Bible

 

Jozua 19

Studie

   

1 Daarna ging het tweede lot uit voor Simeon, voor den stam der kinderen van Simeon, naar hun huisgezinnen; en hun erfdeel was in het midden van het erfdeel der kinderen van Juda.

2 En zij hadden in hun erfdeel: Beer-seba, en Seba, en Molada,

3 En Hazar-Sual, en Bala, en Azem,

4 En Eltholad, en Bethul, en Horma,

5 En Ziklag, en Beth-hammerchaboth, en Hazar-Suza,

6 En Beth-Lebaoth, en Saruhen; dertien steden en haar dorpen.

7 Ain, Rimmon, en Ether, en Asan; vier steden en haar dorpen;

8 En al de dorpen, die rondom deze steden waren, tot Baalath-Beer, dat is Ramath tegen het zuiden. Dit is het erfdeel van den stam der kinderen van Simeon, naar hun huisgezinnen.

9 Het erfdeel der kinderen van Simeon is onder het snoer der kinderen van Juda; want het erfdeel der kinderen van Juda was te groot voor hen; daarom erfden de kinderen van Simeon in het midden van hun erfdeel.

10 Daarna kwam het derde lot op voor de kinderen van Zebulon, naar hun huisgezinnen; en de landpale van hun erfdeel was tot aan Sarid.

11 En hun landpale gaat opwaarts naar het westen en Mar-ala, en reikt tot Dabbaseth, en reikt tot aan de beek, die voor aan Jokneam is.

12 En zij wendt zich van Sarid oostwaarts tegen den opgang der zon, tot de landpale van Chisloth-Thabor, en zij komt uit te Dobrath, en gaat opwaarts naar Jafia.

13 En van daar gaat zij oostwaarts door naar den opgang, naar Gath-Hefer, te Eth-Kazin, en zij komt uit te Rimmon-Methoar, hetwelk is Nea.

14 En deze landpale keert zich om tegen het noorden naar Hannathon, en haar uitgangen zijn het dal van Jiftah-El.

15 En Kattath, en Nahalal, en Simron, en Jidala, en Bethlehem; twaalf steden en haar dorpen.

16 Dit is het erfdeel der kinderen van Zebulon, naar hun huisgezinnen; deze steden en haar dorpen.

17 Het vierde lot ging uit voor Issaschar, voor de kinderen van Issaschar, naar hun huisgezinnen.

18 En hun landpale was Jizreela, en Chesulloth, en Sunem,

19 En Hafaraim, en Sion, en Anacharath,

20 En Rabbith, en Kisjon, en Ebez,

21 En Remeth, en En-gannim, en En-hadda, en Beth-Pazzez.

22 En deze landpale reikt aan Thabor, en Sahazima, en Beth-Semes; en de uitgangen van hun landpale zijn aan de Jordaan; zestien steden en haar dorpen.

23 Dit is het erfdeel van den stam der kinderen van Issaschar, naar hun huisgezinnen, de steden en haar dorpen.

24 Toen ging het vijfde lot voor den stam der kinderen van Aser uit, naar hun huisgezinnen.

25 En hun landpale was Helkath, en Hali, en Beten, en Achsaf,

26 En Allammelech, en Am-ad, en Mis-al; en zij reikt aan Karmel westwaarts, en aan Sichor-Libnath;

27 En wendt zich tegen den opgang der zon naar Beth-Dagon, en reikt aan Zebulon, en aan het dal Jiftha-El noordwaarts naar Beth-Emek, en Nehiel, en komt uit tot Kabul ter linkerhand;

28 En Ebron, en Rehob, en Hammon, en Kana, tot aan groot Sidon.

29 En deze landpale wendt zich naar Rama, en tot aan de vaste stad Tyrus; dan keert deze landpale naar Hosa, en haar uitgangen zijn aan de zee, van het landsnoer strekkende naar Achzib,

30 En Umma, en Afek, en Rehob; twee en twintig steden en haar dorpen.

31 Dit is het erfdeel van den stam der kinderen van Aser, naar hun huisgezinnen, deze steden en haar dorpen.

32 Het zesde lot ging uit voor de kinderen van Nafthali, voor de kinderen van Nafthali, naar hun huisgezinnen.

33 En hun landpale is van Helef, van Allon tot Zaanannim, en Adami-Nekeb, en Jabneel, tot Lakkum; en haar uitgangen zijn aan de Jordaan.

34 En deze landpale wendt zich westwaarts naar Asnoth-Thabor, en van daar gaat zij voort naar Hukkok, en zij reikt aan Zebulon tegen het zuiden, en aan Aser reikt zij tegen het westen, en aan Juda aan de Jordaan tegen den opgang der zon.

35 De vaste steden nu zijn: Ziddim, Zer en Hammath, Rakkath en Cinnereth,

36 En Adama, en Rama, en Hazor,

37 En Kedes, en Edrei, en En-Hazor,

38 En Jiron, en Migdal-El, Horem en Beth-Anath, en Beth-Semes; negentien steden en haar dorpen.

39 Dit is het erfdeel van den stam der kinderen van Nafthali, naar hun huisgezinnen, de steden en haar dorpen.

40 Het zevende lot ging uit voor den stam der kinderen van Dan, naar hun huisgezinnen.

41 En de landpale van hun erfdeel was: Zora, en Esthaol, en Ir-Semes,

42 En Saalabbin, en Ajalon, en Jithla,

43 En Elon, en Timnatha, en Ekron,

44 En Elteke, en Gibbethon, en Baalath,

45 En Jehud, en Bene-Berak, en Gath-Rimmon,

46 En Me-Jarkon, en Rakkon, met de landpale tegenover Jafo.

47 Doch de landpale der kinderen van Dan was hun klein uitgekomen; daarom togen de kinderen van Dan op, en krijgden tegen Lesem, en namen haar in, en sloegen haar met de scherpte des zwaards, en erfden haar, en woonden daarin; en zij noemden Lesem, Dan, naar den naam van hun vader Dan.

48 Dit is het erfdeel van de stam der kinderen van Dan, naar hun huisgezinnen, deze steden en haar dorpen.

49 Toen zij nu geeindigd hadden het land erfelijk te delen, naar zijn landpale, zo gaven de kinderen Israels aan Jozua, den zoon van Nun, een erfdeel in het midden van hen.

50 Naar den mond des HEEREN gaven zij hem die stad, welke hij begeerde, Thimnath-Serah, op het gebergte van Efraim; en hij bouwde die stad, en woonde in dezelve.

51 Dit zijn de erfdelen, welke Eleazar, de priester, en Jozua, de zoon van Nun, en de hoofden der vaderen van de stammen, door het lot aan de kinderen Israels erfelijk uitdeelden te Silo, voor het aangezicht des HEEREN, aan de deur van de tent der samenkomst. Aldus maakten zij een einde van het uitdelen des lands.

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 19

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

Joshua 19: The last six tribes receive their territories, and Joshua his inheritance.

This chapter is the last of seven chapters detailing the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes. In this chapter, the remaining six tribes receive their portions.

Simeon received land very much in the south, below that of Judah, and Simeon’s territory was made a part of Judah. Simeon means ‘to hear’. To hear the Lord, and to hear the truth, means wanting to live in obedience with what the Lord teaches. Simeon was important in earlier biblical events, but is rarely mentioned later on; obeying the Lord can and should be a quiet affair (see Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Revealed 87).

The area given to Zebulun was modest and towards the north, between the Sea of Galilee and the coast. Zebulun’s name means ‘place of exaltation and honor’, and its spiritual meaning is just as glorious: it refers to honoring the Lord through the way we live our lives, both inwardly and outwardly (see Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 390).

Issachar’s territory was a small, fertile area in the north, next to the Jordan. The name “Issachar” means ‘a man of hire’ or ‘a hired man’. Spiritually, this is about wanting to serve the Lord, and dedicating our lives to this. Then we are ‘employed’ as servants of the Lord, and we are rewarded with spiritual strength, joy, and blessings (see Swedenborg’s Arcana Caelestia 6388).

Asher means ‘happy’ - a delightful name - and its territory was along the northern coastline, extending inland. It included Mount Carmel and the Plain of Sharon, which were both beautiful places. Spiritual happiness is quite deep, and is really a feeling of joy, contentment, and well-being. When we are spiritually happy, we feel glad to be alive, to know the Lord, and to do what is good because of God (Arcana Caelestia 6408).

Naphtali had territory going up from the Sea of Galilee to the northern border. Naphtali means ‘crafty and cunning’, which does not sound very heavenly. However, the idea is that we use our intelligence to bring heavenly results from the countless decisions we make each and every day. Earlier in the Bible, Naphtali is blessed and called ‘a deer let loose’, which would then be free to bound away (see Genesis 49:21, Arcana Caelestia 3928).

Dan had two small territories: one in the centre on the coast, and one in the far north near the source of the River Jordan. Dan means ‘to judge well’, and it stands for our need to treat people fairly because of our relationship with the Lord. Perhaps there are two territories because one is our mind (north), and the other is in life (center) (Arcana Caelestia 3923).

Finally, Joshua himself is given his inheritance, a place in Ephraim called Timnath Serah. The name means ‘an extra portion’, and this suggests that beyond everything Joshua has done, he is to be given something further. Spiritually, this could be the unexpected delight we get when we devote ourselves to serving the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 995[3]).

The spiritual meaning of receiving a portion of land is that we are able to experience blessings and goodness from the Lord, but only after we have ‘conquered the land’. This means working through our temptations and overcoming weaknesses during our natural life.

Since the land of Canaan stands for heaven – and also for the growth of heaven in us – each of the twelve tribes represent a part of heavenly life that needs to be active in us. We must learn hear the word of the Lord, judge well in our daily actions, and honor His name by the way we live.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 3928

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

3928. 'And she called his name Naphtali' means the essential nature of it, that is to say, of the temptation in which one overcomes and also of the resistance offered by the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and of 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3421. The particular nature is that which is meant by 'Naphtali', for the name Naphtali is derived from the word 'wrestlings'. And for the same reason 'Naphtali' represents this second general truth of the Church. Temptation is the means by which the internal man is joined to the external, for they are at variance with each other but are made to agree and to correspond by means of temptations. The external man is indeed such that of itself it does not desire anything except bodily and worldly things; these are the delights of the natural man's life. But the internal man - when opened towards heaven and desiring the things of heaven, as is the case with those who are able to be regenerated - takes delight in heavenly things. And when a person undergoes temptations these two types of delight conflict with each other. The person is not directly aware of the conflict, because he is not aware of what heavenly delight is and of what hellish delight is, let alone that they are so utterly contrary to each other. But celestial angels cannot be present at all with a person in his bodily and worldly delight until this has been made subservient, that is to say, until bodily and worldly delight is no longer regarded as an end in itself but something which is meant to be subservient to heavenly delight, as shown above in 3913. Once this has been achieved the angels are able to reside with that person in both; but in this case his delight becomes blessedness, and at length happiness in the next life.

[2] Anyone who believes that the delight of the natural man prior to regeneration is not hell-like, and that devilish spirits are not in possession there, is much mistaken. He is unaware of what the situation is with man - that prior to regeneration genii and spirits from hell have possession of his natural man, no matter how much he seems to himself to be like any other person, and also that he is able to participate with everybody else in what is holy and to reason about the truths and goods of faith, indeed is able to believe that he has become strong in these. If this person does not feel within himself some measure of affection for what is right and fair in his daily work, and for what is good and true in society and in life, let him recognize that his kind of delight in things is the kind that exists with those in hell, for his delight entails no other love than self-love and love of the world. And when these constitute his delight no charity or any faith is present within it. The only means that will weaken and dispel this delight once it has become predominant is the affirmation and acknowledgement of the holiness of faith and of the good of life, which is the first means meant, as shown above, by Dan, and after this by temptation, which is the second means and is meant by Naphtali; for this second means follows the other. Indeed people who do not affirm and acknowledge the goodness and the truth which constitute faith and charity are unable to enter any conflict brought about by temptation as there is nothing within to oppose the evil and falsity towards which natural delight gravitates.

[3] In other places in the Word where Naphtali is mentioned he means a person's state following temptations, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

Naphtali is a hind let loose, giving beautiful words. Genesis 49:21.

'A hind let loose' stands for the affection for natural truth in a state that is free, which arises following temptation. This state is also what is at stake within temptations, which are meant by 'Naphtali', for the battle fought in temptations is a struggle for freedom. Likewise in Moses' prophecy,

To Naphtali he said, Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of Jehovah, will possess the west and the south. Deuteronomy 33:23.

For the representations of Jacob's sons, and of the tribes, depend on the order in which they are mentioned, 3862. And in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak,

Zebulun is a people that consigned its soul to die, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the field. Judges 5:18.

This too refers in the internal sense to the conflicts brought about by temptations, and to a person's presence among those who do not fear anything evil because they are rooted in forms of truth and good, meant by 'being on the heights of the field'.

  
/ 10837  
  

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