Bibliorum

 

Mga Hukom 19

Study

   

1 At nangyari nang mga araw na yaon, nang walang hari sa Israel, na may isang Levita na nakikipamayan sa malayong dako ng lupaing maburol ng Ephraim, na kumuha ng babae mula sa Bethlehem-juda.

2 At ang kaniyang babae ay nagpatutot at iniwan siya na napasa bahay ng kaniyang ama sa Bethlehem-juda, at dumoon sa loob ng apat na buwan.

3 At ang kaniyang asawa ay yumaon at sumunod sa kaniya, upang makiusap na maigi sa kaniya, na ibalik siya, na kasama ang kaniyang bataan, at dalawang magkatuwang na asno: at ipinasok siya ng babae sa bahay ng kaniyang ama: at nang makita siya ng ama ng babae, ay galak na sinalubong siya.

4 At pinigil siya ng kaniyang biyanan, ng ama ng babae; at siya'y tumahang kasama niya na tatlong araw: sa gayo'y sila'y nagkainan at naginuman, at tumuloy roon.

5 At nangyari nang ikaapat na araw, na sila'y bumangong maaga ng kinaumagahan, at siya'y bumangon upang yumaon: at sinabi ng ama ng babae sa kaniyang manugang, Palakasin mo muna ang iyong puso ng isang subong tinapay, at pagkatapos ay ipagpatuloy ninyo ang inyong lakad.

6 Sa gayo'y naupo sila, at kumain at uminom silang dalawa: at sinabi ng ama ng babae sa lalake, Isinasamo ko sa iyo na magsaya ka, at magpahinga sa buong gabi, at matuwa ang iyong puso.

7 At ang lalake ay bumangon upang umalis; nguni't pinilit siya ng kaniyang biyanan; at siya'y tumigil uli roon.

8 At siya'y bumangong maaga sa kinaumagahan nang ikalimang araw upang yumaon; at sinabi ng ama ng babae, Isinasamo ko sa iyong palakasin mo muna ang iyong puso, at maghintay ka hanggang sa kumulimlim ang araw; at sila'y kumain, silang dalawa.

9 At nang tumindig ang lalake upang yumaon, siya, at ang kaniyang babae, at ang kaniyang bataan, ay sinabi ng kaniyang biyanan, na ama ng kaniyang babae, sa kaniya, Narito, ngayo'y ang araw ay gumagabi na, isinasamo ko sa inyong magpahinga sa buong gabi: narito, ang araw ay nananaw; tumigil dito, upang ang iyong puso ay sumaya; at bukas ay yumaon kayong maaga sa inyong paglakad, upang makauwi ka.

10 Nguni't hindi na inibig ng lalake na magpahinga roon nang gabing yaon, kundi siya'y tumindig at yumaon at tinapat ang Jebus (na siyang Jerusalem): at may dala siyang dalawang magkatuwang na asno na gayak; ang kaniyang babae ay kasama rin niya.

11 Nang sila'y nasa tabi na ng Jebus, ang araw ay nananaw; at sinabi ng bataan sa kaniyang panginoon, Isinasamo ko sa iyo na halina, at tayo'y lumiko sa bayang ito ng mga Jebuseo, at tumigil dito.

12 At sinabi ng kaniyang panginoon sa kaniya, Hindi tayo liliko sa bayan ng iba, na hindi sa mga anak ni Israel; kundi dadaan tayo sa Gabaa.

13 At sinabi niya sa kaniyang alipin, Halina at tayo'y lumapit sa isa sa mga dakong ito; at tayo'y titigil sa Gabaa o sa Rama.

14 Sa gayo'y nagdaan sila at nagpatuloy ng kanilang paglakad; at nilubugan sila ng araw sa malapit sa Gabaa, na nauukol sa Benjamin.

15 At sila'y lumiko roon, upang pumasok na tumigil sa Gabaa: at sila'y pumasok, at naupo sila sa lansangan ng bayan: sapagka't walang taong magpatuloy sa kanila.

16 At, narito, may umuwing isang matandang lalake na galing sa kaniyang paggawa sa bukid sa paglubog ng araw; ang lalake nga'y taga lupaing maburol ng Ephraim, at nakikipamayan sa Gabaa; nguni't ang mga tao sa dakong yaon ay mga Benjamita.

17 At itiningin niya ang kaniyang mga mata, at nakita niya ang naglalakbay sa lansangan ng bayan; at sinabi ng matandang lalake, Saan ka paroroon? at saan ka nanggaling?

18 At sinabi niya sa kaniya, Kami ay nagdadaang mula sa Bethlehem-juda na patungo sa malayong dako ng lupaing maburol ng Ephraim; tagaroon ako at ako'y naparon sa Bethlehem-juda: at ako'y pasasabahay ng Panginoon; at walang taong magpatuloy sa akin.

19 Gayon man ay may dayami at damo para sa aming mga asno; at may tinapay at alak naman para sa akin, at sa iyong lingkod na babae, at sa batang kasama ng iyong mga lingkod: walang kakulangang anomang bagay,

20 At sinabi ng matandang lalake, Kapayapaan nawa ang sumaiyo; sa anomang paraa'y pabayaan mo sa akin ang lahat ng iyong mga kailangan: at huwag ka lamang tumigil sa lansangan.

21 Sa gayo'y kaniyang ipinasok sa kaniyang bahay, at binigyan ng pagkain ang mga asno: at sila'y naghugas ng kanilang mga paa, at nagkainan at naginuman.

22 Nang nangatutuwa na ang kanilang mga puso, narito, ang mga lalake sa bayan, na ilang hamak na tao, ay kinubkob ang bahay sa palibot, na hinahampas ang pintuan; at sila'y nagsalita sa may-ari ng bahay, sa matanda, na sinasabi, Ilabas mo ang lalake na pumasok sa iyong bahay upang makilala namin siya.

23 At lumabas sa kanila ang lalake, ang may-ari ng bahay, at sinabi sa kanila, Huwag, mga kapatid ko, isinasamo ko sa inyong huwag kayong gumawa ng ganiyang kasamaan; yamang ang lalaking ito'y pumasok sa aking bahay, ay huwag ninyong gawin ang kaululang ito.

24 Narito, nandito ang aking anak na dalaga, at ang kaniyang babae; akin silang ilalabas ngayon, at pangayupapain ninyo sila, at gawin ninyo sa kanila ang magalingin ninyo sa kanila: nguni't sa lalaking ito ay huwag kayong gumawa ng anomang masama.

25 Nguni't hindi siya dininig ng mga lalake: sa gayo'y hinawakan ng lalake ang kaniyang babae at inilabas sa kanila: at sinipingan nila siya, at hinalay buong gabi hanggang sa kinaumagahan; at nang magbukang liwayway, ay pinayaon nila siya.

26 Nang magkagayo'y dumating ang babae, pagbubukang liwayway, at nabuwal sa pintuan ng bahay ng lalake, na kinaroroonan ng kaniyang panginoon, hanggang sa lumiwanag.

27 At bumangon ang kaniyang panginoon ng kinaumagahan, at ibinukas ang mga pinto ng bahay, at lumabas na nagpatuloy ng kaniyang lakad: at, narito, ang babae na kaniyang kinakasama ay nakabuwal sa pintuan ng bahay, na ang kaniyang mga kamay ay nasa tayuan.

28 At sinabi niya sa kaniya, Bumangon ka, at tayo na; nguni't walang sumagot: nang magkagayo'y kaniyang isinakay sa asno; at ang lalake ay bumangon, at napasa kaniyang dako.

29 At nang siya'y pumasok sa kaniyang bahay, ay kumuha siya ng isang sundang, at itinaga sa kaniyang babae, at pinagputolputol siya ayon sa kaniyang buto, ng labing dalawang putol; at ipinadala siya sa lahat ng hangganan ng Israel.

30 At nangyari, na lahat ng nakakita ay nagsabi, Walang ganitong gawang ginawa o nakita man mula sa araw na umahon ang mga anak ni Israel na mula sa lupain ng Egipto hanggang sa araw na ito: kayo'y magdilidili, pumayo, at magsalita.

   

Commentarius

 

Exploring the Meaning of Judges 19

By New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

The Levite’s Concubine and the Crime of Gibeah

In many ways the events in this chapter show the further deterioration of the spiritual condition of the people of Israel. It's a terrible story, much like the story of Sodom, much earlier in the Book of Genesis. It ends with some men of Gibeah – a town of Israel – seeking to have sex with a man who is a guest of one of the men of the city. This does not happen; they are instead diverted into an all-night rape of the man’s concubine, so that she is lifeless when he retrieves her body in the morning. He then cuts her up into twelve pieces and sends these throughout the whole territory of Israel.

As we have been saying, these last few chapters of the Book of Judges show clearly that once evil takes hold of a person – even a community or a country – and goes unchecked, and there is no indication of any desire to stop it or to turn from it, it will expand and poison the whole ‘body’. Then there is no distinction between what is good and evil, or between what is true and what is false, and there is no longer any active conscience left to check thoughts, desires and actions. (Arcana Caelestia 977)

The story begins… A Levite, a priest of Israel, takes a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah, but she takes part in prostitution and leaves the priest and goes to her father’s house in Bethlehem. The Levite goes to talk kindly with her, and she takes him into her father’s house where he is made welcome by her father.

The spiritual meaning of this is about a fairly mild situation of disorder and wrong which will form the beginning of all that is to happen. The Levite has a concubine. The concubine takes part in prostitution. The father’s fault seems to be that he keeps delaying the Levite’s departure. Every person lives with their own natures which produce mild disorders which can in fact become useful to us during regeneration. But allowed or left to stay unchecked, these disorders can begin to take hold. (Arcana Caelestia 8407)

The Levite keeps intending to leave, but several times the father of the concubine begs him to stay another night and detains him. Three days there becomes four, another night is spent, and on the fifth day the father urges the Levite to stay and eat and spend another night and go away early the next day. This time the Levite refuses and they leave and get to the town of Jebus, a Canaanite town which will eventually become Jerusalem.

The spiritual meaning of these delays before leaving lies in the danger of not turning away from something which is beginning to hold us and become our new normality. The father is very persuasive, but he is the father of a concubine who prostitutes herself. The Levite senses something is not right, and he insists he will leave. (Divine Providence 329)

The Levite’s servant asks for them to stay in Jebus, but the Levite refuses to stay in a foreign city and says they will go on to Gibeah or Ramah. They come to Gibeah and stay in the square as no one will take them in. An old man passes by and offers to take them into his house, and they go with him.

The spiritual point of this refusal to stay in the foreign city of Jebus but to go on to Gibeah, a city in Israel, is to bring out for us a sense of the abhorrence of what is about to happen there, and the extent of the wrong in Israel. (Apocalypse Revealed 158)

Some men of Gibeah beat on the door demanding that the man staying there come out so that they can sexually abuse him. The old man refuses but offers them his virgin daughter and the visitor’s concubine, but the men refuse. The Levite takes the concubine out of the house to the men and they rape her all night until morning.

The spiritual meaning for us of this story of the men of Gibeah and the concubine stems from the fact that no one in the entire story is blameless, apart from the virgin daughter of the old man. Everyone else is culpable. Spiritually, this reminds us that we are potentially capable of thinking about and even wanting to commit every evil and that regeneration – shunning all evils as sins against God and living in careful obedience to the Word – is the guard against this. (Divine Providence 296)

Abused and left, the concubine falls at the door of the house. In the morning the Levite sees her, bids her get ready to leave, then realises she is dead. He puts her on his donkey and goes to his house. He takes a knife and cuts the concubine into twelve pieces and sends these throughout the whole of Israel. And all who see say that no such thing has been seen since Israel came out of Egypt and end saying, ‘Consider it. Confer. Speak up!’

The spiritual meaning for us in dividing the concubine’s body in twelve parts and distributing them throughout all Israel is to do with our need to examine ourselves and see where our evils lie within us, often hidden and unknown. This is to be done in view of our actions, words, thoughts, intentions and what we might do if there were no penalty. (Divine Providence 149, 152, 278)

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Apocalypse Revealed #738

Studere hoc loco

  
/ 962  
  

738. "Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must remain a short time." This symbolically means that the Word's Divine truths have all been destroyed but this one, that the Lord was given all authority in heaven and on earth, and a second one, which has not yet been called into question, and when it is, will not survive, namely, that the Lord's humanity is Divine.

The number five means, symbolically, not five, but all the others, here all the other Divine truths in the Word, those symbolized by kings. For numbers in the book of Revelation, and in the Word in general, symbolize the character of the things to which they are attached. They are like other adjectives attached to substantives, or like predicate adjectives appended to subjects, as may be seen from the numbers two, three, four, six, seven, ten, twelve, and one hundred and forty-four, explained previously. Here, therefore, the number five symbolizes all the others, because the number seven symbolizes all the sanctities of the Word, and we are told next that one is, and the other has not yet come, thus that out of all there are two that remain.

It is apparent from this that five's having fallen means symbolically that all the rest have been destroyed. They are said to have fallen, because the reference is to kings, who fall by the sword. "One is" symbolizes just this Divine truth, that the Lord has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, in accordance with the Lord's own words in Matthew 28:18, cf. John 13:3; 17:2-3, 10 (see no. 618 above). This one has not been destroyed, because Roman Catholics could not otherwise claim for themselves dominion over everything connected with the church and the Word and over heaven.

[2] The second king that has not yet come, and who, when he comes, must remain a short time, symbolizes a Divine truth which has not yet come into question, and which, when it does, will not survive among Roman Catholics, namely, that the Lord's humanity is Divine. We are told that it must remain a short time, because it is Divinely provided so, regarding which something has been said in nos. 686-687 above.

To be shown that it is a Divine truth that the Lord's humanity is Divine, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord from beginning to end.

This truth has not yet come into question, however, because after Roman Catholics transferred all of the Lord's authority to themselves, they could not acknowledge the Lord's humanity as Divine, for then the laity and common people would say that they had transferred to themselves a Divine authority, and thus that the Pope was God and his ministers gods. But that it still will come into question can be seen from its being so foretold here in the book of Revelation.

[3] That Roman Catholics see this second truth, namely that the Lord's humanity is Divine - even though with eyes as though closed - is apparent from the following tenets among them: that they say that not only is the Lord's body and blood present in the Eucharist, but also His soul and Divinity, thus that in it is an omnipresence of both His Humanity and His Divinity, and His humanity could not be omnipresent in it unless it were Divine. They also say that through the Eucharist Christ is present in them, and they in Him, with respect to both His body and blood and also His soul and Divinity, and they say this in speaking of His humanity. They could not say this, because it would be not be possible, unless the Lord's humanity were Divine.

In addition to this, they say also that the saints will reign with Christ, and that Christ is to be worshiped and the saints invoked and venerated. They say, too, that Christ is the true light, and that in Him they live and are worthy of His merit, and other like things which involve the Divinity of His humanity.

These observations come from the proceedings of the Council of Trent and the bull confirming them. Thus Roman Catholics see this truth, as we said, but as though with eyes closed.

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.