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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#8715

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8715. 'And rulers of tens' means first and foremost truths in third place. This is clear from the meaning of 'rulers' as first and foremost truths, as above; and from the meaning of 'tens' also as much or many, but in a smaller degree since they come below hundreds. For the meaning of 'tens' or 'ten' also as many, see 3107, 4638.

The placement of the rulers over a thousand, over a hundred, or over ten, represented in the abstract sense, separately from any idea of numbers, many truths in first, second, and third degrees. This use of the numbers is like that found elsewhere in the Word, for example where the Lord said of the servant that he owed ten thousand talents and that the fellow-servant owed him a hundred denarii, Matthew 18:24, 28, and where He speaks of the king, about to make war against another king, considering whether He was able with ten thousand to meet the other who was coming with twenty thousand, Luke 14:31.

Likewise in John,

An angel coming down from heaven laid hold of the dragon, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years had come to an end. The rest of the dead did not live again before the thousand years came to an end. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:1-3, 5, 7.

Here 'a thousand' does not mean a thousand but much, without the idea of some number.

Likewise in Moses,

Jehovah shows mercy to a thousand generations who love Him. Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:9-10; 7:9; Jeremiah 32:18.

In David,

The word He has commanded to a thousand generations. Psalms 105:8.

In the same author,

A thousand will fall at your side, and a myriad at your right hand; it will not come near you. Psalms 91:7.

In the same author,

The chariots of God are myriad on myriad 1 , thousands of peacemakers. Psalms 68:17.

In the same author,

Our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. Psalms 144:13.

In the same author,

A thousand years in Your eyes are as a day. Psalms 90:4.

The situation is much the same with a hundred and with ten, for a smaller number or a factor is similar in meaning to the powers of that number, 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973. For the meaning of 'a hundred' and 'ten' also as much, see 3107, 4400, 4638.

脚注:

1. Lit. two myriads.

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

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#7973

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7973. 'Around six hundred thousand men on foot' means all aspects of the truth and good of faith in their entirety. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'six hundred thousand' as all aspects of faith in their entirety, for this number is a multiple of six and also of twelve, and 'twelve' means all aspects of faith and charity, 577, 2089, 2129 (end), 2130 (end), 3272, 3858, 3913. This is why Jacob's sons were twelve in number, why their descendants were divided into the same number of tribes, and also why the Lord chose twelve disciples, that is to say, in order that they might represent all aspects of faith and charity. Regarding the tribes, see 3858, 3862, 3926, 3979, 4060, 6335, 6737, 6640, 7876, 7891; and regarding the disciples, 3354, 3488, 5858 (end), 6397.

[2] At this point 'six hundred thousand' has a similar meaning because a larger or smaller number that is a multiple or a factor carries a meaning similar to that of the simple numbers that are being multiplied or divided, 5291, 5335, 5708. This is plainly evident from the number twelve. Whether this is divided into six or multiplied into seventy-two, 144 (which is twelve twelves), 12000, or 144000, the meaning is similar, as with 144000 in John,

I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel - out of each tribe twelve thousand. Revelation 7:4-5 and following verses.

Here 'the children of Israel' is not used to mean the children of Israel, 'tribes' the tribes, or 'the number' a number, but to mean the kinds of things contained in the internal sense, namely all aspects of faith and charity. Each tribe in particular accordingly means one kind or one group, in keeping with the explanations at Genesis 29, 30.

[3] Similarly with the following in the same author,

Behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144000, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. They were singing a new song before the throne, and no one could learn the song except 144000 bought from the earth. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were bought from men (homo), being the first fruits to God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:1, 3-4.

From this description it is evident that those governed by charity are meant by 144000. It is also evident that the sole purpose of this number is to indicate the state and its essential nature. That number is similar to twelve in what it indicates, for it is the product of 12000 and it multiplied.

[4] It is similar with the smaller number 144, Which is twelve times twelve, in the same author,

He measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, 144 cubits, which is the measure of a man (homo), that is, of an angel. Revelation 21:2, 17.

'The wall of the holy Jerusalem' is not in the spiritual sense a wall; instead it is the truth of faith defending things of the Church, see 6419; and this also is why it is said to have been '144 cubits'. It is plainly evident that such must be meant, since it says 'it is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel'. 'Man' and 'angel' mean every aspect of the truth and good of faith.

[5] The same is also evident from the twelve precious stones that the foundation of the wall consisted of, and from the twelve gates, each of which was a pearl, Revelation 21:19-21. For by 'precious stones' truths of faith that spring from the good of charity are meant, 643, 3720, 6426, and similarly by 'gate' and also by 'pearl'. From this it is now clear that a smaller or larger number carries a meaning similar to the simple number that is divided or multiplied. As regards the fact that all numbers in the Word mean spiritual things, see 481, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4164, 4495, 4670, 5265.

[6] From these considerations one may now see that the number 'six hundred thousand' men going out of Egypt also means such things. But scarcely anyone is able to believe that such are meant by this number because it refers to a historical event; and any historical event fixes the mind all the time on the external sense and draws it away from the internal sense. Nevertheless that number too means such spiritual things, for there is not a part of a word, not even indeed one jot or one tittle in the Word, that is not in itself holy, because it holds what is holy within it. Anyone at all can see that there is nothing holy about a merely historical event.

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