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Juĝistoj 13

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1 Kaj la Izraelidoj denove faris malbonon antaux la okuloj de la Eternulo; kaj la Eternulo transdonis ilin en la manojn de la Filisxtoj por kvardek jaroj.

2 Kaj estis iu homo el Corea, el la tribo de Dan, kies nomo estis Manoahx; lia edzino estis senfrukta kaj ne naskis.

3 Kaj aperis angxelo de la Eternulo al la virino, kaj diris al sxi:Jen vi estas senfrukta kaj ne naskas; tamen vi gravedigxos kaj naskos filon.

4 Sed nun gardu vin, kaj ne trinku vinon nek ebriigajxon, kaj mangxu nenion malpuran;

5 cxar jen vi gravedigxos kaj naskos filon; kaj razilo ne devas tusxi lian kapon, cxar konsekrita al Dio estos la knabo de el la ventro; kaj li komencos savadi Izraelon el la manoj de la Filisxtoj.

6 Kaj la virino iris, kaj diris al sia edzo jene:Dia homo venis al mi, kaj lia aspekto estis kiel la aspekto de angxelo de Dio, tre respektinda; kaj mi ne demandis lin, de kie li estas, kaj sian nomon li ne diris al mi.

7 Kaj li diris al mi:Jen vi gravedigxos kaj naskos filon; kaj nun ne trinku vinon nek ebriigajxon, kaj mangxu nenion malpuran; cxar konsekrita al Dio estos la knabo de el la ventro gxis la tago de lia morto.

8 Tiam Manoahx ekpregxis al la Eternulo, kaj diris:Mi petas Vin, ho mia Sinjoro:la Dia homo, kiun Vi sendis, venu denove al ni, kaj li instruu nin, kiel ni devas agi kun la naskota knabo.

9 Kaj Dio auxskultis la vocxon de Manoahx; kaj la angxelo de Dio venis denove al la virino, kiam sxi estis sur la kampo; kaj Manoahx, sxia edzo, ne estis kun sxi.

10 La virino rapide kuris kaj sciigis sian edzon, kaj diris al li:Jen aperis al mi la homo, kiu venis al mi en tiu tago.

11 Kaj Manoahx levigxis kaj iris post sia edzino kaj venis al la homo, kaj diris al li:CXu vi estas tiu homo, kiu parolis al la virino? Kaj tiu diris:Mi.

12 Kaj Manoahx diris:Se viaj vortoj plenumigxos, tiam kiaj devas esti la reguloj pri la knabo kaj liaj agoj?

13 Kaj la angxelo de la Eternulo diris al Manoahx:Kontraux cxio, pri kio mi parolis al la virino, sxi sin gardu;

14 nenion el tio, kio devenas el vinberbrancxo, sxi mangxu, vinon aux ebriigajxon sxi ne trinku, kaj nenion malpuran sxi mangxu; cxion, kion mi ordonis al sxi, sxi plenumu.

15 Kaj Manoahx diris al la angxelo de la Eternulo:Permesu, ke ni retenu vin, kaj ni pretigos por vi kapridon.

16 Sed la angxelo de la Eternulo diris al Manoahx:Kvankam vi retenos min, mi tamen ne mangxos vian panon; sed se vi volas fari bruloferon, faru gxin al la Eternulo. CXar Manoahx ne sciis, ke tio estas angxelo de la Eternulo.

17 Kaj Manoahx diris al la angxelo de la Eternulo:Kia estas via nomo? ke ni povu honori vin, kiam plenumigxos via vorto.

18 Sed la angxelo de la Eternulo diris al li:Por kio vi demandas pri mia nomo? gxi estas neordinara.

19 Kaj Manoahx prenis kapridon kaj farunoferon kaj oferlevis tion sur roko al la Eternulo. Kaj Li faris miraklon, kaj Manoahx kaj lia edzino tion vidis:

20 kiam la flamo levigxis de la altaro al la cxielo, tiam la angxelo de la Eternulo levigxis en la flamo de la altaro. Kaj Manoahx kaj lia edzino tion vidis, kaj ili jxetis sin vizagxaltere.

21 Kaj la angxelo de la Eternulo ne montris sin plu al Manoahx kaj al lia edzino. Tiam Manoahx konvinkigxis, ke tio estis angxelo de la Eternulo.

22 Kaj Manoahx diris al sia edzino:Ni certe mortos, cxar ni vidis Dion.

23 Sed lia edzino diris al li:Se la Eternulo dezirus mortigi nin, Li ne akceptus el niaj manoj bruloferon kaj farunoferon, kaj ne montrus al ni cxion tion, kaj nun Li ne auxdigus al ni tion, kion Li auxdigis.

24 Kaj la virino naskis filon kaj donis al li la nomon SXimsxon. Kaj la knabo kreskis, kaj la Eternulo lin benis.

25 Kaj la spirito de la Eternulo komencis ekscitadi lin en la Tendaro de Dan, inter Corea kaj Esxtaol.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 13

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

Judges 13: The birth of Samson.

Chapters 13-16 of Judges tell the story of Samson, one of the greatest judges of Israel. At the time of Samson’s birth, Israel had been under Philistine oppression for forty years, because they had once again sinned against the Lord. As we have seen in previous chapters, the Lord appears to have punished them, but this is not the case; it is really our own waywardness that brings about these negative consequences.

This story begins with Samson’s parents, Manoah and his wife. Manoah’s wife was barren, but the angel of the Lord appeared to her, with news that she would have a son. The angel said that she was forbidden to drink alcohol or eat anything unclean, and that her son was never to have his hair cut, for he would be a Nazirite. And finally, the angel prophesied that her son would deliver Israel from the Philistines.

When Manoah’s wife told him what had happened, he prayed to the Lord for the man to return. The angel reappeared to Manoah’s wife, so she brought her husband to speak with the angel directly. Manoah asked what they should do for their child, but the angel only told Manoah that his wife must follow the instructions she had received.

Manoah offered a meal to the angel of the Lord, but the angel declined, saying that the burnt offering must be made to the Lord. Manoah brought out the meat of a young goat, placed it upon a rock, and gave it as a burnt offering to the Lord. The angel of the Lord ascended in the flames toward heaven, and the couple knew that they had seen God.

In time, Samson was born, and the Lord blessed him.

*****

Samson’s name literally means “sun-like”. He was a mighty warrior, a womaniser, and a powerful character prone to sudden outbursts and rage, but his intention was to defend Israel and defeat the Philistines. He was strong in his acknowledgement of his people and his God.

Samson represents the Lord in His divine human, and also the power of the Word in its literal sense. This is why Samson had strength in the abundance of his hair (see Swedenbrog’s works, Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 49[2], and Arcana Caelestia 9836[2]).

Spiritually, barrenness stands for a lack of personal doctrine or a spiritual path, representing how life can feel before regeneration begins. The angel of the Lord appeared to just the woman at first, because the purpose of regeneration is primarily to make us love what is good (represented by a woman). We do this by knowing and obeying truth (represented by a man).

The Nazarites, who vowed not to drink or cut their hair, represented the Lord as the Word in its ultimate and fullest sense (see Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Revealed 47). These customs are the marks of a natural and genuine life, as wine can lead us astray, and focusing on appearances can lead to vanity. Above all, Samson’s uncut hair represented this greatness of divine truths from the Word (see Swedenborg’s work, True Christian Religion 214).

The angel was reluctant to tell Manoah and his wife details about their son’s future, except that he would be a Nazarite, and would deliver Israel. He intentionally kept them from knowing what would take place, because if they knew the future, they would no longer be able to act in freedom. Divine Providence - the Lord’s plan for our world - cannot be disclosed to us, or we would no longer live in freedom to make our own decisions (Arcana Caelestia 2493).

Manoah asked the angel what his name was, so he could be honored. However, the angel declined to tell them, as his name was wonderful. A name describes a person’s spiritual qualities, and we are unable to fathom the extent of heavenly qualities because they are of God.

The spiritual meaning of Manoah’s sacrifice comes from the correspondence of a young goat (innocence within the human soul) and the rock (truth). The young goat, placed on the rock as a sacrifice, represents worshipping from our hearts in faith to the Lord. This is the Lord’s requirement of us (Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 18[3] and Arcana Caelestia 9393).

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Judges 13

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1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.

12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?

13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.

15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?

18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.