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出埃及記 18

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1 摩西的岳父,米甸祭司葉忒羅,摩西的百姓以色列所行的一切事,就是耶和華以色列埃及領出來的事,

2 便帶著摩西的妻子西坡拉,就是摩西從前打發回去的,

3 又帶著西坡拉的兩個兒子個名叫革舜,因為摩西:我在外邦作了寄居的;

4 個名叫以利以謝因為他:我父親幫助了我,救我脫離法老的刀。

5 摩西的岳父葉忒羅帶著摩西的妻子和兩個兒子,就是摩西在曠野安營的地方。

6 他對摩西:我是你岳父葉忒羅,帶著你的妻子和兩個兒子到你這裡。

7 摩西迎接他的岳父,向他下拜,與他親嘴,彼此問安,都進了帳棚。

8 摩西耶和華以色列的緣故向法老埃及人所行的一切事,以及上所遭遇的一切艱難,並耶和華怎樣搭救他們,都述說與他岳父聽。

9 葉忒羅因耶和華以色列的一切處,就是拯救他們脫離埃及人,便甚歡喜。

10 葉忒羅耶和華是應當稱頌的;他救了你們脫離埃及人法老的,將這百姓從埃及人救出來。

11 我現今在埃及人向這百姓發狂傲的事上得知,耶和華比萬

12 摩西的岳父葉忒羅把燔祭和平安祭獻給亞倫以色列的長老來了,與摩西的岳父在面前飯。

13 第二天,摩西坐著審判百姓,百姓從到晚都站在摩西的左右。

14 摩西的岳父見他向百姓所做的一切事,就:你向百姓做的是甚麼事呢?你為甚麼獨自坐著,眾百姓從到晚都站在你的左右呢?

15 摩西對岳父:這是因百姓到我這裡求問

16 他們有事的時候就到我這裡,我便在兩造之間施行審判;我又叫他們知道的律例和度。

17 摩西的岳父:你這做的不

18 你和這些百姓必都疲憊;因為這事太重,你獨自一人辦理不了。

19 現在你要我的。我為你出個主意,願與你同在。你要替百姓到面前,將案件奏告

20 又要將律例和度教訓他們,指示他們當行的道,當做的事;

21 並要從姓中揀選有才能的人,就是敬畏、誠實無妄、恨不義之財的人,派他們作夫長、夫長、五十夫長、夫長,管理姓,

22 叫他們隨時審判百姓,事都要呈到你這裡,小事他們自己可以審判。這樣,你就輕省些,他們也可以同當此任。

23 你若這樣行,也這樣吩咐你,你就能受得住,這百姓也都平平安安歸回他們的住處。

24 於是,摩西從他岳父的話,按著他所的去行。

25 摩西以色列人中揀選了有才能的人,立他們為姓的首領,作夫長、夫長、五十夫長、夫長。

26 他們隨時審判百姓,有難斷的案件就呈到摩西那裡,但各樣小事他們自己審判。

27 此後,摩西讓他的岳父去,他就往本去了。

   

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Wife

  

The Hebrew of the Old Testament has six different common words which are generally translated as "wife," which largely overlap but have different nuances. Swedenborg uses two different Latin words, which largely overlap but have different nuances. Meanwhile, "wife" is often paired with "man" or "husband," which are also catch-all translations for a basket of Hebrew and Latin terms. So it's hard to pin down one universal meaning for "wife"; context and subject matter have a large effect.

In general, though, marriage in the Bible represents the union we all seek between our hearts and our minds. If we know what is right and pursue it faithfully, the Lord will ultimately help us love doing what is good, and the two aspects of ourselves will be unified. On a higher level, marriage represents the union we can have with the Lord, both individually and collectively as a church. As an intrinsic part of the marriage, the wife plays a key role in that meaning. But that meaning is different depending on what is being described.

If the marriage is describing a person who is spiritual in nature – "spiritual" being the second degree of heavenly life, in which people are led by intellect and knowledge with the desire for good following – the wife represents the desire for good, the affections that drive the person. If the marriage is describing someone who is celestial in nature – "celestial" being the highest degree of heavenly life, in which people are led from love, with the intellect and ideas following – the wife represents the true ideas held by the person or church. If the marriage is describing the union between the Lord and the church, the wife represents the church.

In a way, these are symbolic meanings that actually have little to do with gender. When "wife" describes a church, obviously that church can include both male and female people. When "wife" describes an aspect of a person, that person can obviously be either male or female.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 915, 1468, 1904 [1-2], 3246 [3-4], 3398, 4823 [2])