旧约 - 约书亚记(Joshua)第18章

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control,
but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.
So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?
Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me.
You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north.
After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God.
The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to them."
As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD."
So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.
Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.
The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:
On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the desert of Beth Aven.
From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.
From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.
The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel.
It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben.
It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah.
It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.
The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.
The tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, had the following cities: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,
Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,
Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba--twelve towns and their villages.
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,
Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah,
Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,
Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath--fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.
约书亚记第十八章   第 18 章 

  书 18:1-2> 神的会幕终于结束了“漂流”!你看── 

  18:1-2 以色列人将许多尚未攻占之地暂且搁下,将宗教中心由吉甲(参 5:8-9 的经文注释)搬到示罗。这可能是设立永久性会幕的头一个地方。神的会幕直译应为 " 神与人会面的地方 " ,神在那里住在祂的百姓中间(参出 25:8 )。会幕设立在全地的中央,使百姓更容易去参加特别的敬拜,并守一年一度的几个宗教节期。 

  以色列人伟大的祭司兼先知撒母耳的家人,就常常去示罗。当撒母耳还是童子的时候,就被母亲带到那里,在会幕里事奉耶和华(参撒上 1:3 , 22 )。在整个士师时代(大约三百年),会幕一直设在示罗。在神的约柜被非利士人夺去的时候(参撒上 4 、 5 两 章),这城显然也被他们毁灭。这个城从来未能名副其实地成为以色列人的宗教中心,以后的经文记述了这城的罪恶和偶像敬拜(参诗 78:56-60 ;耶 7:12-15 )。 

  书 18:2-10> 还未分到地的七个支派,他们的心情如何? 

  18:2-10 以色列人其余的七个支派还没有分到地业,他们聚集到示罗,约书亚在那里给他们拈阄,来决定哪块地归与谁。神使用这种神圣的方法作出选择,而不是由约书亚或任何作领袖的来决定。 

  到这个时候,大多数地区的迦南人势力已被削弱,他们已不再成为威胁。可惜,百姓并没有遵照神的吩咐,除灭残余的迦南人,因这七个支派的人不想惹事生非,遭遇抵抗。也许作为游牧民族,他们不想在一个地方定居,宁可在经济上倚靠那些他们所应当除灭之人。另外有些人可能害怕继续争战要付出重大的代价,且断绝供应。和敌人交易获利,要比靠自己张罗更容易,也更合算。 

  书 18:3-6> 有没有什么工作令我畏惧,拖延不做的? 

  18:3-6 约书亚责问这几个支派不积极准备、前去得地的原因。我们常常因为工作看似重大艰难、令人生厌,而迟迟不做。但是如果持续把工作放下,就显出愚昧,未能善尽管家的职分,更有可能是不顺服神。即使做自己不太喜爱的工作,也需要专心一意,与别人合力同心,多多地打起精神,好好地负起责任。你若想迟延怠慢,请记住这个教训。 

  书 18:8> 拈阄的结果能否代表神的心意? 

  18:8 由拈阄(也可以称为掣签)来决定,是以色列人的一般风俗。我们对于约书亚的时代,究竟用什么方法拈阄所知不多。一种可能是掷骰子,另一种可能是使用两个瓶子,一个瓶里放有各支派的名字,另一个则放所要得之地名,从瓶里取出一个支派,与这支派所得之地相合。他们也可能使用乌陵和土明来决疑(参利 8:8 的经文注释)。不管他们怎样做,这种方法可免去以人的方式选择,让神随祂的心意,把每一块土地分给每个支派。 

  约旦河西的支派 

  书 18:11> 便雅悯地处于…… 

  18:11 便雅悯分得一个狭长的地带,作为犹大和以法莲之间的缓冲区,犹大和以法莲后来统治了这地。 

  书 18:16> 欣嫩子谷,好像跟小孩子有些关系── 

  18:16 在耶利米的时代,欣嫩子谷变成拜摩洛(亚扪人的神)之地。在那些可怕的礼仪之中,有时要将自己的儿女献上为祭。后来,以色列人就在这个谷中焚烧垃圾,及罪人与牲畜的尸体。于是这个地名就成了地狱的同义词。──《灵修版圣经注释》