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사사기 8

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1 에브라임 사람들이 기드온에게 이르되 `네가 미디안과 싸우러 갈때에 우리를 부르지 아니하였으니 우리를 이같이 대접함은 어찜이뇨 ?' 하고 크게 다투는지라

2 기드온이 그들에게 이르되 `나의 이제 행한 일이 너희의 한 것에 비교 되겠느냐 ? 에브라임의 끝물 포도가 아비에셀의 맏물 포도보다 낫지 아니하냐 ?

3 하나님이 미디안 방백 오렙과 스엡을 너희 손에 붙이셨으니 나의 한 일이 어찌 능히 너희의 한것에 비교 되겠느냐 ?` 기드온이 이말을 하매 그들의 노가 풀리니라

4 기드온과 그 좇은 자 삼백명이 요단에 이르러 건너고 비록 피곤하나 따르며

5 그가 숙곳 사람들에게 이르되 `나의 종자가 피곤하여 하니 청컨대 그들에게 떡덩이를 주라 나는 미디안 두 왕 세바와 살문나를 따르노라'

6 숙곳 방백들이 가로되 `세바와 살문나의 손이 지금 어찌 네 손에 있관대 우리가 네 군대에게 떡을 주겠느냐 ?'

7 기드온이 가로되 `그러면 여호와께서 세바와 살문나를 내 손에 붙이신 후에 내가 들가시와 찔레로 너희 살을 찢으리라' 하고

8 거기서 브누엘에 올라가서 그들에게도 그같이 구한즉 브누엘 사람들의 대답도 숙곳 사람들의 대답과 같은지라

9 기드온이 또 브누엘 사람들에게 일러 가로되 `내가 평안이 돌아올때에 이 망대를 헐리라' 하니라

10 이 때에 세바와 살문나가 갈골에 있는데 동방 사람의 모든 군대중에 칼 든 자 십 이만명이 죽었고 그들을 좇아 거기 있더라

11 적군이 안연히 있는 중에 기드온이 노바와 욕브하 동편 장막에 거한 자의 길로 올라가서 적군을 치니

12 세바와 살문나가 도망하는지라 기드온이 추격하여 미디안 두 왕 세바와 살문나를 사로 잡고 그 온 군대를 파하니라

13 요아스의 아들 기드온이 헤레스 비탈 전장에서 돌아오다가

14 숙곳 사람 중 한 소년을 잡아 신문하매 숙곳 방백과 장로 칠십 칠인을 그를 위하여 기록한지라

15 기드온이 숙곳 사람들에게 이르러 가로되 `너희가 전에 나를 기롱하여 이르기를 세바와 살문나의 손이 지금 어찌 네 손에 있관대 우리가 네 피곤한 사람에게 떡을 주겠느냐 ? 한 그 세바와 살문나를 보라'하고

16 그 성읍 장로들을 잡고 들가시와 찔레로 숙곳 사람들을 징벌하고

17 브누엘 망대를 헐며 그 성읍 사람들을 죽이니라

18 이에 세바와 살문나에게 묻되 `너희가 다볼에서 죽인 자들은 어떠한 자이더뇨' 대답하되 `그들이 너와 같아서 모두 왕자 같더라'

19 가로되 `그들은 내 형제 내 어머니의 아들이니라 내가 여호와의 사심으로 맹세하노니 너희가 만일 그들을 살렸더면 나도 너희를 죽이지 아니하였으리라'하고

20 그 장자 여델에게 이르되 `일어나 그들을 죽이라` 하였으나 그 소년이 칼을 빼지 못하였으니 이는 아직 어려서 두려워함이었더라

21 세바와 살문나가 가로되 `네가 일어나 우리를 치라 대저 사람이 어떠하면 그 힘도 그러하니라' 기드온이 일어나서 세바와 살문나를 죽이고 그 약대 목에 꾸몄던 새 달 형상의 장식을 취하니라

22 때에 이스라엘 사람들이 기드온에게 이르되 `당신이 우리를 미디안의 손에서 구원하셨으니 당신과 당신의 아들과 당신의 손자가 우리를 다스리소서'

23 기드온이 그들에게 이르되 `내가 너희를 다스리지 아니하겠고 나의 아들도 너희를 다스리지 아니할 것이요 여호와께서 너희를 다스리시리라'

24 기드온이 또 그들에게 이르되 `내가 너희에게 한 일을 청구하노니 너희는 각기 탈취한 귀고리를 내게 줄지니라' 하니 그 대적은 이스마엘 사람이므로 금 귀고리가 있었음이라

25 무리가 대답하되 `우리가 즐거이 드리리이다` 하고 겉옷을 펴고 각기 탈취한 귀고리를 그 가운데 던지니

26 기드온의 청한 바 금 귀고리 중 수가 금 일천 칠백 세겔이요 그 외에 또 새 달 형상의 장식과 패물과 미디안 왕들의 입었던 자색 의복과 그 약대 목에 둘렀던 사슬이 있었더라

27 기드온이 그 금으로 에봇 하나를 만들어서 자기의 성읍 오브라에 두었더니 온 이스라엘이 그것을 음란하게 위하므로 그것이 기드온과 그 집에 올무가 되니라

28 미디안이 이스라엘 자손 앞에 복종하여 다시는 그 머리를 들지 못하였으므로 기드온의 사는 날 동안 사십년에 그 땅이 태평하였더라

29 요아스의 아들 여룹바알이 돌아가서 자기 집에 거하였는데

30 기드온이 아내가 많으므로 몸에서 낳은 아들이 칠십인이였고

31 세겜에 있는 첩도 아들을 낳았으므로 그 이름을 아비멜렉이라 하였더라

32 요아스의 아들 기드온이 나이 많아 죽으매 아비에셀 사람의 오브라에 있는 그의 아비 요아스의 묘실에 장사하였더라

33 기드온이 이미 죽으매 이스라엘 자손이 돌이켜 바알들을 음란하게 위하고 또 바알브릿을 자기들의 신으로 삼고

34 사면 모든 대적의 손에서 자기들을 건져내신 여호와 자기들의 하나님을 기억지 아니하며

35 또 여룹바알이라 하는 기드온의 이스라엘에게 베푼 모든 은혜를 따라서 그의 집을 후대치도 아니하였더라

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 8

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

Judges 8: Gideon subdues the Midianites.

In this chapter, Gideon continued to dismantle Midian’s oppression over Israel, facing opposition from some of his fellow Israelites in the process. First, the men of Ephraim complained that he did not call them to war. Gideon replied by praising them for their vineyards, and for capturing the two Midianite princes. So, Ephraim’s indignation subsided.

Then Gideon went to the city of Succoth, and asked for bread to feed his army. But the men of Succoth refused, instead taunting him because he had not yet captured the kings of Midian. Gideon told them them he would punish them with thorns and briars, after he had killed the two kings. The people of Penuel were equally dismissive when Gideon asked them for help, and he swore to tear down their tower.

In due course, Gideon captured the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon told his oldest son to kill them, but he was young, and too afraid to do it. So Gideon killed the two kings, and punished the people of Succoth and Penuel.

When he returned from battle, the people of Israel asked Gideon to rule over them. However, he refused, saying that the Lord would rule Israel. He then collected gold from people’s earrings, used it to make an ephod (a priest’s garment), and set it up in his own city, Ophrah. The people began to worship it, and it became a snare for Gideon.

And Israel had peace for forty years under Gideon. Gideon had seventy sons, and died at an old age. As soon as he passed away, the Israelites forgot all the goodness that the Lord had shown them, and turned to worship other gods.

*****

The message of Gideon’s exchange with the Ephraimites is that sincerity and openness are the most powerful response to confrontation. Gideon, led by his trust in the Lord, could see the reason for Ephraim’s outburst, so he dealt with it by praising their strengths. This encounter shows how our faith in the Lord gives us a broader perspective, granting us the ability to respond rather than react (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 8159[3]).

When Gideon lashes out at the people of Succoth and Penuel, it may appear that he is acting purely from anger, and a wish to retaliate. In reality, he is filled with zeal to drive out the Midianites and free Israel. It is unthinkable to him that his own people would refuse to give his soldiers food. In our own lives, we can at times be astounded by our own resistance to serving the Lord’s purpose. We are constantly torn between two forces: heaven and hell (Arcana Caelestia 3839[3]).

The killing of the two Midianite kings reflects the need for justice in spiritual matters. If we fail to heed the truths we know and believe, we will suffer the consequences of fear and guilt. These are not inflicted by the Lord, but follow on from our own choices (Arcana Caelestia 2447). Gideon’s son’s inability to kill the kings means that behind spiritual justice, there must be an understanding of the essential value of all life (Arcana Caelestia 5826[2]).

Gideon’s ephod is a symbol showing how easily we can deviate from obeying the Lord. The text does not tell us the reason for Gideon’s actions, but perhaps he felt it was better for the people to worship something superficially related to worshiping the Lord, rather than following a foreign god. Seeing a priest’s garment reminds us that a priest serves the Lord. But we can so easily focus on the majesty of the ephod itself, and think no more about the priest’s duty nor about the Lord. We sometimes drift further from the Lord without even realizing it (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 327).

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Arcana Coelestia # 3839

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3839. 'And he said to Laban, What is this you have done to me?' means indignation. This is clear from the affectional content of these words and of those that follow; for as accords with the sequence of events in this historical narrative it is the feeling of indignation that is expressed in these words. There are two elements which constitute the internal sense of the Word - affections and subject-matter. The affections lying within expressions of the Word are not visible to man but are concealed there inmostly. Nor can they be visible since man during his lifetime is governed by worldly and bodily affections, which have nothing in common with the affections present in the internal sense of the Word. That sense contains affections which belong to spiritual and celestial love, affections which mankind is that much less capable of perceiving because those in whom they exist are few, and the few in whom they do exist are for the most part simple people who have no ability to reflect on affections. All others do not even know what genuine affection is. These affections that belong to celestial and spiritual love manifest themselves in charity towards the neighbour and in love to God. Those in whom such affections do not exist do not believe that they are anything at all, when in fact those affections fill the whole of heaven, doing so in varying ways beyond description. These are the affections, together with the variations of them, which have been stored away in the internal sense of the Word, residing not only in every sentence but also in every expression, indeed in every detail. And they reveal themselves to angels when the Word is read by people in whom simple good and at the same time innocence are present; and they reveal themselves, as has been stated, in ways unendingly various.

[2] There are principally two kinds of affections which shine out of the Word for angels to see - affections for truth and affections for good. Affections for truth reveal themselves to spiritual angels, affections for good to celestial angels. The latter, namely affections for good, which belong to love to the Lord, are altogether indescribable to man and are consequently incomprehensible too. But affections for truth, which belong to mutual love, are to some extent comprehensible in their most general aspects, though only to people in whom mutual love is present. And even those general aspects are not comprehensible to them from any internal perception except one that is obscure.

[3] Take for example the affection or feeling of indignation referred to in this verse. Anyone who does not know what charitable affection is, for the reason that this is not present in him, can have no other idea of what it is but the kind of indignation that is aroused in a person when some wrong is done to him - which in reality is a feeling of anger. But that kind of indignation does not exist with angels but an altogether different kind, which is not the expression of anger but of zeal, and holds nothing evil in it at all. This indignation is as far away from hatred, or revenge, or repaying evil with evil, as heaven is from hell; for it wells up out of good. But the nature of that indignation, as has been stated, cannot be expressed by any words. The situation is similar with all other affections which originate in good and truth and which belong to good and truth.

[4] This is also evident from the fact that angels are concerned solely with ends in view, and with the purposes engendered by those ends, 1317, 1645, 3645. Ends in view are nothing else than loves or affections, 1317, 1568, 1571, 1909, 3425, 3796; for what a person loves he has as his end in view. This being so, angels are acquainted with the affections enclosed in the subject-matter of the Word; and this entails every variation according to the types of affections present in the angels. From this it becomes quite clear how holy the Word is, for Divine love, that is, love coming from the Divine, has holiness within it, and so therefore do the subjects within the Word.

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