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Joshua 21

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1 Siis astusid leviitide perekondade peamehed preester Eleasari, Joosua, Nuuni poja, ja Iisraeli laste suguharude perekondade peameeste ette

2 ja kõnelesid nendega Siilos Kaananimaal, öeldes: 'Issand on Moosese läbi käskinud anda meile linnu elamiseks ja nende juurde kuuluvad karjamaad meie karjade jaoks.'

3 Ja Iisraeli lapsed andsid leviitidele oma pärisosast Issanda käsu kohaselt need linnad ja nende karjamaad:

4 liisk langes kehatlaste suguvõsadele nõnda, et leviitide hulgast sai preester Aaroni poegadele liisu läbi Juuda suguharult, Siimeoni suguharult ja Benjamini suguharult kolmteist linna.

5 Ja teistele kehatlastele sai liisu läbi Efraimi suguharu suguvõsadelt, Daani suguharult ja Manasse poolelt suguharult kümme linna.

6 Geersonlased said liisu läbi Issaskari suguharu suguvõsadelt, Aaseri suguharult, Naftali suguharult ja Manasse poolelt suguharult Baasanis kolmteist linna.

7 Merarlased nende suguvõsade kaupa Ruubeni suguharult, Gaadi suguharult ja Sebuloni suguharult kaksteist linna.

8 Nõnda andsid Iisraeli lapsed liisu läbi leviitidele need linnad ja nende karjamaad, nagu Issand Moosese läbi oli käskinud.

9 Juudalaste suguharult ja siimeonlaste suguharult anti need linnad, mis on nimeliselt nimetatud:

10 Aaroni järglastele kehatlaste suguvõsadest, Leevi järeltulijate hulgast, sest neile kuulus esimene liisk,

11 anti Kirjat-Arba, anaklaste isa linn, see on Hebron Juuda mäestikus, ja selle karjamaad ümberringi.

12 Aga selle linna põllud ja külad anti omandiks Kaalebile, Jefunne pojale.

13 Preester Aaroni järglastele anti tapja pelgulinn Hebron ja selle karjamaad, Libna ja selle karjamaad,

14 Jattir ja selle karjamaad, Estemoa ja selle karjamaad,

15 Holon ja selle karjamaad, Debir ja selle karjamaad,

16 Aasan ja selle karjamaad, Jutta ja selle karjamaad, Beet-Semes ja selle karjamaad - üheksa linna neilt kahelt suguharult.

17 Benjamini suguharult Gibeon ja selle karjamaad, Geba ja selle karjamaad,

18 Anatot ja selle karjamaad, Almon ja selle karjamaad - neli linna.

19 Kõiki Aaroni järglaste, preestrite linnu oli kolmteist linna ja nende karjamaad.

20 Teistele kehatlastele, leviitidele ülejäänud kehatlaste hulgast, tulid nende liisuosa linnad Efraimi suguharult:

21 neile anti tapja pelgulinn Sekem ja selle karjamaad Efraimi mäestikus, Geser ja selle karjamaad,

22 Kibsaim ja selle karjamaad, Beet-Hooron ja selle karjamaad - neli linna;

23 Daani suguharult Elteke ja selle karjamaad, Gibbeton ja selle karjamaad,

24 Ajjalon ja selle karjamaad, Gat-Rimmon ja selle karjamaad - neli linna;

25 Manasse poolelt suguharult Taanak ja selle karjamaad, Gat-Rimmon ja selle karjamaad - kaks linna.

26 Kõiki ülejäänud kehatlaste suguvõsade linnu koos nende karjamaadega oli kokku kümme.

27 Geersonlastele leviitide suguvõsadest sai Manasse poolelt suguharult tapja pelgulinn Goolan Baasanis ja selle karjamaad, Beestera ja selle karjamaad - kaks linna;

28 Issaskari suguharult Kisjon ja selle karjamaad, Daaberat ja selle karjamaad,

29 Jarmut ja selle karjamaad, Een-Gannim ja selle karjamaad - neli linna;

30 Aaseri suguharult Misal ja selle karjamaad, Abdon ja selle karjamaad,

31 Helkat ja selle karjamaad, Rehob ja selle karjamaad - neli linna.

32 Naftali suguharult tapja pelgulinn Kedes Galileas ja selle karjamaad, Hammot-Door ja selle karjamaad, Kartan ja selle karjamaad - kolm linna.

33 Linnu, mis kuulusid geersonlastele nende suguvõsade kaupa, oli kokku kolmteist linna ja nende karjamaad.

34 Merarlaste suguvõsadele, ülejäänud leviitidele, said Sebuloni suguharult Jokneam ja selle karjamaad, Karta ja selle karjamaad,

35 Rimmon ja selle karjamaad, Nahalal ja selle karjamaad - neli linna.

36 Ruubeni suguharult Beser ja selle karjamaad, Jahsa ja selle karjamaad,

37 Kedemot ja selle karjamaad, Meefaat ja selle karjamaad - neli linna.

38 Gaadi suguharult tapja pelgulinn Raamot Gileadis ja selle karjamaad, Mahanaim ja selle karjamaad,

39 Hesbon ja selle karjamaad, Jaaser ja selle karjamaad - kokku neli linna.

40 Linnu, mis kuulusid merarlastele nende suguvõsade kaupa ülejäänud leviitide suguvõsadest, oli nende liisuosana kokku kaksteist linna.

41 Kõiki leviitide linnu Iisraeli laste omandi keskel oli nelikümmend kaheksa linna ja nende karjamaad.

42 Neiks linnadeks olid linn ise ja selle karjamaad ümberringi. Seesugused olid kõik need linnad.

43 Nõnda andis Issand Iisraelile kogu maa, mille ta vandega oli tõotanud anda nende vanemaile, ja nad pärisid selle ning elasid seal.

44 Ja Issand andis neile rahu ümberkaudu, nõnda nagu ta nende vanemaile oli vandega tõotanud; ja kõigist nende vaenlastest ei suutnud ükski neile vastu seista, Issand andis kõik nende vaenlased nende kätte.

45 Ainsatki sõna ei langenud tühja kõigist neist headest sõnadest, mis Issand oli rääkinud Iisraeli soole, vaid kõik läks täide.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 21

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

Joshua 21: The cities of the Levite priests and the end of the settlement.

In this chapter, the last remaining part of the settlement was completed: the provision for the Levites, the priests of Israel. This tribe had been appointed priests because only they had answered the call, “Who is on the side of the Lord?” when the Israelites had been worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness (see Exodus 32:26).

Much of the chapter is spent listing the cities given to the three sons of Aaron, who was appointed high priest. Each extended family of Aaron’s sons was given about sixteen cities. It seems very significant that a lot of these cities were the same ones given to the other tribes, and were also the cities of refuge.

Levi’s name means ‘joined’, which is very suitable for the Levite priests, who received cities in every tribal territory. This meant that the presence of priests was everywhere (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 342).

Spiritually speaking, this distribution is a wonderful illustration that our spirit lives throughout our whole body. Every part of us is alive! Every single thing in our body, from one blood cell to our heart and lungs, is maintained by our spirit, which itself is maintained by the influx of the Lord’s life. The function of everything in our body is in a perfect correspondence with the kingdom of heaven.

So, spiritually, the Levites stand for the presence of the Lord everywhere, in everything. This underlines the point that everything in the natural world - even the cities and territories described in this chapter of Joshua - reflect something about God and heaven (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Revealed 194). But there is another important meaning for the distribution of the priestly Levites in cities all through the tribal territories: we must keep on acknowledging that everything is a blessing from the Lord, that everything we do is for God, and that the Lord alone does what is truly good (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 91).

After the distribution of cities to the Levites, Israel was fully established in the land of Canaan. The rest of this chapter is a consolidating statement which is worth including in full:

v43. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

v44. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

v45. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

These are words of fulfillment, culmination, assurance and blessing. Everything here traces back to the Lord. The Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, granted them victory over their enemies, and gave them the Land of Canaan; the Lord had spoken in complete truth. “All came to pass.”

This final statement is a promise of our own capacity for regeneration and spiritual progress. We are able to overcome our natural desires and selfish states; we have been established in our life with the ability to understand and do what is good. In devoting ourselves to the Lord, we find strength to see that He will never fail us, and will change us for the better. ‘All came to pass’ is our affirmation that our life is always under God’s care and providence (Arcana Caelestia 977).

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Revealed # 194

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194. "'And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem.'" This symbolically means that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

The New Jerusalem symbolizes the New Church, and when it is called a city, it symbolizes the New Church in respect to its doctrine. Therefore to "write on him the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem," means, symbolically, that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

To be shown that Jerusalem symbolizes the church, and that as a city it means the church in respect to its doctrine, see nos. 880, 881, below.

A city symbolizes doctrine because a land, and particularly the land of Canaan, symbolizes a church in its entirety; and the inheritances into which the land of Canaan was divided consequently symbolized various components of the church, and the cities in it doctrines. Because of this, when cities are mentioned in the Word, the angels understand them to mean nothing else. I have also had this attested for me through a good deal of experience.

The case with this is the same as with the symbolic meanings of mountains, hills, valleys, springs, and rivers, all of which symbolize such things as have to do with the church.

[2] That cities symbolize doctrines can be seen to some extent from the following passages:

The land shall be... emptied..., the land shall be turned upside down..., the land shall be profaned... The empty city shall be broken down... What is left in the city shall be waste, and the gate shall be stricken even to its destruction. (Isaiah 3; 4; 5; 10; 11; 12)

The lion has come up from his thicket..., to make your land a wasteland. Your cities will be destroyed... I beheld... Carmel a wilderness, and all its cities desolate... ...the land shall mourn... The whole city shall flee..., forsaken... (Jeremiah 4:7, 26-29)

The land there is the church, and the city is its doctrine. The devastation of the church by doctrinal falsities is described in this way.

The despoiler shall come upon every city, so that no city escapes. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed... (Jeremiah 48:8)

Likewise:

Behold, I have made you this day as a fortified city... against the whole land... (Jeremiah 1:18)

This was addressed to the prophet because a prophet symbolizes the doctrine of the church (no. 8).

On that day they will sing... in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." (Isaiah 26:1-2)

...the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. (Revelation 16:18-19)

(The prophet saw) on a very high mountain... the structure of a city to the south... (And an angel measured the wall, the gates, their chambers, and the vestibule of the gate,) and the name of the city... shall be JEHOVAH IS THERE. (Ezekiel 40:1ff., 48:35)

There is a river whose streams have made glad the city of God? (Psalms 46:4-5)

I will embroil Egypt with Egypt, so that... city (fights) against city, and kingdom against kingdom. (Isaiah 19:2)

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city... divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)

Cities in these passages mean, in the spiritual sense, doctrines, as is the case also in Isaiah 6:11; 14:4, 17, 21; 19:18-19; 25:1-3; 33:8-9; 54:3; 64:10, and elsewhere.

[3] From the symbolic meaning of a city it can be seen what cities mean in this parable of the Lord:

A... nobleman (going) into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom..., delivered to (his servants) minas (with which to) do business... ...when he returned..., he (called the) servants... The first came, saying, ."..your mina has earned ten minas," and he said to him, ."..good servant..., you shall have authority over ten cities." And the second came, saying, ."..your mina has earned five minas." And he said... to him, "You also be over five cities." (Luke 19:12-19)

Cities here likewise symbolize doctrines or doctrinal truths, and to be over them is to be intelligent and wise. Thus to give power over them is to impart intelligence and wisdom. Ten symbolizes much, and five some. It is apparent that to do business and earn a profit means to acquire intelligence for oneself by making use of one's abilities.

[4] That the holy city Jerusalem symbolizes the doctrine of the New Church is clearly apparent from its description in chapter 21 of the book of Revelation, for it is described in respect to its dimensions, its gates, and its wall and foundations, and inasmuch as Jerusalem symbolizes the church, these can symbolize nothing other than matters having to do with its doctrine. Neither is the church a church on any other basis.

Because the city Jerusalem means the church in respect to doctrine, it is therefore called the City of Truth (Zechariah 8:3-4), and in many places a holy city, and this because holiness is predicated of truths derived from the Lord (no. 173).

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.