Bible

 

Josué 15

Studie

   

1 Y fue la suerte de la tribu de los hijos de Judá, por sus familias, junto al término de Edom, del desierto de Zin al mediodía, al lado del sur.

2 Y su término de la parte del mediodía fue desde la costa del mar Salado, desde la lengua que mira hacia el mediodía;

3 y salía hacia el mediodía a la subida de Acrabim, pasando hasta Zin; y subiendo por el mediodía hasta Cades-barnea, pasaba a Hezrón, y subiendo por Adar daba vuelta a Carca;

4 de allí pasaba a Asmón, y salía al arroyo de Egipto; y sale este término al occidente. Este pues os será el término del mediodía.

5 El término del oriente es el mar Salado hasta el fin del Jordán. Y el término de la parte del norte, desde la lengua del mar, desde el fin del Jordán;

6 y sube este término por Bet-hogla, y pasa del norte a Bet-arabá, y de aquí sube este término a la piedra de Bohán, hijo de Rubén.

7 Y torna a subir este término a Debir desde el valle de Acor; y al norte mira sobre Gilgal, que está delante de la subida de Adumín, la cual está al mediodía del arroyo; y pasa este término a las aguas de En-semes, y sale a la fuente de Rogel;

8 y sube este término por el valle del hijo de Hinom al lado del jebuseo al mediodía; ésta es Jerusalén. Luego sube este término por la cumbre del monte que está delante del valle de Hinom hacia el occidente, el cual está al cabo del valle de los gigantes al norte;

9 y rodea este término desde la cumbre del monte hasta la fuente de las aguas de Neftoa, y sale a la ciudades del monte de Efrón, rodeando luego el mismo término a Baala, la cual es Quiriat-jearim.

10 Después torna este término desde Baala hacia el occidente al monte de Seir; y pasa al lado del monte de Jearim hacia el norte, ésta es Quesalón, y desciende a Bet-semes, y pasa a Timna.

11 Sale luego este término al lado de Ecrón hacia el norte; y rodea el mismo término a Sicrón, y pasa por el monte de Baala, y sale a Jabneel; y sale este término al mar.

12 El término del occidente es el mar grande. Este pues , es el término de los hijos de Judá en derredor, por sus familias.

13 Mas a Caleb, hijo de Jefone, dio parte entre los hijos de Judá, conforme al mandamiento del SEÑOR a Josué; esto es , a Quiriat-arba, del padre de Anac, que es Hebrón.

14 Y Caleb echó de allí tres hijos de Anac, a Sesai, Ahimán, y Talmai, hijos de Anac.

15 De aquí subió a los que moraban en Debir; y el nombre de Debir era antes Quiriat-sefer.

16 Y dijo Caleb: Al que hiriere a Quiriat-sefer, y la tomare, yo le daré a mi hija Acsa por mujer.

17 Y la tomó Otoniel, hijo de Cenaz, hermano de Caleb; y él le dio por mujer a su hija Acsa.

18 Y aconteció que cuando la llevaba, él la persuadió que pidiese a su padre tierras para labrar. Ella entonces se apeó del asno. Y Caleb le dijo: ¿Qué tienes?

19 Y ella respondió: Dame una bendición; pues que me has dado tierra de secadal, dame también fuentes de aguas. El entonces le dio las fuentes de arriba, y las de abajo.

20 Esta pues es la herencia de la tribu de los hijos de Judá por sus familias.

21 Y fueron las ciudades del término de la tribu de los hijos de Judá hacia el término de Edom al mediodía: Cabseel, y Edar, y Jagur,

22 y Cina, y Dimona, y Adada,

23 y Cedes, y Hazor, e Itnán,

24 Zif, y Telem, Bealot,

25 y Hazor-hadata, y Queriot-hezrón, que es Hazor,

26 Amam, y Sema, y Molada,

27 y Hazar-gada, y Hesmón, y Bet-pelet,

28 y Hazar-sual, Beerseba, y Bizotia,

29 Baala, e Iim, y Esem,

30 y Eltolad, y Quesil, y Horma,

31 y Siclag, y Madmana, Sansana,

32 y Lebaot, Silhim, y Aín, y Rimón; en todas veintinueve ciudades con sus aldeas.

33 En las llanuras, Estaol, y Zora, y Asena,

34 y Zanoa, y En-ganim, Tapúa, y Enam,

35 Jarmut, y Adulam, Soco, y Azeca,

36 y Saaraim, y Aditaim, y Gedera, y Gederotaim; catorce ciudades con sus aldeas.

37 Zenán, y Hadasa, y Migdal-gad,

38 y Dileán, y Mizpa, y Jocteel,

39 Laquis, y Boscat, y Eglón,

40 y Cabón, y Lahmam, y Quitlis,

41 y Gederot, Bet-dagón, y Naama, y Maceda; dieciséis ciudades con sus aldeas.

42 Libna, y Eter, y Asán,

43 y Jifta, y Asena, y Nezib,

44 y Keila, y Aczib, y Maresa; nueve ciudades con sus aldeas.

45 Ecrón con sus villas y sus aldeas.

46 Desde Ecrón hasta el mar, todas las que están a la costa de Asdod con sus aldeas.

47 Asdod con sus villas y sus aldeas; Gaza con sus villas y sus aldeas hasta el río de Egipto, y la gran mar con sus términos.

48 Y en las montañas, Samir, y Jatir, y Soco,

49 y Dana, y Quiriat-sana, que es Debir,

50 y Anab, y Estemoa, y Anim,

51 y Gosén, y Holón, y Gilo; once ciudades con sus aldeas.

52 Arab, y Duma, y Esán,

53 y Janum, y Bet-tapúa, y Afeca,

54 y Humta, y Quiriat-arba, que es Hebrón, y Sior; nueve ciudades con sus aldeas.

55 Maón, Carmel, y Zif, y Juta,

56 Jezreel, Jocdeam, y Zanoa,

57 Caín, Gabaa, y Timna; diez ciudades con sus aldeas.

58 Halhul, y Bet-sur, y Gedor,

59 y Maarat, y Bet-anot, y Eltecón; seis ciudades con sus aldeas.

60 Quiriat-baal, que es Quiriat-jearim, y Rabá; dos ciudades con sus aldeas.

61 En el desierto, Bet-arabá, Midín, y Secaca,

62 y Nibsán, y la Ciudad de la Sal, y Engadi; seis ciudades con sus aldeas.

63 Mas a los jebuseos que habitaban en Jerusalén, los hijos de Judá no los pudieron desarraigar; antes quedó el jebuseo en Jerusalén con los hijos de Judá, hasta hoy.

   

Komentář

 

Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 15

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

Joshua 15: Judah’s territory and more about Caleb.

This chapter describes the territory given to the tribe of Judah, and lists many of its cities and borders. Judah received a major portion of the land of Canaan; its eastern border was the Salt Sea (the Dead Sea), and the western border was the Great Sea (the Mediterranean).

Although Judah was the fourth son of Jacob, he played a more significant role in many of the Old Testament stories than his older brothers did. So, it is not surprising that the tribe of Judah received extensive territory in the south of Canaan, which in later time became the nation of Judah, along with the tribe of Benjamin’s small territory. The name ‘Judah’ also eventually led to the name ‘Jewish’, coming from the Roman province of Judaea. The name ‘Judah’ also means “praise”, specifically praise of God (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 456).

Praise itself is a commendation of a person’s good qualities. To give praise is part of our love for our neighbour; to receive praise underscores our sense of our own value. To praise the Lord is to give thanks to Him, and to affirm the difference that the Lord makes in our life. Ultimately, praise is part of our faith in the Lord to lead us through this life and for eternity.

This uplifting, positive spiritual meaning of Judah does not mean that Judah (the man in the Old Testament) was without faults. He had his flaws, as everyone does, but at times Judah changed the course of events for a better outcome. It was Judah who persuaded his brothers to sell Joseph rather than kill him, and he also offered himself as a hostage for the sake of his brothers (Arcana Caelestia 4815[2]).

Chapter 15 lists very many locations in Judah’s territory. Here are just a few of the places listed, along with their meaning and spiritual significance:

Judah = “praise”

Spiritually = our worship of God

Which includes these, and many more aspects…

Zin = “flat, level ground”

Spiritually = life under God’s guidance

Kadesh Barnea = “holy wanderings”

Spiritually = becoming purified

Beth Hoglah = “house of the partridge”

Spiritually = bringing to birth

En Rogel = “water spring of the foot”

Spiritually = life in everyday activities

Jerusalem = “dwelling place of peace; wholeness”

Spiritually = our highest spiritual state

Nephtoah = “to be open”

Spiritually = to be part of all life

Timnah = “allotted portion”

Spiritually = what the Lord has created me for

Mount Hebron, which was in the territory of Judah, was given to Caleb as an inheritance because of his faithfulness to God. We read in this chapter that he conquers the giants living there, and drives them away from Mount Hebron. Caleb makes a promise that whoever takes the nearby city of Kirjath-sepher will have his daughter, Achsah, for a wife. Caleb’s brother’s son, Othniel, captures the city and marries Achsah. Caleb blesses Achsah and gives her springs of water upon her request, and he also gives Othniel a field.

The spiritual meaning of this touching story is that our spiritual life is intended to come together to be like a family (Arcana Caelestia 3020), just as Caleb, Achsah and Othniel are all close members of a family. Spiritual life is about bringing together our beliefs, our loves and affections, our intentions, and our actions. These different aspects of spiritual life become like one family where everyone – or everything – is interwoven together.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 4815

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

4815. 'That Judah went down from his brothers' means the descendants of Jacob, in particular the tribe of Judah which was separated from the rest. This is clear from the representation of 'Judah' in the universal sense as the descendants of Jacob, and in a particular sense as the tribe called the tribe of Judah; and from the meaning of 'going down from his brothers' as being separated from the rest of the tribes, here as a departure into evil worse than theirs. 'Going down' implies a decline into evil, since 'going up' implies a lifting up to what is good, 3084, 4539. The reason for this is, as also stated already, that the land of Canaan represented the Lord's kingdom, and Jerusalem and Zion in that land the inmost part of this kingdom. But the regions outside the boundaries of that land represented things outside the Lord's kingdom, namely falsity and evil. Consequently the expression 'to go down' was used when going from Zion and Jerusalem towards the boundaries of the land, but 'to go up' when going from the boundaries towards Jerusalem and Zion. This is why 'going up' implies a lifting up to truth and goodness, and 'going down' a decline into falsity and evil. As the reference here is to the falsity and evil into which the tribe of Judah declined, the expression 'Judah went down' is used, and after that 'he turned aside to a man, an Adullamite', 'turning aside' meaning that it declined into falsity and then into evil.

[2] It is well known that the tribe of Judah was separated from the rest of the tribes. The reason for the separation was so that the tribe might represent the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the rest of the tribes His spiritual kingdom. This being so, Judah also describes, in the representative sense, the celestial man, and in the universal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, 3654, 3881. The rest of the tribes however were referred to by the single term 'the Israelites', for in the representative sense Israel describes the spiritual man, and in the universal sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 3654, 4286.

[3] The decline of the tribe of Judah into evil worse than that of the rest is the particular meaning of these words - 'and Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside'. The departure of the tribe of Judah into evil worse than that of the rest is clear from many places in the Word, in particular in the Prophets, as in Jeremiah,

Her treacherous sister Judah saw when, because of all the ways in which estranged Israel committed adultery, I sent her away and gave her a decree of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she also went and committed whoredom, so much so that with the voice of her whoredom she profaned the land; she committed adultery with stone and wood. Yet for all this treacherous Judah has not returned to Me. Estranged Israel has justified her soul more than treacherous Judah. Jeremiah 3:7-11.

And in Ezekiel,

Her sister did indeed see, yet she corrupted her own love more than she, and her own acts of whoredom beyond her sister's acts of whoredom. Ezekiel 23:11-end.

These, in addition to many others elsewhere, are references to Jerusalem and Samaria, that is, to the tribe of Judah and the tribes of Israel.

[4] Described in the internal sense of this chapter is the way in which that tribe sank into falsity, and from this into evil, and at length into that which was wholly idolatrous. This, it is true, is described in the internal sense even before that tribe was separated from the rest and before it came to be as mentioned above. But that which is contained in the internal sense is Divine, and to the Divine future things are also present ones. See what was foretold about that nation in Deuteronomy 31:16-21; 32:15-43.

  
/ 10837  
  

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