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民數記 5

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1 耶和華曉諭摩西

2 你吩咐以色列人,使一切長大痲瘋的,患漏症的,並因死屍不潔淨的,都出外去。

3 無論男都要使他們出到外,免得污穢他們的;這是我所住的。

4 以色列人就這樣行,使他們出到外。耶和華怎樣吩咐摩西以色列人就怎樣行了。

5 耶和華摩西

6 你曉諭以色列人:無論女,若犯了所常犯的,以至干犯耶和華,那就有了

7 他要承認所犯的,將所虧負人的,如數賠還,另外加上五分之一,也歸與所虧負的人。

8 若沒有親屬可受所賠還的,那所賠還的就要歸與服事耶和華的祭司;至於那為他贖罪的公是在外。

9 以色列人一切的物中,所奉給祭司的舉祭都要歸與祭司

10 所分別為的物,無論是甚麼,都要歸祭司。

11 耶和華摩西

12 你曉諭以色列人的妻若有邪行,得罪他丈夫

13 與他行淫,事情嚴密,瞞過他丈夫,而且他被玷污,沒有作見證的,當他行淫的時候也沒有被捉住,

14 他丈夫生了疑恨的心,疑恨他,他是被玷污,或是他丈夫生了疑恨的心,疑恨他,他並沒有被玷污,

15 就要將妻送到祭司那裡,又為他著大麥麵伊法十分之一作供物,不可澆上,也不可加上乳香;因為這是疑恨的素祭,是思念的素祭,使思念罪孽。

16 祭司要使那婦人近前來,站在耶和華面前。

17 祭司要把聖盛在瓦器裡,又從帳幕的地上取點塵土,放在中。

18 祭司要叫那婦人蓬散髮,站在耶和華面前,把思念的素祭,就是疑恨的素祭,放在他中。祭司裡拿著致咒詛的苦

19 要叫婦起誓,對他:若沒有與你行淫,也未曾背著丈夫污穢的事,你就免受這致咒詛苦的災。

20 你若背著丈夫行了污穢的事,在你丈夫以外有與你行淫,

21 (祭司叫婦人發咒起誓),願耶和華叫你大腿消瘦,肚腹發脹,使你在你民中被人咒詛,成了誓語;

22 並且這致咒詛的入你的腸中,要叫你的肚腹發脹,大腿消瘦。婦人要回答:阿們,阿們。

23 祭司要這咒詛的話,將所的字抹在苦裡,

24 又叫婦人喝這致咒詛的苦;這進入他裡面變苦了。

25 祭司要從婦人的中取那疑恨的素祭,在耶和華面前搖一搖,拿到前;

26 又要從素祭中取出一把,作為這事的紀念,燒在上,然叫婦人喝這

27 叫他喝了以後,他若被玷污,得罪了丈夫,這致咒詛的進入他裡面變苦了,他的肚腹就要發脹,大腿就要消瘦,那婦人便要在他民中被人咒詛。

28 若婦人沒有被玷污,卻是清潔的,就要免受這災,且要懷孕。

29 妻子背著丈夫行了污穢的事,

30 或是生了疑恨的心,疑恨他的妻,就有這疑恨的條例。那時他要叫婦站在耶和華面前,祭司要在他身上照這條例而行。

31 男人就為無罪,婦必擔當自己的罪孽。

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 548

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548. But that they should torment them five months, signifies that the understanding would be darkened and drawn away by the falsities of evil from seeing truth, so long as they were in that state. This is evident from the signification of "to torment," as being to have the understanding darkened and withdrawn from seeing truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "five months," as being so long as they are in that state. "To torment" here signifies to have the understanding darkened and drawn away from seeing truth, because this is said of the locusts and their power to hurt like scorpions, and "locusts" mean the ultimate of man's life, which is called the sensual, and the power to hurt like scorpions signifies a persuasiveness that can take away from the understanding the light of truth and induce infernal darkness; therefore it now follows that "their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a man," for a "scorpion" signifies such persuasiveness (See above, n. 544). This is said "to torment," because it is said above that "the locusts should hurt men, but should not kill them;" and that which hurts but does not kill, torments; and the persuasiveness also, which is of the sensual man that is in the falsities of evil, hurts the understanding by darkening it and drawing it away from seeing truth, although it does not deprive it of the faculty to understand and perceive; and because it is compared with the pain from a scorpion "when it striketh a man," it is said "to torment."

[2] "Five months" signify so long as men are in that state, because a "month" signifies a state, and "five" signifies somewhat, and thus so long as "months" signify states, because all times in the Word, as "ages," "years," "weeks," "days," and "hours," signify the states of life (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169), so likewise "months." That "five" signifies somewhat can be seen from the passages in the Word where that number occurs; for the numbers ten, one hundred, one thousand, signify much and all, therefore "five" signifies somewhat; for the numbers that signify much arise from the number five, which signifies somewhat, and composite and derived numbers take their signification from the simple numbers of which by multiplication they are composed, and from which they are derived (See above, n. 429, 430). "Five" also signifies so long as, because it is said "five months," and "months" here signify a state of duration. This signification of "five months" seems remote, because so long as man lives in the world he is in natural thought, and natural thought derives its ideas from spaces and times and also from numbers and measures; for these are proper to nature, because all things in nature are determined by them; while spiritual thought is without any determinate idea of space, time, number, and measure. For this reason it seems remote and strange to a man in the world, that "five months" should signify so long as that state, that is, a state of the persuasion of falsity continues, for so long the understanding is darkened and drawn away from seeing truth; but when the persuasion of falsity is removed man comes into the faculty to see truth if he wishes to see it, for every man has this faculty.

[3] That "five" signifies in the Word somewhat and some, likewise all such, and like things, can be seen from the following passages. In Matthew:

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins, five of whom were prudent, and five foolish (Matthew 25:1, 2).

The Lord compared the kingdom of the heavens to ten virgins, because "the kingdom of the heavens" signifies the church, as does a "virgin;" and "ten virgins" signify all who are of the church; it is said that "five were prudent and five foolish," because "five" signifies some of them, or all who are such on the one part. That a "virgin" signifies the church can be seen from many passages in the Word where mention is made of "the virgin of Zion," "the virgin of Jerusalem," "the virgin of Israel," by whom the church is signified.

[4] "Ten" and "five" have a like signification in the Lord's parable of the nobleman who gave to his servants pounds to trade with:

And one from a pound gained ten pounds; and another from a pound gained five pounds; and they were therefore to have authority over so many cities (Luke 19:13-20).

The numbers "ten" and "five" are mentioned by the Lord, because "ten" signifies much, and "five" somewhat; while "their trading" signifies gaining or purchasing heavenly intelligence; and "authority over cities" signifies intelligence and wisdom, for "city" in the Word signifies doctrine, and "to have authority over it" signifies to be intelligent and wise; and "over ten cities" signifies much, and "over five" some.

[5] Again, some and all who are such, are signified by "five" in the Lord's parable of the rich man and Lazarus:

That the rich man told Abraham that he had five brethren, and asked that Lazarus might be sent to them (Luke 16:27, 28).

The rich man said that he had "five brethren" because "five" signifies all who are such. Likewise in the Lord's parable of those who were invited to the great supper:

That one excused himself because he had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go to prove them (Luke 14:19).

"Oxen" signify in the Word natural affections, and "five yoke of oxen" signify all those affections or desires that lead away from heaven; heaven and the church in regard to spiritual nourishment or instruction are signified by "the great supper" to which they were invited. Who cannot see that the number "five" in these four parables involves an arcanum, since it was employed by the Lord?

[6] Likewise in Isaiah:

In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak with the lips of Canaan, and that swear to Jehovah of Hosts. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt (Isaiah 19:18, 19).

"In that day" signifies the Lord's coming; and "five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lips of Canaan" signifies that then some who are natural will become spiritual, and will acknowledge the truths of genuine doctrine, and will worship the Lord from the good of charity (this may be seen particularly explained above, n. 223. So here it is said "five cities," to mean some at that time, and also some truths of doctrine.

[7] In the same:

There shall be left in it gleanings, as in the shaking of an olive-tree, two three berries in the top of the bough, four five in the branches of the fruitful one (Isaiah 17:6).

And in Luke:

Jesus said, From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two, and two against three (Luke 12:52).

That in these passages "five" signifies some, and all who are such, may be seen above (n. 532), where these passages are explained. There was a law given with the sons of Israel:

That whoever had stolen an ox, and had either killed it or sold it, should pay back five oxen (Exodus 22:1).

Here an "ox" means in the spiritual sense the good of the natural man; "to pay back five oxen for an ox" signifies that one should make sufficient amends for what he had perverted and extinguished; "to steal" means to take away, "to kill" to extinguish, and "to sell" to pervert.

[8] "The fifth part" also signifies as much as is sufficient, in Leviticus 5:16; 6:5; 22:14; 27:13, 15, 19, 27, 31; Numbers 5:6-8. Likewise:

The fifth part that Pharaoh took from the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty (Genesis 41:34; 47:24).

Likewise:

At the fifth [rib] at which Abner smote Asahel with the hinder end of his spear (2 Samuel 2:23);

"at the fifth" signifying as much as was sufficient for death; for the same number that signifies somewhat, and all on the one part, signifies also as much as is sufficient, when it is predicated of quantity, and so long as, when it is predicated of time.

[9] As this number signifies somewhat, and all of one part, so it signifies also a little and a few whenever a great quantity that is also designated by numbers follows or precedes; for then all of one part is relatively a few. Thus in Isaiah:

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee (Isaiah 30:17).

And in Moses:

Among the curses it was said that five should chase an hundred, and an hundred, ten thousand (Leviticus 26:8).

And in the Gospels:

That the Lord fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-22; Mark 6:38-43; Luke 9:13-16; John 6:9-13).

That they then took up "twelve baskets of fragments" signifies fullness, thus full instruction and full blessing.

[10] Again, "five" signifies few in Luke:

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Fear not, therefore, ye are better than many sparrows (Luke 12:6, 7).

It is said "five sparrows" because fewness and what is of little value in comparison with men are meant, for it is afterwards said, "Ye are better than many sparrows." Anyone can see that this number would not have been mentioned so often by the Lord unless it had been significative. Because "five" signifies all of one part, it was commanded:

That over the tabernacle they should make ten curtains, and the five curtains should be coupled together one to another, and the other five curtains should be coupled one to another (Exodus 26:1, 3.

That "ten" signifies all in the whole complex, and "five" all of one and of the other part, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9595, 9604).

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