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1 Poslije smrti Jošuine upitaše Izraelci Jahvu: "Tko će od nas prvi poći na Kanaance da se protiv njih bori?"

2 A Jahve odgovori: "Neka Juda prvi pođe; u njegove ruke stavljam zemlju."

3 Tada Juda reče svome bratu Šimunu: "Pođi sa mnom u zemlju koja mi je dosuđena u baštinu; borit ćemo se protiv Kanaanaca, a potom ću se ja uza te boriti na tvojoj zemlji." I Šimun ode s njim.

4 Ode Juda i Jahve im predade u ruke Kanaance i Perižane te pobiše u Bezeku deset tisuća ljudi.

5 U Bezeku zatekoše Adoni-Sedeka, udariše na nj i poraziše Kanaance i Perižane.

6 Kad je Adoni-Sedek nagnuo u bijeg, gonili su ga, uhvatili ga i odsjekli mu palce na rukama i nogama.

7 Tada reče Adoni-Sedek: "Sedamdeset kraljeva odsječenih palaca na rukama i na nogama kupilo je mrvice pod mojim stolom. Kako sam činio, tako mi Bog vraća." Odveli su ga u Jeruzalem i ondje je umro.

8 Zatim Judini sinovi udariše na Jeruzalem, osvojiše ga, posjekoše mačem žitelje i spališe grad.

9 Poslije toga krenuše Judini sinovi da se bore protiv Kanaanaca koji su živjeli u Gorju, Negebu i u Šefeli.

10 Onda Juda ode na Kanaance koji su živjeli u Hebronu - Hebronu bijaše nekoć ime Kirjat Arba - i ondje potuče Šešaja, Ahimana i Talmaja.

11 Odatle krenu na stanovnike Debira, koji se nekoć zvao Kirjat Sefer.

12 Tada reče Kaleb: "Tko pokori i zauzme Kirjat Sefer, dat ću mu svoju kćer Aksu za ženu."

13 Zauze ga Otniel, sin Kenaza, mlađeg brata Kalebova, i Kaleb mu dade svoju kćer Aksu za ženu.

14 Kad je prišla mužu, on je nagovori da u svoga oca ište polje. Siđe ona s magarca, a Kaleb je upita: "Što hoćeš?"

15 Ona mu odgovori: "Daj mi blagoslov! Kad si mi dao kraj u Negebu, daj mi onda i koji izvor vode." I Kaleb joj dade Gornje i Donje izvore.

16 Sinovi Hobaba Kenijca, tasta Mojsijeva, odoše iz Palmova grada s Judinim sinovima u Judinu pustinju, koja je u Negebu, na jugu od Arada. Tu se nastaniše među Amalečanima.

17 Potom ode Juda s bratom Šimunom i pobiše Kanaance koji su živjeli u Sefatu i grad izručiše "heremu", prokletstvu. Zbog toga se grad prozva Horma.

18 Ali Juda nije uspio zauzeti Gaze s njenim područjem, ni Aškelona s njegovim područjem, ni Ekrona s njegovim područjem.

19 Jahve bijaše s njim te on osvoji gorje, ali ne mogaše potjerati onih u nizini jer imahu željezna kola.

20 Kao što bijaše odredio Mojsije, dadoše Hebron Kalebu, koji iz njega otjera tri sina Anakova.

21 A Benjaminovi sinovi ne uspješe otjerati Jebusejaca koji su živjeli u Jeruzalemu i tako Jebusejci ostadoše u Jeruzalemu s Benjaminovim sinovima do dana današnjega.

22 Krenu i pleme Josipovo na Betel i Jahve bijaše s njima.

23 I pleme Josipovo uze izviđati Betel. Grad se nekoć zvao Luz.

24 Uhode opaziše čovjeka gdje izlazi iz grada i rekoše mu: "Pokaži nam kuda se može u grad, pa ćemo ti biti milostivi."

25 On im pokaza kuda mogu u grad. I sve u gradu isjekoše mačem, a onoga čovjeka sa svom njegovom obitelji pustiše da ode.

26 Čovjek je otišao u zemlju Hetita i ondje sagradio grad i prozvao ga Luz. Tako se zove još i danas.

27 Manaše nije osvojio Bet-Šeana i njegovih sela ni Tanaka i njegovih sela. Nije potjerao ni stanovnika iz Dora i njegovih sela, ni stanovnika Jibleama i njegovih sela, ni stanovnika Megida i njegovih sela. Tako su Kanaanci ostali i živjeli u toj zemlji.

28 Kad je Izrael ojačao, nametnuo je Kanaancima tlaku, ali ih nije mogao otjerati.

29 Ni Efrajim nije otjerao Kanaanaca koji su živjeli u Gezeru, tako te su Kanaanci tu živjeli među njima.

30 Zebulun nije otjerao stanovnika Kitrona ni stanovnika Nahalola. Tako su Kanaanci ostali usred Zebulunovih sinova, ali im bijaše nametnuta tlaka.

31 Ni Ašer nije otjerao stanovnika Akona, ni stanovnika Sidona, ni onih iz Mahalaba, Akziba, Helbe, Afika i Rehoba.

32 Ašerovci su ostali tako među Kanaancima, stanovnicima te zemlje, jer ih nisu otjerali.

33 Naftali nije otjerao stanovnika Bet-Šemeša i Bet-Anata, nego je živio među Kanaancima koji su nastavali tu zemlju, ali je stanovnicima Bet-Šemeša i Bet-Anata nametnuta tlaka.

34 Amorejci su potisnuli Danove sinove u goru i nisu ih puštali da siđu u ravnicu.

35 Amorejci su se zadržali u Har-Heresu, Ajalonu i Šaalbimu, ali kad je ruka Josipova doma ojačala, bila im je nametnuta tlaka.

36 Područje Edomaca pruža se od Akrabimskog uspona do Stijene pa naviše.

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 1

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Judges 1: The continuing conquest of Canaan.

The book of Judges follows on almost seamlessly from Joshua. It is called ‘Judges’ because a number of regional leaders arose and made judgments for the people, often actively defending Israel from outside oppression. A pattern emerges in Judges: Israel disobeys the Lord – an enemy oppresses Israel – the Lord raises a leader – the leader is victorious against the enemy – there is peace for a time – Israel disobeys the Lord again.

There were twelve judges in all, about whom we either hear very much or next to nothing. The number twelve (as with the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve disciples, and other examples in the Word), stands for all the various aspects of spirituality that we need to understand, develop, and put to use. A clue is often found in the meaning of their names, because biblical names are nearly always linked to spiritual qualities, such as ‘courage’, or ‘one who walks with God’ (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 10216).

The theme of this first chapter is the further conquest of the land. The Israelites asked the Lord, “Who shall go up and fight for us?” And the Lord said that the tribe of Judah would go, because the Lord had delivered the land into their hand. Judah then called on the tribe of Simeon to join them, and they won many battles against the Canaanites still in the land.

One Canaanite king, Adoni-bezek, fled and was captured by the Israelites, who then cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-bezek said that God had dealt justice by punishing him, as he had previously cut off seventy kings’ thumbs and big toes, and they had to gather scraps of food under his table.

Then Caleb, a leader of Israel during the journey through the wilderness, said that the man who took Kirjath-sepher (Caleb’s inheritance city) from the Canaanites would marry his daughter, Achsah. Caleb’s nephew, Othniel, took the city and Achsah was given to him. Achsah asked her father for the blessing of springs of water, and Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Next, spies were sent to Bethel. They met a man there, and said that if he directed them the entrance to the city, they would show him mercy. He helped them, and they took the city but showed mercy on the man and all his family. After all of this, the man built a new city called Luz in the land of the Hittites.

The chapter ends by listing the twelve tribes, as well as the Canaanite peoples who remained unsubdued in each of their territories.

*****

The overarching spiritual theme of Judges is the process of our regeneration. As the opening of Judges reminds us, there were still parts of the land and various tribes that Israel needed to conquer. In fact, the Israelites never finished driving enemies out of their land. In the same way, we need to control our inherited human nature, but it is never completely wiped out (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Love and Wisdom 238).

During regeneration, we will discover deeper and subtler self-centered states in ourselves, which need to be mitigated. Each judge raised by the Lord stands for our determination to deal with these states, using the Word as a guide. This brings us a period of peace, followed by the start of another personal discovery.

When the Israelites chose which tribes would fight for them, it was no coincidence that they selected Judah and Simeon. Judah (who was a prominent tribe of Israel) and Simeon (who usually acts with another tribe) stand for the highest things in our spiritual life: our love for the Lord, and our obedience to the Lord’s Word. Choosing Judah and Simeon as our strength will always bring victory in our regeneration (see Arcana Caelestia 3654 and Apocalypse Explained 443).

The spiritual meaning in the story of Adoni-bezek is about taking away the power of our self-love, as cutting off thumbs and big toes makes hands and feet virtually useless. When we work on our lower nature, we are to minimize its control over us. It is the same with any influences from hell; their power must end. Adoni-bezek’s comment about doing the same to seventy kings vividly describes how self-love can only lead to our downfall (Arcana Caelestia 10062[4]).

The delightful story of Caleb, Achsah and Othniel illustrates that after battle, there is rest and reward. In the same way, we strengthen the ‘marriage’ of good and truth in us after overcoming spiritual struggles (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Love and Wisdom 409). The springs of water given to Achsah stand for the truths which flow into our mind, both about the ‘upper’ things of the Lord and heaven, and those ‘lower’ ones about spiritual life and responsibility.

The episode about the man from Bethel means that when we open up our life to the Lord to allow Him to guide us, we become blessed (Arcana Caelestia 3928). Then our life can be re-built in very practical and good ways, represented by the Hittites.

The final mention of the Canaanites still in the land points to the continuing presence of our unregenerate qualities. Although we may progress through the work of regeneration, we are still human, and we will always have flaws left to improve on.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 10062

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10062. 'And on the thumb of their right hand' means the resulting power of understanding in the middle heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'the thumb' as the power of good exercised through truth, or truth in its power springing from good, and the resulting power of understanding, dealt with below. The reason why the power of understanding in the middle heaven is meant is that 'the blood' which was put on the thumb means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good in the heavens, dealt with above in 10060, at this point therefore the resulting power of understanding. For 'the blood on the tip of the right ear' means the power of perception in the inmost heaven; as a result 'the blood on the thumb of the right hand' means the power of understanding in the middle heaven, while [that on] 'the big toe of the right foot' means the power of understanding in the last and lowest heaven. For the things that belong to the inmost heaven are meant by the head and parts of the head, and therefore this heaven's power of perception is meant here by 'the right ear', since the ear is part of the head. The things that belong to the middle heaven are meant by the body and parts of the body, and therefore the power of understanding is meant here by 'the right hand', while those things that belong to the lowest heaven are meant by the feet and parts of the feet. Regarding such correspondence of the heavens with the human being, see above in 10030 and the places referred to there. In the inmost heaven furthermore exists the ability to perceive truth springing from good; in the middle heaven however no ability to perceive truth exists, only the ability to understand it. And the like is so in the lowest heaven, see the places referred to in 9277, 9596, 9684.

[2] 'The thumb of the right hand' - which means truth in its power springing from good, and the resulting power of understanding in the middle heaven - seems, it is true, to be something too small and insignificant to mean heaven; for how, it may be asked, can the thumb come to have so great and significant a meaning? But it should be remembered that the last and lowest or outermost part of any member of the body has the same meaning as the whole member. 'The hand' means the whole power of the body, and the power which the body possesses is exercised through the arms and hands. Regarding what is last or outermost, that it means all or the whole, in the same way as what is first and highest, see above in 10044.

[3] For the meaning of 'the hands' as power and the fact that all power belongs to truth springing from good, see the places referred to in 10019; and for the meaning of 'the right hand' as the power of truth springing from good, and 'the left hand' as truth through which comes good, 10061. The reason why the power of understanding is what should be understood is that all the power of understanding is composed of truths, whereas all the power of will is composed of forms of good. For everything in the world and in heaven has connection with truth and with good, and the human understanding has been provided for truths and the will for forms of good. Therefore since truth in its power is meant by 'the hands', the understanding as well is meant by them.

[4] Because the thumb, like the hands, meant the power that belongs to truth springing from good, it was the practice in ancient times among the nations, and also among the Israelite people, to cut off the thumbs and big toes of their enemies, Judges 1:6-7; this represented the removal of all power from them. In the thumb furthermore resides the main power of the hand, for when the thumb has been cut off the hand no longer has the strength to fight in battle. Just as the thumb means power, so do 'the fingers', as in David,

Jehovah trains my hands for conflicts, and my fingers for war. Psalms 144:1.

In the same author,

When I look at the heavens, the work of Your fingers ... Psalms 8:3.

In Luke,

Jesus said, If I cast out demons by the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come to you. Luke 11:20.

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