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Josuo 12

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1 Kaj jen estas la regxoj de la lando, kiujn venkobatis la Izraelidoj, kaj kies landon ili ekposedis transe de Jordan oriente, de la torento Arnon gxis la monto HXermon, kaj la tutan stepon en la oriento:

2 Sihxon, regxo de la Amoridoj, kiu logxis en HXesxbon, kaj regis de Aroer, kiu trovigxas sur la bordo de la torento Arnon, la mezon de la valo, kaj duonon de Gilead, gxis la torento Jabok, limo de la Amonidoj;

3 kaj la stepon gxis la maro Kinerot, oriente, kaj gxis la maro de la stepo, la Sala maro, oriente en la direkto al Bet-Jesximot, kaj sude la bazon de la deklivo de Pisga;

4 kaj la regiono de Og, regxo de Basxan, restinto el la Rafaidoj, kiu logxis en Asxtarot kaj Edrei,

5 kaj regis la monton HXermon kaj Salhxan kaj la tutan Basxanon gxis la limo de la Gesxuridoj kaj Maahxatidoj, kaj duonon de Gilead gxis la limo de Sihxon, regxo de HXesxbon.

6 Moseo, servanto de la Eternulo, kaj la Izraelidoj venkobatis ilin; kaj Moseo, servanto de la Eternulo, donis la landon kiel posedajxon al la Rubenidoj kaj al la Gadidoj kaj al la duontribo de Manase.

7 Kaj jen estas la regxoj de la lando, kiujn venkobatis Josuo kaj la Izraelidoj transe de Jordan, okcidente, de Baal-Gad en la valo de Lebanon, gxis la monto HXalak, kiu levigxas en la direkto al Seir; kaj Josuo donis gxin al la triboj de Izrael kiel posedajxon laux iliaj partoj;

8 sur la monto kaj sur la malaltajxo kaj en la stepo kaj sur la deklivoj kaj en la dezerto kaj sude, la HXetidoj, la Amoridoj, kaj la Kanaanidoj, la Perizidoj, la HXividoj, kaj la Jebusidoj:

9 la regxo de Jerihxo, unu; la regxo de Aj, kiu estas flanke de Bet-El, unu;

10 la regxo de Jerusalem, unu; la regxo de HXebron, unu;

11 la regxo de Jarmut, unu; la regxo de Lahxisx, unu;

12 la regxo de Eglon, unu; la regxo de Gezer, unu;

13 la regxo de Debir, unu; la regxo de Geder, unu;

14 la regxo de HXorma, unu; la regxo de Arad, unu;

15 la regxo de Libna, unu; la regxo de Adulam, unu;

16 la regxo de Makeda, unu; la regxo de Bet-El, unu;

17 la regxo de Tapuahx, unu; la regxo de HXefer, unu;

18 la regxo de Afek, unu; la regxo de Lasxaron, unu;

19 la regxo de Madon, unu; la regxo de HXacor, unu;

20 la regxo de SXimron-Meron, unu; la regxo de Ahxsxaf, unu;

21 la regxo de Taanahx, unu; la regxo de Megido, unu;

22 la regxo de Kedesx, unu; la regxo de Jokneam cxe Karmel, unu;

23 la regxo de Dor en Nafot-Dor, unu; la regxo de la popoloj en Gilgal, unu;

24 la regxo de Tirca, unu. La nombro de cxiuj regxoj estis tridek unu.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 12

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

Joshua 12: The kings who were defeated by Joshua.

This chapter lists the kings who were defeated by Moses on the other side of the river Jordan, and those defeated by Joshua in the land of Canaan. Moses defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Joshua defeated 31 kings, and this chapter names their cities one by one.

We might well wonder: what is the use of such a chapter for us? But here it is, included in the Word of God. We will suggest two ways in which this chapter gives us a spiritual message to work with:

First, the sheer number of kings who opposed Israel represent, in a general way, the many things that prevent us from dedicating ourselves to the Lord’s teachings.

Secondly, the many names of the towns that the Israelites defeated are all significant in identifying the various situations we encounter in our spiritual lives (See Swedenborg’s Arcana Caelestia 2009[9]). For example “Joshua” means ‘God is victory’, something we can come to understand as we choose to turn against evil. We can do that because the Lord fights for and with us; we cannot do that alone.

For every heaven there is a corresponding hell (See Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 588). If mercy is something of heaven, hell is to do with cruelty and all that goes with it. If innocence is of heaven, hell is to do with intended harm and all that goes with that. Evil is unspeakably precise.

Joshua defeated thirty-one kings. The number thirty stands for combat and also for ‘remnants’, which are deep-seated feelings of good and truth given the Lord gives us during our childhood, to help us combat evil in adult regeneration. Thirty-one would seem to suggest combat going on even past thirty (Arcana Caelestia 5335).

The names of the cities of these kings are given, and each name represents a quality. ‘Israel’ was the name given to Jacob by the Lord, after he had wrestled all night with the angel of God and had prevailed (see Genesis 32:24-28). “Israel” means ‘striving with God’ and also ‘a prince with God’, and it became the name of the people of Israel.

As examples, we will look at three Canaanite cities which fought Israel, and explore the spiritual meaning of their names.

1. The king of Jarmuth, means ‘being downcast by death’. Viewing life only in terms of its inevitable end does terrible things to our sense of purpose, hope and trust. Defeating Jarmuth helps us see that death is a transition into eternal life, and our means of passing from this life into our fullest life.

2. The king of Aphek, means ‘tenacious fortress’. We can quite readily see that evil can be exactly like a tenacious fortress. Evil will hang on like grim death and refuse to let us go. Evil will attempt any number of devious tactics to break us down or undermine our faith. The last thing it will do is to see that we’re resolved, and then finally give up.

3. The king of Taanach, which means ‘sandy, hard to cross’. This might remind us of dangerous quicksands, or the way in which we stumble trying to walk through sand. Again, sometimes evil can appear to give us safer passage on solid ground, before we realize that it is the hells ensnaring us.