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Joshua 18

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1 Kogu Iisraeli laste kogudus kogunes Siilosse ja nad püstitasid sinna kogudusetelgi, siis kui maa oli neile alistunud.

2 Aga Iisraeli lastest oli üle jäänud veel seitse suguharu, kellele nende pärisosa ei olnud jaotatud.

3 Siis ütles Joosua Iisraeli lastele: 'Kui kaua te olete nii loiud, et te ei lähe pärima maad, mille teile on andnud Issand, teie vanemate Jumal?

4 Laske igast suguharust tulla kolm meest, siis ma läkitan need, et nad võtaksid kätte ja käiksid maa läbi, kirjutaksid selle üles, vastavalt nende pärisosale, ja tuleksid siis tagasi minu juurde.

5 Nad jaotagu maa seitsmeks osaks: Juuda jäägu oma maa-alale lõunas ja Joosepi sugu jäägu oma maa-alale põhjas.

6 Kirjutage maa üles seitsmes osas ja tooge kiri siia minu kätte, siis ma heidan teile liisku siin Issanda, meie Jumala ees.

7 Leviitidel aga ei ole osa teie keskel, sest nende pärisosaks on Issanda preestriamet. Ja Gaad, Ruuben ja pool Manasse suguharu on oma pärisosa võtnud teisel pool Jordanit, ida pool, mille neile andis Mooses, Issanda sulane.'

8 Ja mehed võtsid kätte ning läksid, ja Joosua andis käsu neile, kes läksid maad üles kirjutama, öeldes: 'Minge ja käige maa läbi ja kirjutage see üles; siis tulge jälle tagasi minu juurde ja mina heidan teile liisku Issanda ees siin Siilos!'

9 Ja mehed läksid ning käisid maa läbi ja panid selle raamatusse kirja linnade kaupa seitsmes osas ja tulid siis tagasi Joosua juurde Siilo leeri.

10 Ja Joosua heitis neile liisku Issanda ees Siilos; Joosua jaotas seal maa Iisraeli lastele nende osade kaupa.

11 Benjaminlaste suguharule suguvõsade kaupa langes liisk ja nende liisuosa maa-ala tuli juudalaste ja jooseplaste vahele.

12 Põhjakaares algab nende piir Jordanist; siis üleneb piir nõlvakule Jeerikost põhja pool, tõuseb mäestikku lääne suunas ja selle lõpp on Beet-Aaveni kõrbes.

13 Sealt kulgeb piir Luusi, nõlvakule Luusist lõuna suunas, see on Peetelisse; siis laskub piir Aterot-Addarisse, mäele, mis on lõuna pool alumist Beet-Hooronit.

14 Siis piir kaardub ja pöördub läänekaares lõuna suunas, alates mäest, mis on lõuna pool vastu Beet-Hooronit, ja selle lõpp on Kirjat-Baalis, see on Kirjat-Jearimis, juudalaste linnas; see on läänekaar.

15 Lõunakaar aga algab Kirjat-Jearimi servast ja piir kulgeb lääne suunas ning jätkub Neftoahi veeallikani;

16 siis laskub piir selle mäe veerule, mis on vastu Ben-Hinnomi orgu, Refaimi oru põhjaküljes; siis laskub see Hinnomi orgu, lõuna poole jebuuslaste nõlvakut, ja edasi alla Een-Rogelisse;

17 siis kaardub see põhja poole, suundub Een-Semesisse ja jätkub Gelilotti, mis on vastu Adummimi tõusuteed, ja laskub Ruubeni poja Bohani kivi juurde;

18 siis kulgeb see nõlvakule vastu lagendikku põhja suunas ja laskub lagendikule;

19 siis kulgeb piir Beet-Hogla nõlvakule põhjas, ja selle lõpp suubub Soolamere põhjalahte Jordani suudmes lõunas; see on lõunapoolne piir.

20 Idakaarest aga piirab seda Jordan. See on benjaminlaste pärisosa nende suguvõsade jaoks oma piiridega ümberringi.

21 Ja benjaminlaste suguharul, nende suguvõsadel, olid linnad: Jeeriko, Beet-Hogla, Eemek-Kesis,

22 Beet-Araba, Semaraim, Peetel,

23 Avvim, Paara, Ofra,

24 Kefar-Ammoni, Ofni ja Geba - kaksteist linna ja nende külad;

25 Gibeon, Raama, Beerot,

26 Mispe, Kefiira, Mosa,

27 Rekem, Jirpeel, Tarala,

28 Seela, Elef, Jebuusi, see on Jeruusalemm, Gibeat ja Kirjat-Jearim - neliteist linna ja nende külad. See oli benjaminlaste pärisosa nende suguvõsade kaupa.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 18

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

Joshua 18: The rest of the land is divided up among the 7 remaining tribes, and the tribe of Benjamin receives its lot.

After several chapters covering the allocation of the land for Reuben, Gad, Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still seven tribes to be provided for. Before this was done, Joshua gathered these seven tribes together and told them to choose three men from each tribe. These men went and surveyed the region, divided up all the land and cities into seven parts, and recorded everything in a book. Then they came back to Joshua, who cast lots to decide where the seven remaining tribes would live.

The first of the seven allocations was for the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and he was a full brother to Joseph. Their mother, Rachel, whom Jacob had loved so much, died giving birth to Benjamin.

The city of Jerusalem was first allocated to Benjamin, but in time became more associated with Judah. In fact, these were the two tribes which later made up the kingdom of Judah, as opposed to the ten northern tribes forming the kingdom of Israel. Benjamin’s territory included the cities of Jericho, Ai and Gibeon, all of which had been significant soon after Israel crossed the River Jordan. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a Benjamite.

This story about surveying the land represents our need to know things as they truly are. This could mean many things: for example, exploring the idea of heaven, or hell, or life in this world, or a spiritual teaching such as providence. It might be to learn about justice and compassion, or true freedom. It may be our need to look honestly within ourselves and recognize some of our self-centred ways (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 1612).

The Israelite’s findings about the land were recorded in a book, which really would have been a scroll. This is like our ‘book of life’, in which everything about us down to the least detail is preserved so that in eternity, we shall know who we are (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Explained 199). Joshua drew lots so the Lord’s will would be clear to the people of Israel.

The spiritual meaning of Benjamin needs some careful explanation. Technically, it means ’the spiritual of the celestial’, and this is our ability to understand the reason for the most loving experiences we can have. It is heightened thinking joining with heightened feeling. Benjamin was the youngest son, the special brother of Joseph, who stands for the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 4585).

With this in mind, it is useful to know that Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, lay in the territory of Benjamin. Bethlehem’s name means ‘house of bread’ giving us the idea of nourishment for our physical and our spiritual lives. God came into the world to bring us the food of heaven and nourishment from the Word, so that we may fight our evils and choose what is good (Arcana Caelestia 6247, 4594).

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Apocalypse Explained # 199

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199. And I will not blot his name out of the book of life, signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it. This is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality of man's state of life (See above, n. 148); and from the signification of "the book of life," as being heaven (of which presently); therefore, "not to blot his name out of the book of life" signifies that they will be in heaven because their state in respect to love and faith is such, thus because they are fitted for heaven. "The book of life" signifies heaven, because a man who is in the love to the Lord and faith in Him is a heaven in least form, and this heaven of man corresponds to heaven in the greatest form; therefore he who has heaven in himself also comes into heaven, for he is fitted for it. (That there is such correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) From this it is that "the book of life" is that with man that corresponds to the heaven with him. Because this remains with man to eternity, if he has become spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, it is said, "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." In the world indeed it may be blotted out if man does not remain spiritual to the end of life; but if he does so remain it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith, and such conjunction with the Lord as there has been in the world remains with man after death.

[2] From this it can be seen that "the book of life" means that from the Lord which has been written on man's spirit, that is, on his heart and soul, or what is the same, on his love and faith; and what is written by the Lord in man is heaven. From this it is clear what is meant by "the book of life" in the following passages. In Daniel:

The Ancient of Days sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).

In the same:

The people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1).

In David:

Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the righteous (Psalms 69:28).

In Moses:

Moses said, Blot me, I pray, out of the book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of the book (Exodus 32:32-33).

In Revelation:

All shall worship the beast whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

Again:

I saw that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And if any was not found written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-13, 15).

Again:

There shall enter into the New Jerusalem only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).

In David:

My bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret. Upon Thy book all the days were written in which they were formed, and not one of them is wanting (Psalms 139:15-16).

"All the days were written" means all states of life. (That each and all things that man has thought, willed, spoken, and done, even all that he has seen and heard, are with him in his spirit as if written therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 462, 463; and Arcana Coelestia 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is man's "book of life," see n. 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.

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