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Ponovljeni Zakon 23

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1 Neka se nitko ne ženi ženom oca svoga i neka ne odgrće očeva pokrivača.

2 Neka se u Jahvinu zajednicu ne prima onaj komu je stučena mošnjica ili odrezano udo.

3 Ni mješanac neka se ne prima u Jahvinu zajednicu; neka se njegovi ne primaju u zajednicu Jahvinu ni do desetog koljena.

4 Neka ne ulazi u Jahvinu zajednicu ni Amonac ni Moabac; nitko od njihovih, čak ni u deseto koljeno, ne smije nikad u zajednicu Jahvinu.

5 A sve zato što nisu izašli pred vas s kruhom i vodom kad bijaste na putu izišavši iz Egipta; i što su za novce najmili sina Beorova, Bileama iz Petora u Aram Naharajimu, da te prokune.

6 Ali Jahve, Bog tvoj, ne htjede uslišati Bileama nego ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, prometnu prokletstvo u blagoslov jer te ljubi Jahve, Bog tvoj.

7 Nikad ne promiči njihovo blagostanje i njihovo dobro u sve dane svoje dovijeka.

8 Nemoj prezirati Edomca, jer je on brat tvoj. Ne preziri ni Egipćanina, jer si bio došljak u zemlji njegovoj.

9 Njihovi potomci u trećem naraštaju mogu se primiti u Jahvinu zajednicu.

10 Kad pođeš s taborom na svoje neprijatelje, čuvaj se od svakoga zla.

11 Ako je među tvojima tko postao nečist zbog noćnog izljeva, neka iziđe iz tabora i neka se ne vraća u nj.

12 A predvečer neka se u vodi opere te u smiraje može opet u tabor.

13 Imaj izvan tabora mjesto gdje ćeš ići napolje.

14 Sa svojom opremom nosi i lopaticu: njome ćeš, kad ideš napolje, iskopati rupu i poslije zatrpati svoju nečist.

15 TÓa Jahve, Bog tvoj, ide posred tvoga tabora da te štiti i da ti predaje neprijatelje. Stoga i tvoj tabor treba da bude svet: neka Jahve ne zapazi u tebe ništa nedolično, da se ne bi odvratio od tebe.

16 Ne smiješ gospodaru izručivati roba koji je od svoga gospodara utekao k tebi.

17 Neka boravi s tobom u tvojoj sredini, u mjestu što ga odabere u jednome od tvojih gradova gdje mu se svidi. Nemoj s njime loše postupati.

18 Neka ne bude svetišne bludnice među izraelskim kćerima i neka ne bude svetišnog bludnika među izraelskim sinovima!

19 Ne donosi u Dom Jahve, Boga svoga, ni za kakav zavjet bludničine plaće ni pasjeg novca, jer je oboje odvratno Jahvi, Bogu tvome.

20 Ne traži kamata od svoga brata, niti kamata za novac, niti kamata na jestvine, niti kamata na bilo što gdje se obično traže.

21 Od tuđinca možeš tražiti kamate, ali ih od svoga brata nemoj tražiti, da ti Jahve, Bog tvoj, udijeli blagoslov u svakom pothvatu tvoje ruke u zemlji u koju ideš da je zaposjedneš.

22 Kad zavjetuješ kakav zavjet Jahvi, Bogu svome, ne oklijevaj da ga ispuniš. Zacijelo će ga Jahve, Bog tvoj, od tebe tražiti; i bio bi ti grijeh.

23 Ako se ne zavjetuješ, neće ti biti grijeh.

24 Ali ispuni ono što prijeđe preko tvojih usana, zavjet koji si svojim ustima slobodno učinio Jahvi, Bogu svome.

25 Ako uđeš u vinograd svoga susjeda, slobodno ti je zobati grožđa do mile volje, ali u svoj sud ne smiješ stavljati.

26 Ako uđeš u žito svoga susjeda, možeš kidati klasove rukom, ali ne smiješ prinositi srpa susjedovu žitu.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 9210

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9210. Thou shalt not be to him as a usurer. That this signifies that this must be done from charity, is evident from the signification of “a usurer,” as being one who does what is good for the sake of self-advantage; for a usurer intrusts money to another for the sake of usury, and assists another for the sake of recompense. And because genuine charity does not regard profit or recompense as the end, but the good of the neighbor, therefore by “thou shalt not be as a usurer” is signified that it must be done from charity. He who does not know what Christian charity is, may believe that it consists not only in giving to the needy and the poor, but also in doing good to a fellow citizen, to our country, and to the church, for any cause whatever, or for any end whatever. But be it known that it is the end that determines the quality of all a man’s deeds. If his end or intention is to do good for the sake of reputation, or to acquire honors or profit, then the good which he does is not good, because it is done for the sake of himself, and thus also from himself. But if his end is to do good for the sake of a fellow citizen, his country, or the church, thus for the sake of the neighbor, then the good which the man does is good, for it is done for the sake of good itself, which, in general, is the neighbor itself (n. 5025, 6706, 6711, 6712, 8123); thus also it is done for the sake of the Lord, for such good is not from man, but from the Lord, and that which is from the Lord is the Lord’s. It is this good which is meant by the Lord in Matthew:

As much as ye did to one of the least of these My brethren, ye did to Me (Matthew 25:40).

[2] As it is with good, so also it is with truth. Those who do truth for the sake of truth, do it also for the sake of the Lord, because they do it from the Lord. To do truth for the sake of truth, is to do good; for truth becomes good when it passes from the understanding into the will, and from the will goes forth into act. To do good in this manner is Christian charity. Sometimes those who do good from Christian charity have regard to reputation from it, for the sake of honor, or for the sake of profit; yet they do so very differently from those who regard these things as the end; for they regard what is good and just as the essential and only thing, thus as being in the highest place; and thereafter they regard profit and honor, and reputation for the sake of these, as being relatively not essential, thus in the lowest place. When persons of such a character have in view what is just and good, they are like those who fight in battle for their country, and who then have no regard for their life, nor for their rank and possessions in the world, which are then relatively of no account. But those who have regard to themselves and the world in the first place, are of such a character that they do not even see what is just and good, because they have in view themselves and their own profit.

[3] From all this it is evident what it is to do good for the sake of self or the world, and what it is to do good for the sake of the Lord or the neighbor, and what is the difference between them. The difference is as great as that between two opposites, thus as great as between heaven and hell. Moreover, those who do good for the sake of the neighbor or the Lord are in heaven; but those who do good for the sake of self and the world are in hell. For those who do good for the sake of the neighbor and the Lord, love the Lord above all things and the neighbor as themselves, in accordance with the chief of all the commandments (Mark 12:28-31). But those who do all things for the sake of themselves and the world, love themselves above all things, thus more than God, and not only do they despise the neighbor, but even hold him in hatred if he does not make one with themselves, and be theirs. This is meant by what the Lord teaches in Matthew:

No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

There are those who serve both; but these are they who are called “lukewarm, neither cold nor hot,” who are “spewed out” (Revelation 3:15-16). From all this it is now plain what was represented by usurers who took usury, namely, those who do good for the sake of profit.

[4] From this it is clear why it is said that one “should not be as a usurer, and should not put usury upon a brother;” as also in other passages in Moses:

Thou shalt not put on thy brother usury of silver, usury of food, usury of anything on which it is put. Upon a foreigner thou mayest put usury; but upon thy brother thou shalt not put usury; that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thine hand unto, in the land whither thou goest to possess it (Deuteronomy 23:19-20; Leviticus 25:36-38);

“to put on a brother the usury of silver” denotes to lend truths, or to instruct, for the sake of profit; “to put the usury of food on him” denotes to lend the goods of truth for the sake of profit; for “silver” denotes truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658, 6914, 6917); and “food,” the good of truth (n. 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8562). That “Jehovah will bless those who do not so, in all that they put their hand unto in the land” is because they are in the affection of good and truth, thus in the happiness the angels have in heaven, for a man has heaven in this affection, that is, in the good of this love (n. 6478, 9174). The reason why it was allowable to put usury on foreigners, was that by “foreigners” are signified those who do not acknowledge and receive anything of good and truth (n. 7996). Thus they who do good only for the sake of profit are to serve man, because they are relatively servants (n. 1097).

In David:

He that walketh perfect, and that doeth righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart; He that giveth not his silver to usury, and taketh not a gift against the innocent. He that doeth this shall never be moved (Psalms 15:2, 5);

“to give one’s silver into usury” denotes to teach merely for the sake of profit, thus to do good for the sake of the recompense. In like manner in Ezekiel:

A righteous man who doeth judgment and righteousness, giveth not into usury, and taketh not interest (Ezekiel 18:5, 8).

He that withholdeth his hand from the needy, that taketh not usury or interest, that doeth My judgments, that walketh in My statutes, living he shall live (Ezekiel 18:17).

In thee have they taken a gift to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and interest, and thou hast taken gain of thy companions by violence (Ezekiel 22:12).

This is said of the “city of bloods,” by which is signified the falsity that destroys truth and good (n. 9127); “taking usury and interest” denotes doing good for the sake of profit and recompense, thus not from charity. (That genuine charity is devoid of all claim to merit, see n. 2371, 2373, 2400, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6478)

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