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Joshue 19

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1 Et egressa est sors secunda filiorum Simeon per cognationes suas : fuitque hæreditas

2 eorum in medio possessionis filiorum Juda : Bersabee et Sabee et Molada

3 et Hasersual, Bala et Asem

4 et Eltholad, Bethul et Harma

5 et Siceleg et Bethmarchaboth et Hasersusa

6 et Bethlebaoth et Sarohen : civitates tredecim, et villæ earum.

7 Ain et Remmon et Athar et Asan : civitates quatuor, et villæ earum :

8 omnes viculi per circuitum urbium istarum usque ad Baalath Beer Ramath contra australem plagam. Hæc est hæreditas filiorum Simeon juxta cognationes suas,

9 in possessione et funiculo filiorum Juda : quia major erat : et idcirco filii Simeon possederunt in medio hæreditatis eorum.

10 Ceciditque sors tertia filiorum Zabulon per cognationes suas : factus est terminus possessionis eorum usque Sarid.

11 Ascenditque de mari et Merala, et pervenit in Debbaseth, usque ad torrentem qui est contra Jeconam.

12 Et revertitur de Sared contra orientem in fines Ceseleththabor : et egreditur ad Dabereth, ascenditque contra Japhie.

13 Et inde pertransit usque ad orientalem plagam Gethepher et Thacasin : et egreditur in Remmon, Amthar et Noa.

14 Et circuit ad aquilonem Hanathon : suntque egressus ejus vallis Jephthaël,

15 et Cateth et Naalol et Semeron et Jerala et Bethlehem : civitates duodecim, et villæ earum.

16 Hæc est hæreditas tribus filiorum Zabulon per cognationes suas, urbes et viculi earum.

17 Issachar egressa est sors quarta per cognationes suas :

18 fuitque ejus hæreditas Jezraël et Casaloth et Sunem

19 et Hapharaim et Seon, et Anaharath

20 et Rabboth et Cesion, Abes,

21 et Rameth, et Engannim, et Enhadda et Bethpheses.

22 Et pervenit terminus ejus usque Thabor et Sehesima et Bethsames : eruntque exitus ejus Jordanis : civitates sedecim, et villæ earum.

23 Hæc est possessio filiorum Issachar per cognationes suas, urbes et viculi earum.

24 Ceciditque sors quinta tribui filiorum Aser per cognationes suas :

25 fuitque terminus eorum Halcath et Chali et Beten et Axaph

26 et Elmelech et Amaad et Messal : et pervenit usque ad Carmelum maris et Sihor et Labanath.

27 Ac revertitur contra orientem Bethdagon : et pertransit usque Zabulon et vallem Jephthaël contra aquilonem in Bethemec et Nehiel. Egrediturque ad lævam Cabul,

28 et Abran et Rohob et Hamon et Cana, usque ad Sidonem magnam.

29 Revertiturque in Horma usque ad civitatem munitissimam Tyrum, et usque Hosa : eruntque exitus ejus in mare de funiculo Achziba :

30 et Amma et Aphec et Rohob : civitates viginti duæ, et villæ earum.

31 Hæc est possessio filiorum Aser per cognationes suas, urbesque et viculi earum.

32 Filiorum Nephthali sexta sors cecidit per familias suas :

33 et cœpit terminus de Heleph et Elon in Saananim, et Adami, quæ est Neceb, et Jebnaël usque Lecum : et egressus eorum usque ad Jordanem :

34 revertiturque terminus contra occidentem in Azanotthabor, atque inde egreditur in Hucuca, et pertransit in Zabulon contra meridiem, et in Aser contra occidentem, et in Juda ad Jordanem contra ortum solis :

35 civitates munitissimæ, Assedim, Ser, et Emath, et Reccath et Cenereth,

36 et Edema et Arama, Asor

37 et Cedes et Edrai, Enhasor,

38 et Jeron et Magdalel, Horem et Bethanath et Bethsames : civitates decem et novem, et villæ earum.

39 Hæc est possessio tribus filiorum Nephthali per cognationes suas, urbes et viculi earum.

40 Tribui filiorum Dan per familias suas egressa est sors septima :

41 et fuit terminus possessionis ejus Sara et Esthaol, et Hirsemes, id est, civitas solis.

42 Selebin et Ajalon et Jethela,

43 Elon et Themna et Acron,

44 Elthece, Gebbethon et Balaath,

45 et Jud et Bane et Barach et Gethremmon :

46 et Mejarcon et Arecon, cum termino qui respicit Joppen,

47 et ipso fine concluditur. Ascenderuntque filii Dan, et pugnaverunt contra Lesem, ceperuntque eam : et percusserunt eam in ore gladii, et possederunt, et habitaverunt in ea, vocantes nomen ejus Lesem Dan, ex nomine Dan patris sui.

48 Hæc est possessio tribus filiorum Dan, per cognationes suas, urbes et viculi earum.

49 Cumque complesset sorte dividere terram singulis per tribus suas, dederunt filii Israël possessionem Josue filio Nun in medio sui,

50 juxta præceptum Domini, urbem quam postulavit Thamnath Saraa in monte Ephraim : et ædificavit civitatem, habitavitque in ea.

51 Hæ sunt possessiones, quas sorte diviserunt Eleazar sacerdos, et Josue filius Nun, et principes familiarum ac tribuum filiorum Israël in Silo, coram Domino ad ostium tabernaculi testimonii, partitique sunt terram.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 19

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

Joshua 19: The last six tribes receive their territories, and Joshua his inheritance.

This chapter is the last of seven chapters detailing the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes. In this chapter, the remaining six tribes receive their portions.

Simeon received land very much in the south, below that of Judah, and Simeon’s territory was made a part of Judah. Simeon means ‘to hear’. To hear the Lord, and to hear the truth, means wanting to live in obedience with what the Lord teaches. Simeon was important in earlier biblical events, but is rarely mentioned later on; obeying the Lord can and should be a quiet affair (see Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Revealed 87).

The area given to Zebulun was modest and towards the north, between the Sea of Galilee and the coast. Zebulun’s name means ‘place of exaltation and honor’, and its spiritual meaning is just as glorious: it refers to honoring the Lord through the way we live our lives, both inwardly and outwardly (see Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 390).

Issachar’s territory was a small, fertile area in the north, next to the Jordan. The name “Issachar” means ‘a man of hire’ or ‘a hired man’. Spiritually, this is about wanting to serve the Lord, and dedicating our lives to this. Then we are ‘employed’ as servants of the Lord, and we are rewarded with spiritual strength, joy, and blessings (see Swedenborg’s Arcana Caelestia 6388).

Asher means ‘happy’ - a delightful name - and its territory was along the northern coastline, extending inland. It included Mount Carmel and the Plain of Sharon, which were both beautiful places. Spiritual happiness is quite deep, and is really a feeling of joy, contentment, and well-being. When we are spiritually happy, we feel glad to be alive, to know the Lord, and to do what is good because of God (Arcana Caelestia 6408).

Naphtali had territory going up from the Sea of Galilee to the northern border. Naphtali means ‘crafty and cunning’, which does not sound very heavenly. However, the idea is that we use our intelligence to bring heavenly results from the countless decisions we make each and every day. Earlier in the Bible, Naphtali is blessed and called ‘a deer let loose’, which would then be free to bound away (see Genesis 49:21, Arcana Caelestia 3928).

Dan had two small territories: one in the centre on the coast, and one in the far north near the source of the River Jordan. Dan means ‘to judge well’, and it stands for our need to treat people fairly because of our relationship with the Lord. Perhaps there are two territories because one is our mind (north), and the other is in life (center) (Arcana Caelestia 3923).

Finally, Joshua himself is given his inheritance, a place in Ephraim called Timnath Serah. The name means ‘an extra portion’, and this suggests that beyond everything Joshua has done, he is to be given something further. Spiritually, this could be the unexpected delight we get when we devote ourselves to serving the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 995[3]).

The spiritual meaning of receiving a portion of land is that we are able to experience blessings and goodness from the Lord, but only after we have ‘conquered the land’. This means working through our temptations and overcoming weaknesses during our natural life.

Since the land of Canaan stands for heaven – and also for the growth of heaven in us – each of the twelve tribes represent a part of heavenly life that needs to be active in us. We must learn hear the word of the Lord, judge well in our daily actions, and honor His name by the way we live.

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Exodus 20

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1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God Speak with us, lest we die.

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

22 And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.