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Josvas 18

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1 Og hele Israels barns menighet samlet sig i Silo og reiste der sammenkomstens telt; og landet lå undertvunget foran dem.

2 Men det var ennu syv stammer tilbake blandt Israels barn som ikke hadde delt sin arv.

3 Da sa Josva til Israels barn: Hvor lenge vil I ennu dryge før I drar avsted og inntar det land Herren, eders fedres Gud, har gitt eder?

4 Kom nu med tre menn for hver stamme! Så vil jeg sende dem ut, og de skal gjøre sig rede og igjennem landet og skrive op det de ser, for utskiftningens skyld, og så komme tilbake til mig.

5 Del det så mellem eder i syv deler! Juda skal bli i sitt land mot syd, og Josefs hus skal bli i sitt land mot nord.

6 Og I skal skrive op alt det som er i landet, i syv deler, og komme hit til mig med det I har skrevet; så vil jeg kaste lodd for eder her, for Herrens, vår Guds åsyn.

7 For levittene får ingen del blandt eder, men Herrens prestedømme er deres arv; og Gad og uben og den halve Manasse stamme har fått sin arv på østsiden av Jordan - den arv som Moses, Herrens tjener, gav dem.

8 Så gjorde mennene sig rede og gikk; og da de drog avsted, bød Josva dem å skrive op alt det de så i landet; han sa: avsted og dra omkring i landet og skriv op alt det I ser der, og kom så tilbake til mig! Så vil jeg kaste lodd for eder for Herrens åsyn her i Silo.

9 Så gikk da mennene avsted og drog gjennem landet og skrev op det de så der, by for by, i en bok i syv deler; derefter kom de tilbake til Josva i leiren ved Silo.

10 Og Josva kastet lodd for dem i Silo for Herrens åsyn; der skiftet Josva landet mellem Israels barn efter deres ættegrener.

11 Først kom loddet ut for Benjamins barns stamme efter deres ætter; og det land som blev deres lodd, kom til å ligge mellem Judas barn og Josefs barn.

12 Og deres grense på nordsiden gikk ut fra Jordan og drog sig opover til fjellryggen i nord for Jeriko og derefter vestover op i fjellet og frem til ørkenen ved Bet-Aven.

13 Derfra gikk grensen over til Luz, til fjellryggen i syd for Luz, det er Betel; og så gikk grensen ned til Atrot-Addar over det fjell som ligger sønnenfor Nedre-Bet-Horon.

14 Så gjorde grensen en sving og bøide sig på vestsiden mot syd fra det fjell som ligger rett i syd for Bet-Horon, og den endte ved Kirjat-Ba'al, det er Kirjat-Jearim, en by som tilhørte Judas barn. Dette var vestsiden.

15 På sydsiden gikk grensen fra enden av Kirjat-Jearim - der var det grensen begynte i vest - og frem til Neftoah-vannets kilde.

16 Så gikk grensen ned til enden av det fjell som ligger midt imot Hinnoms sønns dal, nordenfor efa'im-dalen, og så ned i Hinnoms dal, i syd for jebusittenes fjellrygg, og derefter ned til En- ogel.

17 Så svinget den mot nord og gikk frem til En-Semes og videre til Gelilot, som ligger midt imot Adummim-skaret, og så ned til den sten som har navn efter Bohan, ubens sønn.

18 Der tok den over til den fjellrygg som ligger rett i nord for Ha'araba, og gikk derefter ned til Ha'araba.

19 Så tok grensen over til nordsiden av fjellryggen ved Bet-Hogla og endte ved den nordlige bukt av Salthavet, ved Jordans sydende. Dette var sydgrensen.

20 På østsiden var Jordan grensen. Dette var Benjamins barns arvelodd med dens grenser rundt omkring, efter deres ætter.

21 Og de byer som tilfalt Benjamins barns stamme efter deres ætter, var: Jeriko og Bet-Hogla og Emek-Kesis

22 og Bet-Ha'araba og Semara'im og Betel

23 og Ha'avvim og Happara og Ofra

24 og Kefar-Ha'ammoni og Haofni og Geba - tolv byer med tilhørende landsbyer;

25 Gibeon og ama og Be'erot

26 og Mispe og Hakkefira og Hammosa

27 og ekem og Jirpe'el og Tarala

28 og Sela, Haelef og Jebus, det er Jerusalem, Gibat, Kirjat - fjorten byer med tilhørende landsbyer. Dette var Benjamins barns arvelodd efter deres ætter.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 18

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

Joshua 18: The rest of the land is divided up among the 7 remaining tribes, and the tribe of Benjamin receives its lot.

After several chapters covering the allocation of the land for Reuben, Gad, Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh, there were still seven tribes to be provided for. Before this was done, Joshua gathered these seven tribes together and told them to choose three men from each tribe. These men went and surveyed the region, divided up all the land and cities into seven parts, and recorded everything in a book. Then they came back to Joshua, who cast lots to decide where the seven remaining tribes would live.

The first of the seven allocations was for the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and he was a full brother to Joseph. Their mother, Rachel, whom Jacob had loved so much, died giving birth to Benjamin.

The city of Jerusalem was first allocated to Benjamin, but in time became more associated with Judah. In fact, these were the two tribes which later made up the kingdom of Judah, as opposed to the ten northern tribes forming the kingdom of Israel. Benjamin’s territory included the cities of Jericho, Ai and Gibeon, all of which had been significant soon after Israel crossed the River Jordan. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a Benjamite.

This story about surveying the land represents our need to know things as they truly are. This could mean many things: for example, exploring the idea of heaven, or hell, or life in this world, or a spiritual teaching such as providence. It might be to learn about justice and compassion, or true freedom. It may be our need to look honestly within ourselves and recognize some of our self-centred ways (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 1612).

The Israelite’s findings about the land were recorded in a book, which really would have been a scroll. This is like our ‘book of life’, in which everything about us down to the least detail is preserved so that in eternity, we shall know who we are (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Explained 199). Joshua drew lots so the Lord’s will would be clear to the people of Israel.

The spiritual meaning of Benjamin needs some careful explanation. Technically, it means ’the spiritual of the celestial’, and this is our ability to understand the reason for the most loving experiences we can have. It is heightened thinking joining with heightened feeling. Benjamin was the youngest son, the special brother of Joseph, who stands for the Lord (Arcana Caelestia 4585).

With this in mind, it is useful to know that Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, lay in the territory of Benjamin. Bethlehem’s name means ‘house of bread’ giving us the idea of nourishment for our physical and our spiritual lives. God came into the world to bring us the food of heaven and nourishment from the Word, so that we may fight our evils and choose what is good (Arcana Caelestia 6247, 4594).

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Apocalypse Explained # 199

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199. And I will not blot his name out of the book of life, signifies that they will be in heaven because they are fitted for it. This is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality of man's state of life (See above, n. 148); and from the signification of "the book of life," as being heaven (of which presently); therefore, "not to blot his name out of the book of life" signifies that they will be in heaven because their state in respect to love and faith is such, thus because they are fitted for heaven. "The book of life" signifies heaven, because a man who is in the love to the Lord and faith in Him is a heaven in least form, and this heaven of man corresponds to heaven in the greatest form; therefore he who has heaven in himself also comes into heaven, for he is fitted for it. (That there is such correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 51-58, 73-77, 87-102; and The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 230-236.) From this it is that "the book of life" is that with man that corresponds to the heaven with him. Because this remains with man to eternity, if he has become spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to life in the world, it is said, "I will not blot his name out of the book of life." In the world indeed it may be blotted out if man does not remain spiritual to the end of life; but if he does so remain it cannot be blotted out, because he is conjoined to the Lord by love and faith, and such conjunction with the Lord as there has been in the world remains with man after death.

[2] From this it can be seen that "the book of life" means that from the Lord which has been written on man's spirit, that is, on his heart and soul, or what is the same, on his love and faith; and what is written by the Lord in man is heaven. From this it is clear what is meant by "the book of life" in the following passages. In Daniel:

The Ancient of Days sat, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).

In the same:

The people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book (Daniel 12:1).

In David:

Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the righteous (Psalms 69:28).

In Moses:

Moses said, Blot me, I pray, out of the book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of the book (Exodus 32:32-33).

In Revelation:

All shall worship the beast whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 13:8; 17:8).

Again:

I saw that the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And if any was not found written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-13, 15).

Again:

There shall enter into the New Jerusalem only they that are written in the Lamb's book of life (Revelation 21:27).

In David:

My bone was not hidden from Thee when I was made in secret. Upon Thy book all the days were written in which they were formed, and not one of them is wanting (Psalms 139:15-16).

"All the days were written" means all states of life. (That each and all things that man has thought, willed, spoken, and done, even all that he has seen and heard, are with him in his spirit as if written therein, so that nothing whatever is wanting, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 462, 463; and Arcana Coelestia 2469-2494, 7398; and that this is man's "book of life," see n. 2474, 9386, 9841, 10505, n. 5212, 8067, 9334, 9723, 9841.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.