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1 Samuel 4

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1 Και εγεινε λογος του Σαμουηλ προς παντα τον Ισραηλ. Και εξηλθεν ο Ισραηλ εναντιον των Φιλισταιων εις μαχην, και εστρατοπεδευσαν πλησιον του Εβεν-εζερ· οι δε Φιλισταιοι εστρατοπεδευσαν εν Αφεκ.

2 Και παρεταχθησαν οι Φιλισταιοι εναντιον του Ισραηλ· και οτε εξηπλωθη η μαχη, εκτυπηθη ο Ισραηλ εμπροσθεν των Φιλισταιων· και εφονευθησαν εν τω πεδιω κατα την συμπλοκην εως τεσσαρες χιλιαδες ανδρων.

3 Οτε δε ηλθεν ο λαος εις το στρατοπεδον, ειπον οι πρεσβυτεροι του Ισραηλ, Δια τι ο Κυριος επαταξεν ημας σημερον εμπροσθεν των Φιλισταιων; ας λαβωμεν προς εαυτους απο Σηλω την κιβωτον της διαθηκης του Κυριου, και ελθουσα εν μεσω ημων θελει σωσει ημας εκ της χειρος των εχθρων ημων.

4 Και απεστειλεν ο λαος εις Σηλω, και εσηκωσαν εκειθεν την κιβωτον της διαθηκης του Κυριου των δυναμεων, του καθημενου επι των χερουβειμ· και αμφοτεροι οι υιοι του Ηλει, Οφνει και Φινεες, ησαν εκει μετα της κιβωτου της διαθηκης του Θεου.

5 Και οτε ηλθεν η κιβωτος της διαθηκης του Κυριου εις το στρατοπεδον, πας ο Ισραηλ ηλαλαξε μετα φωνης μεγαλης, ωστε αντηχησεν η γη.

6 Και ακουσαντες οι Φιλισταιοι την φωνην του αλαλαγμου, ειπον, Τι σημαινει η φωνη του μεγαλου τουτου αλαλαγμου εν τω στρατοπεδω των Εβραιων; Και εμαθον οτι η κιβωτος του Κυριου ηλθεν εις το στρατοπεδον.

7 Και εφοβηθησαν οι Φιλισταιοι, λεγοντες, Ο Θεος ηλθεν εις το στρατοπεδον. Και ειπον, Ουαι εις ημας. Διοτι δεν εσταθη τοιουτον πραγμα χθες και προχθες·

8 ουαι εις ημας. Τις θελει σωσει ημας εκ της χειρος των θεων τουτων των ισχυρων; ουτοι ειναι οι θεοι, οι παταξαντες τους Αιγυπτιους εν παση πληγη εν τη ερημω·

9 ενδυναμωθητε, Φιλισταιοι, και σταθητε ως ανδρες, δια να μη γεινητε δουλοι εις τους Εβραιους, καθως αυτοι εσταθησαν δουλοι εις εσας· σταθητε ως ανδρες, και πολεμησατε αυτους.

10 Τοτε οι Φιλισταιοι επολεμησαν· και εκτυπηθη ο Ισραηλ, και εφυγεν εκαστος εις την σκηνην αυτου· και εγεινε σφαγη μεγαλη σφοδρα· και επεσον εκ του Ισραηλ τριακοντα χιλιαδες πεζοι.

11 Και η κιβωτος του Θεου επιασθη· και αμφοτεροι οι υιοι του Ηλει, Οφνει και Φινεες, εθανατωθησαν.

12 Και εδραμεν εκ της μαχης ανθρωπος τις εκ του Βενιαμιν, και ηλθεν εις Σηλω την αυτην ημεραν, εχων τα ιματια αυτου διεσχισμενα και χωμα επι την κεφαλην αυτου.

13 Και οτε ηλθεν, ιδου, ο Ηλει εκαθητο επι της καθεδρας, κατα το πλαγιον της οδου, σκοπευων· διοτι η καρδια αυτου ετρεμε περι της κιβωτου του Θεου. Και οτε ο ανθρωπος ελθων εις την πολιν ανηγγειλε ταυτα, ανεβοησε πασα η πολις.

14 Και ακουσας ο Ηλει την φωνην της βοης, ειπε, Τι σημαινει η φωνη της βοης ταυτης; Και ο ανθρωπος ηλθε σπευδων και ανηγγειλε προς τον Ηλει.

15 Ητο δε ο Ηλει ενενηκοντα οκτω ετων· και οι οφθαλμοι αυτου ησαν ημαυρωμενοι, ωστε δεν ηδυνατο να βλεπη.

16 Και ειπεν ο ανθρωπος προς τον Ηλει, Εγω ειμαι ο ελθων εκ της μαχης, και εφυγον εγω εκ της μαχης σημερον. Και ειπε, Τι εγεινε, τεκνον μου;

17 Και απεκριθη ο μηνυτης και ειπεν, Εφυγεν ο Ισραηλ εμπροσθεν των Φιλισταιων, και ετι μεγαλη σφαγη εγεινεν εις τον λαον· και προσετι αμφοτεροι οι υιοι σου, Οφνει και Φινεες, απεθανον· και η κιβωτος του Θεου επιασθη.

18 Και καθως ανεφερε περι της κιβωτου του Θεου, ο Ηλει επεσεν εκ της καθεδρας εις τα οπισθια προς το πλαγιον της πυλης, και συνετριβη ο τραχηλος αυτου, και απεθανε· διοτι ητο γερων ο ανθρωπος και βαρυς. Εκρινε δε αυτος τον Ισραηλ τεσσαρακοντα ετη.

19 Και η νυμφη αυτου, η γυνη του Φινεες, ουσα εγκυος, ετοιμη να γεννηση, ως ηκουσε την αγγελιαν, οτι η κιβωτος του Θεου επιασθη και οτι ο πενθερος αυτης και ο ανηρ αυτης απεθανον, εκυρτωθη και εγεννησε· διοτι ηλθον εις αυτην οι πονοι.

20 Και καθ' ον καιρον απεθνησκεν, αι γυναικες αι παρισταμεναι ειπον προς αυτην, Μη φοβου· διοτι εγεννησας υιον. Εκεινη ομως δεν απεκριθη ουδε εβαλεν αυτο εις την καρδιαν αυτης.

21 Και εκαλεσε το παιδιον Ιχαβωδ, λεγουσα, Η δοξα εφυγεν εκ του Ισραηλ· διοτι η κιβωτος του Θεου επιασθη, και διοτι ο πενθερος αυτης και ο ανηρ αυτης απεθανον.

22 Και ειπεν, Η δοξα εφυγεν εκ του Ισραηλ· διοτι επιασθη η κιβωτος του Θεου.

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of 1 Samuel 4

Napsal(a) Garry Walsh

Although everyone in Israel knew that Samuel had been chosen as the Lord’s prophet, the Israelites still didn’t listen to his prophecy. As a result, there was a new battle between the army of Israel and the army of the Philistines. The Philistines won and about four thousand men of Israel died.

The Israelites were in great distress. They sent for the Ark of the Covenant, thinking that if they brought it from Shiloh to the battlefield, it would help bring the power of Jehovah into the battle, and help them win. The two sons of Eli the High Priest, Hophni and Phinehas, came along with the Ark. When the Ark reached the Israelite camp, the Israelites shouted with joy, and the Philistines became afraid. The Philistines knew that the Israelite God was surely with them, and they remembered His power from the plagues of Egypt. (See Exodus 7 and the following chapters.)

And yet, the Philistines were tough enemies. They didn’t want to be slaves to Israel, as Israel had been to them. They gathered their courage and defeated Israel in battle again, and even captured the Ark of the Covenant.

A messenger was sent to bring the bad news to Shiloh, where Eli was. Hophni and Phinehas were dead, and the Ark was in enemy hands. When he heard the news, the elderly Eli fell backwards from his seat and died. Phinehas' wife was pregnant, and when she heard the news of her husband’s death it crushed her spirit, and she died shortly after delivering a son that she named Ichabod. So just as the Lord had told Samuel, the priestly role was taken from Eli’s family.

Why was the Ark of the Covenant important? It contained two stone tablets, on which were written the Ten Commandments. These were written by the finger of God, and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Commandments represented the covenant between the Lord and people. They would be joined together through love and faith: God’s love for His people, and their love for Him. Love, faith in God and obedience to His message would forever bind them. The covenant is only fulfilled when people, individually and collectively, do what is written on those two tablets. (See True Christianity 285.)

In this story, the Israelites lost the Ark of the Covenant with the Ten Commandments. This symbolizes how we can lose our covenant with the Lord, our Creator. We are free to keep our covenant with the Lord and follow His laws, or to break it. This story shows us how breaking the covenant can be really destructive.

God, however, will never give up on us, and is always ready to come into our lives if we accept Him. In True Christianity 285, Swedenborg writes that God is always ready to keep His commandment with us, but we must use our free will to keep our commandment with Him. This is illustrated in a quote from Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.”

While this story is an example of a covenant with God described in the Old Testament of the Word, this relationship between God and His people (and, of course, with each one of us individually) is a theme throughout all of the Bible. The New Testament describes a new covenant that the Lord seeks to build with each of us.

In Swedenborg’s Writings we learn that the Philistines, whom the Israelites were battling, represent faith without charity. Both faith and charity are necessary to follow the Lord, and knowledge of what is right and true is not useful unless we apply it to our lives. If we don't apply it, this knowledge becomes sort of abstract, something that we remember but that isn't an ongoing part of our life. (See Arcana Coelestia 1197.)

Since Philistines represent knowledge without charity, perhaps this story is telling us that in order to keep our covenant with God, it is not enough to know what is required of us, what is written on the tables of stone. We must also act accordingly. When we both understand the commandments and practice them, then we are able to keep our covenant with God.

Bible

 

Revelation 3:20

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20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

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