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出埃及記第18章

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1 摩西的岳父,米甸祭司葉忒羅,摩西的百姓以色列所行的一切事,就是耶和華以色列埃及領出來的事,

2 便帶著摩西的妻子西坡拉,就是摩西從前打發回去的,

3 又帶著西坡拉的兩個兒子個名叫革舜,因為摩西:我在外邦作了寄居的;

4 個名叫以利以謝因為他:我父親幫助了我,救我脫離法老的刀。

5 摩西的岳父葉忒羅帶著摩西的妻子和兩個兒子,就是摩西在曠野安營的地方。

6 他對摩西:我是你岳父葉忒羅,帶著你的妻子和兩個兒子到你這裡。

7 摩西迎接他的岳父,向他下拜,與他親嘴,彼此問安,都進了帳棚。

8 摩西耶和華以色列的緣故向法老埃及人所行的一切事,以及上所遭遇的一切艱難,並耶和華怎樣搭救他們,都述說與他岳父聽。

9 葉忒羅因耶和華以色列的一切處,就是拯救他們脫離埃及人,便甚歡喜。

10 葉忒羅耶和華是應當稱頌的;他救了你們脫離埃及人法老的,將這百姓從埃及人救出來。

11 我現今在埃及人向這百姓發狂傲的事上得知,耶和華比萬

12 摩西的岳父葉忒羅把燔祭和平安祭獻給亞倫以色列的長老來了,與摩西的岳父在面前飯。

13 第二天,摩西坐著審判百姓,百姓從到晚都站在摩西的左右。

14 摩西的岳父見他向百姓所做的一切事,就:你向百姓做的是甚麼事呢?你為甚麼獨自坐著,眾百姓從到晚都站在你的左右呢?

15 摩西對岳父:這是因百姓到我這裡求問

16 他們有事的時候就到我這裡,我便在兩造之間施行審判;我又叫他們知道的律例和度。

17 摩西的岳父:你這做的不

18 你和這些百姓必都疲憊;因為這事太重,你獨自一人辦理不了。

19 現在你要我的。我為你出個主意,願與你同在。你要替百姓到面前,將案件奏告

20 又要將律例和度教訓他們,指示他們當行的道,當做的事;

21 並要從姓中揀選有才能的人,就是敬畏、誠實無妄、恨不義之財的人,派他們作夫長、夫長、五十夫長、夫長,管理姓,

22 叫他們隨時審判百姓,事都要呈到你這裡,小事他們自己可以審判。這樣,你就輕省些,他們也可以同當此任。

23 你若這樣行,也這樣吩咐你,你就能受得住,這百姓也都平平安安歸回他們的住處。

24 於是,摩西從他岳父的話,按著他所的去行。

25 摩西以色列人中揀選了有才能的人,立他們為姓的首領,作夫長、夫長、五十夫長、夫長。

26 他們隨時審判百姓,有難斷的案件就呈到摩西那裡,但各樣小事他們自己審判。

27 此後,摩西讓他的岳父去,他就往本去了。

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#2643

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2643. 'Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' means that by His own power the Lord implanted the Human within the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' and also of 'Sarah', and from the meaning of 'suckling', and of 'sons'. It has been shown already that 'Abraham' represents Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. 'Milk' means that which is spiritual from a celestial origin, that is, truth deriving from good, see 2184, so that 'suckling' means implanting that truth; And 'sons' means truths, here truths that exist in the Rational, as is clear from the meaning of 'sons', 489-491, 533. The reason why in the internal sense the words under consideration mean that the Lord by His own power implanted the Human within the Divine is that Divine Truth is one and the same as the Divine Human, and when in reference to this it is said 'to suckle sons for Abraham' the meaning is that He implanted the Human within the Divine; and as it was the Human He implanted, He did so by His own power. But scarcely any clearer and more intelligible explanation of these matters is possible. To say more would obscure still further what is meant; for these are Divine matters, which can be presented to angels alone by means of celestial and spiritual things. If presented to men in some more exalted manner those matters would fall into the material and bodily ideas which men possess.

[2] What is more, it should be recognized that it is the nature of the Lord's Divine Rational when it was first born that is being described by these words, 'God has made laughter for me; everyone that hears will laugh for me; and she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle sons?' For this was in keeping with an ancient custom that when an infant was born it was given a name which served to mean the state; and at the same time a description of that state was added, as when Cain was born to Eve and Adam, Genesis 4:1, and when Seth was born to the same, Genesis 4:25; and as when Noah was born to Lamech, Genesis 5:29, Esau and Jacob to Isaac, Genesis 25:25-26, the twelve sons to Jacob, Genesis 29:32-35; 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18, Perez and Zerah to Tamar, Genesis 38:29-30, Manasseh and Ephraim to Joseph, Genesis 41:51-52, and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, Exodus 2:22; 18:4. What all these represent, and what they mean in the internal sense, was embodied in the descriptions added to the names that were given. The same is the case here with what Isaac represents and means. What this name embodies is evident to some small extent from this brief explanation that has been given, but deeper arcana are nevertheless concealed there since they are Divine matters, which no sentences or phrases can be formed to express.

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