are the kind of people who do not even see what is right and good, because their eyes are fixed on themselves and on gain.

[3] All this shows what doing good for a selfish or a worldly reason is, what doing good for the Lord's or for the neighbour's sake is, and what is the difference between them. The difference is as great as that between two opposites, thus as great as that between heaven and hell. Furthermore those who do good for their neighbour's or for the Lord's sake are in heaven; but those who do it for a selfish or a worldly reason are in hell. For those who do good for their neighbour and the Lord's sake love the Lord above all things and their neighbour as themselves - commandments which are 'the first of all the commandments', Mark 12:28-31. But those who do everything for selfish and worldly reasons love themselves above all things, thus more than God; and they not only despise their neighbour but also hate him if he does not make common cause with them and align himself with them. This is the meaning of the Lord's teaching in Matthew,

No one can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24.

There are people who do serve both; but they are called 'lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, who are spewed out', Revelation 3:15-16. All this now shows what money-lenders who took interest represented, namely those who do good for the sake of gain.

[4] It makes plain the origin of this prohibition, that they were not to be like a money-lender, charging a brother interest, as again declared elsewhere in Moses,

You shall not charge your brother interest on silver, interest on food, interest on anything on which it is charged. A foreigner you shall charge interest, but your brother you shall not charge interest; so that Jehovah your God may bless you in everything to which you set your hand 1 in the land which you are entering to possess it. Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Leviticus 25:36-38.

'Charging a brother interest on silver' means lending truths, that is, giving instruction in them, for the sake of gain, 'charging interest on food' hiring out forms of the good of truth for the sake of gain; for 'silver' means truth, 1551, 2954, 5658, 6914, 6917, and 'food' the good of truth, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8562. The reason why those who do not charge it are blessed by Jehovah in everything to which they set their hand in the land is that their affection is for goodness and truth, so that the happiness which angels in heaven possess is theirs; for that affection, or the good of that love, holds heaven within it for a person, 6478, 9174. The reason why foreigners could be charged interest was that those who do not acknowledge anything of goodness or truth and are unreceptive of them are meant by 'foreigners', 7996, that is, they are those who do good solely for the sake of gain. These must serve a person, for in comparison they are servants or slaves, 1097. In David,

He walks blameless and does righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. He does not lend his silver at interest, and does not take a bribe 2 against the innocent. He who does this will never be moved. Psalms 15:2, 5.

'Lending his silver at interest' means teaching for the sake solely of gain, thus doing good for the sake of reward. Something similar occurs in Ezekiel,

A righteous man who executes judgement and righteousness does not lend at interest and does not take increase. Ezekiel 18:5, 8.

In the same prophet,

He who withdraws his hand from the needy, does not take interest or increase, executes My judgements, [and] walks in My statutes will surely live. Ezekiel 18:17.

In the same prophet,

In you they have taken bribes 2 to shed blood; you have taken interest and increase, and seized gain of your companions by violence. Ezekiel 22:12.

These things are said about 'the city of blood', by which falsity destroying truth and good is meant, 9127. 'Taking interest and increase' means doing good for the sake of gain and reward, thus not in a spirit of charity. In true charity there is no thought of earning a reward, see 2371, 2373, 2400, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6478.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, in every sending out of your hand

2. literally, a gift

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