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Psalms第23章 : The 23rd Psalm

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1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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The 23rd Psalm

原作者: Brian David

The Lord as Shepherd, by Nana Schnarr

The 23rd Psalm is one of the best-known and most-loved literary works in the world, and it may well be the best poem ever written. It is also a fine example of the power of figurative language: We read deep things into the vision of ourselves as sheep, led to green pastures and good water by a kind shepherd. It’s empowering to feel the confidence to go fearlessly into the valley of the shadow of death, and to feel the love and caring of a table prepared by the Lord and a cup so full it overflows.

What people don’t know, however, is that this language actually has precise internal meanings, and that when we see them there is an even deeper beauty in the poem. That’s because what it actually describes is the path to heaven, and the fierce desire the Lord has to lead us there.

The first step is to let the Lord be our shepherd – to accept His teaching and His leadership. The green pastures and the still waters represent the things He will teach us for the journey. Then He begins working inside is, setting our spiritual lives in order, so that we desire to do what’s good and to love one another. That’s represented by restoring our souls and leading us in the paths of righteousness.

But we will still face challenges. We still live external lives, out in the world, and we are subject to desires that arise in those externals, in our bodily lives. That’s the valley of the shadow of death. But the rod and staff represent truth from the Lord on both external and internal levels, ideas that can defend us against those desires.

And if we keep following, the Lord will prepare a table for us – a place inside us that he can fill with love (the anointing oil) and wisdom (the overflowing cup). Thus transformed, we can enter heaven, with love for others (“goodness”) and love from the Lord (“mercy”) and can love and be loved to eternity.

One of many beautiful things about this is the fact that it is the Lord who really does all the work. In the whole text, the only action taken by the sheep is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Other than that, they follow the Lord, trust the Lord, accept the blessings of the Lord. And that is really true! In external states (in the valley) we might seem to be doing the work ourselves, but internally, spiritually, we simply need to give ourselves to the Lord and let Him bless us.

The underlying idea here is that the Lord created us so that He could love us, in loving us wants us to be happy, knows that our greatest happiness will come from being conjoined to Him in heaven, and Himself wants nothing more than to be conjoined to us. So everything He does, in every moment of every day for every person on the face of the planet, is centered on the goal of getting that person to heaven. He wants each and every one of us in heaven more than we are capable of imagining. We just need to cooperate.

(参考: Apocalypse Explained 375 [34], 727 [2]; The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 273)

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Arcana Coelestia#1788

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1788. That 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities which is able to be trusted is clear without explanation, for repeated usage has made the saying familiar that 'Jehovah is a shield and buckler'. But what is meant specifically by 'a shield' becomes clear from the Word, namely that in reference to the Lord it means protection, and in reference to man trust in the Lord's protection. As 'war' means temptations, as shown in 1664, so every implement of war means some specific aspect of temptation and of defence against evils and falsities, that is, against the devil's crew who bring temptation about and do the tempting. Consequently 'shield' means one thing, 'buckler' another, 'target' another, 'helmet' another, 'spear' and also 'javelin' another, 'sword' another, 'bow and arrows' another, and 'breastplate' another. In the Lord's Divine mercy these will be dealt with individually later on.

[2] The reason why in reference to the Lord 'a shield' means protection against evils and falsities, and in reference to man trust in the Lord, is that it was a means of protection to the breast, and 'the breast' meant good and truth - good because the heart is within it, and truth because the lungs are within it. That 'a shield' has this meaning is clear in David,

Blessed be Jehovah my rock who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for war; my mercy, and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I trust. Psalms 144:1-2.

Here 'battle' and 'war' are the battle and war of temptations, and in the internal sense, of the Lord's temptations. 'A shield' in reference to Jehovah is protection, and in reference to man trust, as is quite evident.

[3] In the same author,

O Israel, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. You who fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah! He is their help and their shield. Psalms 115:9-11.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,

Jehovah is my fortress, my God in whom I will trust. He will cover you with His wing, and under His wings will you put your trust. His truth is a buckler and target. Psalms 91:2, 4.

Here 'buckler and target' stands for protection against falsities.

[4] In the same author,

Jehovah is my rock (petra) and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock (rupee) in whom I trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation. Jehovah is a shield for all who trust in Him. Psalms 18:2, 30.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same author,

You who test the heart 1 and reins, a righteous God; my shield is with God who saves the upright in heart. Isaiah 7:9, 10.

'Shield' stands for trust. In the same author,

You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand will support me. Psalms 18:35.

'Shield' stands for trust.

[5] In the same author,

The shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted. Psalms 47:9.

'Shields' stands for trust. In the same author,

Jehovah God is a sun and shield; grace and glory will Jehovah give; no good thing will be withheld from those walking blamelessly. Psalms 84:11.

'Shield' stands for protection. In Moses,

Your blessings, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved in Jehovah, the shield of your help, and One who is the sword of your excellency! Your enemies will be mistaken in regard to you. Deuteronomy 33:29.

'Shield' stands for protection.

[6] Even as weapons of war are attributed to those engaged in conflicts brought about by temptations, so also are the same weapons attributed to the enemies assailing and tempting. When attributed to the latter, the contrary meanings held by those weapons is being expressed; for example, 'a shield' in this case means the evils and falsities from which those enemies fight, and which they defend, and in which they put their trust, as in Jeremiah,

Prepare shield and buckler, and advance for battle. Harness the horses, and mount, O horsemen! Take up your stations in your helmets, polish your lances, put on your breastplates. Jeremiah 46:3-4.

There are many more examples besides these.

脚注:

1. literally, hearts

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