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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

 

Divine Love and Wisdom # 409

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409, 11. Love or volition does not do anything without wisdom or discernment. Since love has neither sensory nor active life apart from discernment, and since love leads discernment into all the functions of the mind (see 407, 408 above), it follows that love or volition does not do anything apart from discernment. What would it be to act from love apart from discernment? We could only call it something senseless. Discernment is what shows us what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Love does not know this apart from discernment. As a result, there is so full a union between love and discernment that even though they are two functions, they still act as one. There is a similar union between what is good and what is true, since what is good is a matter of love and what is true is a matter of discernment.

There is the same kind of union in everything the Lord has created in the universe. Their function looks to what is good, and the form of their function looks to what is true.

It is because of this union that there is a right and a left to the whole body and everything in it. The right goes back to the good that prompts what is true, and the left to the truth that is prompted by what is good, so they go back to that union. This is why there are pairs in us--two brains [the cerebrum and the cerebellum], two hemispheres of the cerebrum, two ventricles of the heart, two lobes of the lungs, two eyes, ears, nostrils, arms, hands, legs, feet, kidneys, reproductive glands, and so on; and where there are not separate pairs, there is still a right side and a left side. This is because the good looks to the true for its manifestation and the true looks to the good for its existence. The same holds true in the angelic heavens and in the individual communities there.

There is more on this subject in 401 above, where I explained that unless it is married to wisdom or discernment, love or volition cannot accomplish anything through its human form. I will elsewhere discuss the inverse of the union of what is good and what is true, namely the union of what is evil and what is false.

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