Bible

 

Josvas 13

Studie

   

1 Da Josva var blitt gammel og kommet langt ut i årene, sa Herren til ham: Nu er du blitt gammel og kommet langt ut i årene, men ennu står det en meget stor del av landet igjen som skal inntas.

2 Dette er det land som står igjen: Alle filistrenes bygder og hele gesuritter-landet;

3 for alt som ligger mellem Sihor østenfor Egypten og Ekrons landemerke mot nord, skal regnes til kana'anittene, både de fem filisterfyrster i Gasa og Asdod og Askalon og Gat og Ekron, og avittene.

4 Fremdeles i syd hele kana'anittenes land, og Meara, som hører sidonierne til, like til Afek, til amorittenes landemerke,

5 og giblittenes land og hele Libanon mot øst, fra Ba'al-Gad ved foten av Hermon-fjellet like til Hamat-veien,

6 alle de som bor i fjellbygdene, fra Libanon til Misrefot-Ma'im, alle sidonierne. Jeg vil selv drive dem bort for Israels barn; men del du landet ut ved loddkasting til arv for Israel, således som jeg har befalt dig!

7 Så skift nu dette land ut til arv for de ni stammer og den halve del av Manasse stamme!

8 Sammen med Manasse* hadde rubenittene og gadittene fått sin arv, som Moses gav dem på østsiden av Jordan, således som Moses, Herrens tjener, gav dem den: / {* andre halvdelen av Manasse stamme.}

9 fra Aroer, som ligger ved bredden av Arnon-åen, og fra den by som ligger midt i dalen, og hele sletten ved Medba like til Dibon,

10 og alle de byer som tilhørte Sihon, amoritter-kongen, som regjerte i Hesbon, like til Ammons barns landemerke,

11 og Gilead og gesurittenes og ma'akatittenes land og hele Hermonfjellet og hele Basan like til Salka -

12 hele det rike som tilhørte Og i Basan, han som regjerte i Astarot og Edre'i; han var den siste som var tilbake av refa'ittene, og Moses slo dem og drev dem bort.

13 Men Israels barn drev ikke bort gesurittene og ma'akatittene, og Gesur og Ma'akat er blitt boende blandt Israel til denne dag.

14 Bare Levi stamme gav han ingen arv; Herrens, Israels Guds ildoffer er hans arv, således som han hadde sagt til ham.

15 Først gav Moses ubens barns stamme arv efter deres ætter.

16 De fikk landet fra Aroer, som ligger ved bredden av Arnon-åen, og fra den by som ligger midt i dalen, og hele sletten ved Medba,

17 Hesbon og alle tilhørende byer, som ligger på sletten: Dibon og Bamot-Ba'al og Bet-Ba'al-Meon

18 og Jahsa og Kedemot og Mefa'at

19 og Kirjata'im og Sibma og Seret-Hassahar på fjellet i dalen

20 og Bet-Peor og Pisga-liene og Bet-Hajesimot

21 og alle byene på sletten og hele det rike som tilhørte Sihon, amoritter-kongen, som regjerte i Hesbon - det var ham Moses slo på samme tid som han slo midianitterfyrstene Evi og ekem og Sur og Hur og eba, som var Sihons underkonger og bodde der i landet.

22 Også Bileam, Beors sønn, spåmannen, slo Israels barn ihjel med sverdet sammen med de andre som de slo ihjel.

23 Og ubens barns grense var Jordan og landet langsmed den. Dette var ubens barns arv efter deres ætter, byene med tilhørende landsbyer.

24 Så gav Moses Gads stamme - Gads barn - arv efter deres ætter.

25 Det land de fikk, var Jaser og alle byene i Gilead og halvdelen av Ammons barns land helt til Aroer, som ligger midt imot abba,

26 fra Hesbon til amat-Hammispe og Betonim og fra Mahana'im til Debirs landemerke,

27 og i dalen fikk de Bet-Haram og Bet-Nimra og Sukkot og Safon, resten av det rike som hadde tilhørt Sihon, kongen i Hesbon, med Jordan og landet langsmed den inntil enden av Kinneret-sjøen, på østsiden av Jordan.

28 Dette var Gads barns arv efter deres ætter, byene med tilhørende landsbyer.

29 Så gav Moses den halve Manasse stamme arv, så at de og - den ene halvdel av Manasse barns stamme - fikk arv efter sine ætter.

30 Det land de fikk, strakte sig fra Mahana'im over hele Basan - hele det rike som hadde tilhørt Og, kongen i Basan - både alle Ja'irs teltbyer, som ligger i Basan, seksti byer,

31 og halvdelen av Gilead, og Astarot og Edre'i, byer i det rike som hadde tilhørt Og i Basan; alt dette fikk Manasses sønn Makirs barn - den ene halvdel av Makirs barn - efter sine ætter.

32 Dette var det som Moses delte ut til arv på Moabs ødemarker på østsiden av Jordan, midt imot Jeriko.

33 Men til Levi stamme gav Moses ingen arv; Herren, Israels Gud, er deres arv, således som han hadde sagt til dem.

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 13

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

Joshua 13: The start of the tribal territory allocations.

Now that Israel had conquered the land of Canaan, the Lord commanded Joshua to divide the land between the twelve tribes. The next seven chapters tell how the the land of Canaan was divided (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 1413, to read more about the spiritual meaning).

Chapter 13 deals with the territories given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and one half of Manasseh, all of which are on the other side of the river Jordan. Reuben was given the southern lands; Gad was given the extensive middle region, much of which is an area called Gilead; and half the tribe of Manasseh received the northern land which is on the other side of the Jordan.

It is also worth noting that the first few verses say much of the land remained to be conquered. However, at the end of chapter 11, we read that Joshua took the whole land as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This may seem contradictory, but spiritually it fits very well. In our regeneration, we aim to conquer our self-centred nature, and allow the Lord to rule us with his truth. This is spiritually ‘conquering the whole land’. But even so, our natural thoughts and desires sometimes rise up to trouble us, and these times are like the parts of the land that remain to be conquered. This is why we must recognize our complete dependence on the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 8326).

The Lord giving land as inheritance to each of the twelve tribes represents the way that He gives us our spiritual life. As we do the work of spiritual ‘conquering’ - living by our purpose to serve the Lord - we feel more and more that we can use our understanding of God and His Word in our actions every day.

The twelve tribes stand for the whole spectrum of what spiritual life involves, and each tribe relates to a specific quality of our spiritual living (Arcana Caelestia 3858). For example, we need to be discerning, positive, respectful of others, and so on. Each tribe has a sizeable area of the land, and is part of the integrity of the whole nation.

The territories given to Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh are not part of Canaan, but they are linked to it. These areas represent our outward life: the way we work, live, rest, and relate with other people. This is the ‘casing’ of our spiritual life, and it is essential.

The tribe of Reuben – the eldest son of Jacob – stands for our initial need to see the truths from the Lord in the Word. By ‘seeing’ we mean meeting them, looking carefully, being attentive, coming to understand what they ask of us, and realising how important they are. It is not a vague impression that the Lord’s teachings are important, but a real first step for us (Arcana Caelestia 3866).

The tribe of Gad stands for our ability to see that knowledge and truth need to be used to perform good works. Gad’s name means ‘a troop,’ calling to mind soldiers marching in formation to go and sort things out properly. This is something we can apply to ourselves and to the world around us. We just need to watch that it doesn’t get too heavy-handed (See Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Explained 435[7]).

The tribe of Manasseh represents the spiritual good which supports our will to live a life which is just, fair and honourable because it is based on God. In fact, Manasseh – which means ‘forgetfulness’ – stands for our need to remember that ‘my will’ is really ‘the Lord’s will for me’. Our will needs to be focused on outward life and also inwardly open to the Lord, which is why half of Manasseh has land beyond the Jordan and half has land within Canaan (Arcana Caelestia 5353).

Bible

 

Joshua 13

Studie

   

1 Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years. Yahweh said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.

2 "This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;

3 from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,

4 on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath;

6 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians; them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."

8 With him the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them:

9 from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon;

10 and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;

11 and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah;

12 all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (the same was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses attacked these, and drove them out.

13 Nevertheless the children of Israel didn't drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

14 Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.

15 Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.

16 Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba;

17 Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

18 Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

19 Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley,

20 Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth,

21 all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.

22 The children of Israel alse killed Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain.

23 The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages.

24 Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, according to their families.

25 Their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is before Rabbah;

26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;

27 and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan's bank, to the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward.

28 This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.

29 Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families.

30 Their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities.

31 Half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even for the half of the children of Machir according to their families.

32 These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward.

33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.