Bible

 

Josua 13

Studie

   

1 Da nun Josua alt war und wohl betagt, sprach der HERR zu ihm: Du bist alt geworden und wohl betagt, und des Landes ist noch sehr viel übrig einzunehmen,

2 nämlich alle Kreise der Philister und ganz Gessur,

3 vom Sihor an, der vor Ägypten fließt bis an die Grenze Ekrons gegen Mitternacht, die den Kanaanitern zugerechnet wird, fünf Herren der Philister, nämlich der Gaziter, der Asdoditer, der Askaloniter, der Gathiter der Ekroniter, und die Avviter;

4 vom Mittag an aber das ganze Land der Kanaaniter und Meara der Sidonier bis gen Aphek, bis an die Grenze der Amoriter;

5 dazu das Land der Gebaliter und der ganze Libanon gegen der Sonne Aufgang, von Baal-Gad an unter dem Berge Hermon, bis man kommt gen Hamath.

6 Alle, die auf dem Gebirge wohnen, vom Libanon an bis an die warmen Wasser, alle Sidonier: ich will sie vertreiben vor den Kindern Israel; lose nur darum, sie auszuteilen unter Israel, wie ich dir geboten habe.

7 So teile nun dies Land zum Erbe unter die neun Stämme und unter den halben Stamm Manasse.

8 Denn die Rubeniter und Gaditer haben mit dem andern halben Manasse ihr Erbteil empfangen, das ihnen Mose gab jenseit des Jordans, gegen Aufgang, wie ihnen dasselbe Mose, der Knecht des HERRN, gegeben hat,

9 von Aroer an, das am Ufer des Bachs Arnon liegt, und von der Stadt mitten im Tal und die ganze Ebene Medeba bis gen Dibon

10 und alle Städte Sihons, des Königs der Amoriter, der zu Hesbon saß, bis an die Grenze der Kinder Ammon,

11 dazu Gilead und das Gebiet von Gessur und Maacha und den ganzen Berg Hermon und das ganze Basan bis gen Salcha

12 (das ganze Reich Ogs von Basan, der zu Astharoth und Edrei saß, welcher noch übrig war von den Riesen. Mose aber schlug sie und vertrieb sie.

13 Die Kinder Israel vertrieben aber die zu Gessur und zu Maacha nicht, sondern es wohnten beide, Gessur und Maacha, unter den Kindern Israel bis auf diesen Tag).

14 Aber dem Stamm der Leviten gab er kein Ertbteil; denn das Opfer des HERRN, des Gottes Israels, ist ihr Erbteil, wie er ihnen geredet hat.

15 Also gab Mose dem Stamm der Kinder Ruben nach ihren Geschlechtern,

16 daß ihr Gebiet war von Aroer an, das am Ufer des Bachs Arnon liegt, und von der Stadt mitten im Tal mit allem ebenen Felde bis gen Medeba,

17 Hesbon und alle seine Städte, die im ebenen Felde liegen, Dibon, Bamoth-Baal und Beth-Baal-Meon,

18 Jahza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19 Kirjathaim, Sibma, Zereth-Sahar auf dem Berge im Tal,

20 Beth-Peor, die Abhänge am Pisga und Beth-Jesimoth

21 und alle Städte auf der Ebene und das ganze Reich Sihons, des Königs der Amoriter, der zu Hesbon saß, den Mose schlug samt den Fürsten Midians, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur und Reba, den Gewaltigen des Königs Sihon, die im Lande wohnten.

22 Auch Bileam, der Sohn Beors, den Weissager erwürgten die Kinder Israel mit dem Schwert samt den Erschlagenen.

23 Und die Grenze der Kinder Ruben war der Jordan. Das ist das Erbteil der Kinder Ruben nach ihren Geschlechtern, die Städte und ihre Dörfer.

24 Dem Stamm der Kinder Gad nach ihrem Geschlecht gab Mose,

25 daß ihr Gebiet war Jaser und alle Städte in Gilead und das halbe Land der Kinder Ammon bis gen Aroer, welches liegt vor Rabba,

26 und von Hesbon bis gen Ramath-Mizpe und Betonim, und von Mahanaim bis an die Grenze Debirs,

27 im Tal aber Beth-Haran, Beth-Nimra, Sukkoth und Zaphon, was übrig war von dem Reich Sihons, des Königs zu Hesbon, daß der Jordan die Grenze war bis ans Ende des Meeres Kinnereth, jenseit des Jordans gegen Aufgang.

28 Das ist das Erbteil der Kinder Gad nach ihren Geschlechtern, die Städte und ihre Dörfer.

29 Dem halben Stamm der Kinder Manasse nach ihren Geschlechtern gab Mose,

30 daß ihr Gebiet war von Mahanaim an: das ganze Basan, das ganze Reich Ogs, des Königs von Basan, und alle Flecken Jairs, die in Basan liegen, nämlich Städte.

31 Und das halbe Gilead, Astharoth, Edrei, die Städte des Königreichs Ogs von Basan, gab er den Kindern Machirs, des Sohnes Manasses, das ist die Hälfte der Kinder Machirs, nach ihren Geschlechtern.

32 Das ist es, was Mose ausgeteilt hat in dem Gefilde Moabs, jenseit des Jordans vor Jericho gegen Aufgang.

33 Aber dem Stamm Levi gab Mose kein Erbteil; denn der HERR, der Gott Israels, ist ihr Erbteil, wie er ihnen geredet hat.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Explained # 140

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 1232  
  

140. Because thou hast there them, that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel. That this signifies those whose understanding is enlightened, and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church is evident from the historical parts of the Word which treat of Balaam and Balak, understood according to the spiritual sense, which shall therefore here be first treated of.

[2] Balaam was a soothsayer from Pethor of Mesopotamia, and was therefore called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the people of Israel; but Jehovah prevented this, and caused him to speak prophetically; notwithstanding, he afterwards consulted with Balak how he might destroy that people by guile, by withdrawing them from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of Baal-peor. By Balaam, therefore, are meant those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church.

That Balaam was a soothsayer is evident from these words in Moses:

"The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came unto Balaam" (Numbers 22:7).

"When Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to seek for divinations" (Numbers 24:1).

And in Joshua:

"Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the sons of Israel slay with the sword upon their slain" (13:22).

That he was called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the people of Israel, may be seen, Numbers 22:5, 6, 16, 17; Deuteronomy 23:3, 4; but that Jehovah prevented this, and caused him to speak prophetically, Numbers 22:9, 10, 12, 20; 23:5, 16. The prophecies which he uttered may be seen Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:5-9, 15-19, 20-24; all of which things are truths, because it is said, that:

"Jehovah put a word into his mouth" (Numbers 23:5, 12, 16).

That afterwards he consulted with Balak how he might destroy the people of Israel by guile, by withdrawing them from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of Baal-peor, is clear from these words in Moses:

"In Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods. And especially did he join himself unto Baal-peor. Therefore twenty and four thousand were slain of Israel" (Numbers 25:1-3, 9).

They slew Balaam amongst the Midianites: and the sons of Israel led captive all the women of the Midianites, which thing was "agreeable to the counsel of Balaam to deliver them to iniquity against Jehovah, in the matter of Peor" (Numbers 31:8, 16).

That by Balaam are meant those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths follows from what is said in the above passages; for he spoke truth prophetically concerning Israel, and also concerning the Lord; that he spoke also concerning the Lord may be seen in his prophecy (Numbers 24:17). To speak prophetically concerning Israel, is not to speak concerning the people of Israel, but concerning the Lord's church, which is signified by Israel. The enlightenment of his understanding he himself also describes in these words:

"The saying of Balaam, the son of Beor, of the man whose eyes are opened, who heareth the words of God, falls prostrate, and has his eyes uncovered" (Numbers 24:3, 4, 15, 16).

To have the eyes opened, or to have them uncovered, is to have the understanding enlightened; for eyes in the Word signify the understanding (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2701, 4410-4421, 4523-4534, 9051, 10569).

[3] That by Balaam are also meant those who love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church is also evident from what has been shown above; and moreover, that when he rode upon the ass, he continually meditated the use of divinations, to destroy the sons of Israel. When he could not accomplish this by curses, he consulted with Balak to destroy them by calling them to the sacrifices of his gods, and to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab; by the sons of Israel whom he wished to destroy, is signified the church, because the church was instituted amongst them (see Arcana Coelestia 6426, 8805, 9340).

[4] The arcanum concerning the ass upon which Balaam rode, which turned three times out of the way on seeing an angel with a sword drawn, and the fact of its speaking to Balaam, shall be here briefly explained. Balaam, when he rode upon the ass, continually meditated divinations against the sons of Israel; the gain with which he should be honoured was in his mind, as is clear from these words concerning him,

"He went not as at other times to seek for divinations" (Numbers 24:1).

He was also a soothsayer in heart, therefore he thought of nothing else, when he thought in himself. By the ass upon which he rode is signified, in the spiritual sense of the Word, an enlightened Intellectual; therefore to ride upon an ass or mule was amongst the distinctions of a chief judge and of king (as may be seen above, n. 31; and in Arcana Coelestia 2781, 5741, 9212). The angel with the sword drawn signifies Divine truth enlightening and fighting against falsity (as may be seen above, n. 131); hence, the ass turning three times out of the way signifies that the enlightened understanding did not agree with the thought of the soothsayer, which also is meant by what the angel said to Balaam:

"Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is evil before me" (Numbers 22:32).

By way, in the spiritual sense of the Word, is signified that which a man thinks from intention (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 479, 534, 590, and in the small work, The Last Judgment 48). That he was withheld from the thought and intention of using divinations by the fear of death, is clear from what the angel said to him:

"Unless the ass had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee" (Numbers 22:33).

[5] It sounded in the ears of Balaam as if the ass spoke to him, although she did not speak, but the speech was heard as if proceeding from her. That this is the case, has often been shown me by actual experience. It has been granted me to hear horses, as it were, speaking, although the speech was not from them, but as it were from them. This was actually the case with Balaam, to the intent that this history might be described in the Word for the sake of the internal sense in detail. In the internal sense is described how the Lord defends those who are in truths and goods, lest they should be hurt by those who speak as from enlightenment, and yet have the disposition and intention to lead astray. He who believes that Balaam could do injury to the sons of Israel by divinations is much deceived; for these could avail nothing against them; this Balaam also confessed when he said:

"Divination avails not against Jacob, nor soothsayings against Israel" (Numbers 23:23).

The reason why Balaam could lead that people astray by guile was because they were such in heart that they worshipped Jehovah with the mouth only, but Baal-peor with the heart; and because they were of such a nature, this was permitted.

[6] Moreover it is to be noted that man's understanding can be enlightened, although his will is in evil; for the intellectual faculty is separated from the voluntary faculty in the case of all those who are not regenerated; but these two faculties act as one only in those who are regenerated; for it is the office of the understanding to know, to think, and to speak truths, but that of the will, to will the things that are understood, and from the will or love to do them. The disagreement between these faculties is quite manifest with evil spirits; for when such are turned towards good spirits they even understand truths, and also acknowledge them, almost as if they were enlightened; but as soon as they turn themselves from them, they return to the love of their will, and see nothing of truth; indeed, they even deny the things that they had heard (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 153, 424, 455).

[7] The possibility of having his understanding enlightened has been granted to man for the sake of reformation. For in man's will dwells every kind of evil, both that into which he is born, and that into which he comes of himself; and the will cannot be amended unless man knows, and by the understanding acknowledges, truths and goods, and also evils and falsities, otherwise he cannot turn away from the latter and love the former. (More may be seen concerning the will and the understanding in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 28-35.)

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.