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民数記 1

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1 エジプトを出た次の年の二一日に、はシナイの荒野において、会見の幕屋で、モーセに言われた、

2 「あなたがたは、イスラエルの人々の全会衆を、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調査し、そのすべての男の名の数を、ひとりびとり数えて、その総数を得なさい。

3 イスラエルのうちで、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者を、あなたとアロンとは、その部隊にしたがって数えなければならない。

4 また、すべての部族は、おのおの父祖のの長たるものを、ひとりずつ出して、あなたがたと協力させなければならない。

5 すなわち、あなたがたに協力すべき人々の名は、次のとおりである。ルベンからはシデウルのエリヅル。

6 シメオンからはツリシャダイのシルミエル。

7 ユダからはアミナダブのナション。

8 イッサカルからはツアルのネタニエル。

9 ゼブルンからはヘロンのエリアブ。

10 ヨセフのたちのうち、エフライムからはアミホデのエリシャマ、マナセからはパダヅルのガマリエル。

11 ベニヤミンからはギデオニのアビダン。

12 ダンからはアミシャダイのアヒエゼル。

13 アセルからはオクランのパギエル。

14 ガドからはデウエルのエリアサフ。

15 ナフタリからはエナンのアヒラ」。

16 これらは会衆のうちから選び出された人々で、その父祖の部族のつかさたち、またイスラエルの氏族のかしらたちである。

17 こうして、モーセとアロンが、ここに名を掲げた人々を引き連れて、

18 一日に会衆をことごとく集めたので、彼らはその氏族により、その父祖のにより、その名の数にしたがって二十歳以上のものが、ひとりびとり登録した。

19 命じられたように、モーセはシナイの荒野で彼らを数えた。

20 すなわち、イスラエルのルベンのたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の男の名の数を、ひとりびとり得たが、

21 ルベンの部族のうちで、数えられたものは四万六人であった。

22 またシメオンたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の男の名の数を、ひとりびとり得たが、

23 シメオン部族のうちで、数えられたものは五万人であった。

24 またガドたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

25 ガド部族のうちで、数えられたものは四万五五十人であった。

26 ユダたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

27 ユダ部族のうちで、数えられたものは七万人であった。

28 イッサカルたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

29 イッサカル部族のうちで、数えられたものは五万人であった。

30 ゼブルンのたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

31 ゼブルンの部族のうちで、数えられたものは五万七人であった。

32 ヨセフのたちのうち、エフライムのたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

33 エフライムの部族のうちで、数えられたものは四万五人であった。

34 マナセたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

35 マナセ部族のうちで、数えられたものは三万人であった。

36 ベニヤミンのたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

37 ベニヤミンの部族のうちで、数えられたものは三万五人であった。

38 ダンたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

39 ダン部族のうちで、数えられたものは六万人であった。

40 アセルのたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

41 アセルの部族のうちで、数えられたものは四万一人であった。

42 ナフタリたちから生れたものを、その氏族により、その父祖のによって調べ、すべて戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者の名の数を得たが、

43 ナフタリ部族のうちで、数えられたものは、五万三人であった。

44 これらが数えられた人々であって、モーセとアロンとイスラエルのつかさたちとが数えた人々である。そのつかさたちは十二人であって、おのおのその父祖ののために出たものである。

45 そしてイスラエルの人々のうち、その父祖のにしたがって数えられた者は、すべてイスラエルのうち、戦争に出ることのできる二十歳以上の者であって、

46 その数えられた者は合わせて十万五十人であった。

47 しかし、レビびとは、その父祖の部族にしたがって、そのうちに数えられなかった。

48 すなわち、モーセに言われた、

49 「あなたはレビの部族だけは数えてはならない。またその総数をイスラエルの人々のうちに数えあげてはならない。

50 あなたはレビびとに、あかしの幕屋と、そのもろもろの器と、それに附属するもろもろの物を管理させなさい。彼らは幕屋と、そのもろもろの器とを持ち運び、またそこで務をし、幕屋のまわりに宿営しなければならない。

51 幕屋が進む時は、レビびとがこれを取りくずし、幕屋を張る時は、レビびとがこれを組み立てなければならない。ほかの人がこれに近づく時は殺されるであろう。

52 イスラエルの人々はその部隊にしたがって、おのおのその宿営に、おのおのその旗のもとにその天幕を張らなければならない。

53 しかし、レビびとは、あかしの幕屋のまわりに宿営しなければならない。そうすれば、主の怒りはイスラエルの人々の会衆の上に臨むことがないであろう。レビびとは、あかしの幕屋の務を守らなければならない」。

54 イスラエルの人々はこのようにして、すべてモーセ命じられたように行った。

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Arcana Coelestia # 6148

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6148. 'Only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph', about whom these things are said, as the internal, dealt with already; from the meaning of 'the ground' as the receptacle of truth, dealt with above in 6135-6137, at this point the capacity to receive good, for the capacity of something is its inherent ability to receive, which causes a receptacle to be a receptacle (that capacity comes from good, that is, from the Lord through good, for if the good of love did not flow in from the Lord no one would ever have the capacity to receive truth or good. That inflow of the good of love from the Lord causes everything present inwardly in a person to be of a receptive nature. The truth that the capacity to receive good comes from the natural is meant by the fact that the ground lay in Egypt, since 'Egypt' means the natural in respect of factual knowledge, 6142); from the meaning of 'the priests' as good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'not buying' as not taking those capacities to itself - not in the way that it made truths and forms of the good of truth, together with their receptacles, its own, which came about through periods of desolation and sustainment - for the reason that those capacities came from itself, from the internal. All these meanings serve to show that 'only the ground of the priests he did not buy' means that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself.

[2] The implications of all this are that a person's capacities to receive truth and good come directly from the Lord; he obtains them without any help at all from himself. A person's capacity to receive goodness and truth is maintained in him unceasingly; and from that capacity he possesses understanding and will. But a person does not receive them if he turns to evil. The capacity to receive does, it is true, remain, but its access to thought and sensitivity is blocked, on account of which his capacity to see what is true and have a sensitive awareness of what is good perishes. And it perishes to the extent that he turns to evil and in faith and life becomes firmly settled in it. The fact that a person contributes nothing whatever to his capacity to receive truth and good is well known from the Church's teaching that nothing at all of the truth of faith and nothing at all of the good of charity comes from man but from the Lord. Yet a person can destroy that capacity residing with him. From all this one may now see how one should understand the idea that the internal obtained for itself from the natural every capacity to receive good, because every such capacity came from itself. The expression 'from the natural' is used because the inflow of good from the Lord is effected by the Lord through the internal into the natural; and once the capacity to receive has been obtained from there, the inflow takes place, for now there is reception, see 5828.

[3] So far as the meaning of 'the priests' as forms of good is concerned, it should be recognized that there are two realities which go forth from the Lord - goodness and truth. Divine Good was represented by priests, and Divine Truth by kings; and this is why 'the priests' means forms of good and 'the kings' truths. Regarding the attribution of Priesthood and Kingship to the Lord, see 1728, 2015 (end), 3670. In the representative Ancient Church those two offices of priest and king existed jointly in one personage, the reason for this being that goodness and truth which go forth from the Lord are united; and they are also joined together in heaven among the angels.

[4] A personage in the Ancient Church in whom the two offices existed joined together was called Melchizedek, a name meaning king of righteousness. This may be seen from the following statement about Melchizedek who came to Abraham, 1

Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High. And he blessed Abraham. Genesis 14:18-19.

His representation of the Lord in both offices is evident from the fact that he was a king and at the same time a priest, and from the fact that he was allowed to bless Abraham and offer him bread and wine, which even at that time were the symbols of the good of love and the truth of faith. His representation of the Lord in both offices is further evident in David,

Jehovah has sworn and will not repent, You are a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek. Psalms 110:4.

These words were spoken in reference to the Lord. 'After the manner of Melchizedek' means that He is both King and Priest, that is, in the highest sense that Divine Good and Divine Truth go forth together from Him.

[5] Because a representative Church was going to be established also among the descendants of Jacob, they too were to have a single personage to represent jointly Divine Good and Divine Truth, which go forth from the Lord united. But on account of the wars and the idolatry of that people the two were in fact divided right from the start; those who ruled over the attended to sacred duties were referred to as the priests, who belonged to the seed of Aaron and were the Levites. At a later time the two functions were joined together in a single person, as they were in Eli and Samuel. Yet because the nature of the people was such that the representative Church could not be established among them, only a representative of the Church, on account of the practice of idolatry prevalent among them, the two functions were allowed to be separated. The Lord was then represented in respect of Divine Truth by kings and in respect of Divine Good by priests. The separation took place because the people desired it, not because the Lord took any pleasure in it, as is clear from the Word of Jehovah to Samuel,

Obey the voice of the people in all that they have said to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them; and show them the right of the king. 1 Samuel 8:7-end; 12:19-20.

[6] The reason why the two functions were not meant to be separated was that Divine Truth separated from Divine Good condemns all people, whereas Divine Truth united to Divine Good saves them. Judged by Divine Truth a person is condemned to hell, but Divine Good brings him out of there and raises him into heaven. Salvation comes of mercy and so sprigs from Divine Good; but damnation exists when a person rejects mercy and so casts Divine Good away from himself, as a consequence of which he is left to be judged by Truth. As regards 'kings' representing Divine Truth, see 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068.

[7] 'The priests' represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, and for that reason good is meant by them. This becomes clear from the internal sense of all that was prescribed regarding the priesthood when Aaron was chosen, and after him the Levites, such as these prescriptions:

The High Priest alone should enter the Holy of holies and minister there. [Leviticus 16.]

Things holy to Jehovah were to be for the priest. Leviticus 23:20; 27:21.

They were not to have any portion or inheritance in the land, but Jehovah would be their portion and inheritance. Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1.

The Levites were given to Jehovah instead of the firstborn, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron. Numbers 3:9, 12-13, Numbers 3:40-end; 8:16-19.

The high priest and the Levites were to be in the middle of the camp when they pitched it and when they were journeying. Numbers 1:50-54; 2:17; 3:23-38; 4:1-end.

No one from the seed of Aaron who had a blemish in himself was to approach to offer burnt offerings or sacrifices. Leviticus 21:17-20.

And there are many other prescriptions besides these, such as those in Leviticus 21:9-13, and elsewhere.

[8] In the highest sense all these prescriptions relating to the priests represented the Lord's Divine Good and therefore in the relative sense the good of love and charity. Aaron's vestments however, called 'vestments of holiness', represented Divine Truth from Divine Good. These matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with in the explanations of what appears in Exodus.

[9] Since truth is meant by 'kings' and good by 'priests', 'kings and priests' are mentioned together many times in the Word, as in John, Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests to His God and Father. Revelation 1:6; 5:10.

By virtue of the truth of faith we are said to have been made 'kings', and by virtue of the good of charity to have been made 'priests', so that the truth and good residing with those who abide in the Lord have been joined together, in the way they are in heaven, as stated above. This is what is meant by 'being made kings and priests'.

[10] In Jeremiah,

It will happen on that day, that the heart of the king and of the princes will perish, and the priests will be dumbfounded and the prophets left wondering. Jeremiah 4:9.

In the same prophet,

The house of Israel is ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets. Jeremiah 2:26.

In the same prophet,

The kings of Judah, the princes, the priests, and the prophets, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 8:1.

In these places 'kings stands for truths, 'princes' for first and foremost truths, 1482, 1089, 5044, 'priests' for forms of good, and 'prophets' for those who teach, 2534.

[11] Quite apart from this it should be recognized that Joseph did not buy the ground of the priests. The fact that this was representative of the consideration that the whole of a person's capacity to receive truth and good comes from the Lord is evident from a similar law in Moses regarding the fields belonging to the Levites,

The field of the country surrounding the cities of the Levites shall not be sold, for it is their eternal possession. Leviticus 25:34.

The meaning here in the internal sense is that no one ought to lay any claim to the good of the Church, which is the good of love and charity, because that good is from the Lord alone.

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1. At this time the patriarch's name was still Abram.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Daniel 11

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1 "As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

2 Now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

3 A mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

4 When he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.

5 The king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6 At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

7 But out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

8 Also their gods, with their molten images, [and] with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north.

9 He shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.

10 His sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to his fortress.

11 The king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 The multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

13 The king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, [even of] years, with a great army and with much substance.

14 In those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among your people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand.

16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.

17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him.

18 After this shall he turn his face to the islands, and shall take many: but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yes, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn on him.

19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

20 Then shall stand up in his place one who shall cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 In his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 The overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant.

23 After the treaty made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people.

24 In time of security shall he come even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.

25 He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices against him.

26 Yes, they who eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.

27 As for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great substance; and his heart [shall be] against the holy covenant; and he shall do [his pleasure], and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come into the south; but it shall not be in the latter time as it was in the former.

30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do [his pleasure]: he shall even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual [burnt offering], and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

32 Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].

33 Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, [many] days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves to them with flatteries.

35 Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.

36 The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done.

37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn't know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges [him] he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

40 At the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through.

41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He shall stretch forth his hand also on the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44 But news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

45 He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.