1
Jos 22:1-9.
英文原文
Jos 22:1-9.
JOSHUA DISMISSES THE TWO TRIBES AND A HALF, WITH A BLESSING.
1. Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh--The general war of invasion being ended and the enemy being in so dispirited and isolated a condition that each tribe, by its own resources or with the aid of its neighboring tribe, was able to repress any renewed hostilities, the auxiliary Israelites from the eastern side of the Jordan were now discharged from service. Joshua dismissed them with high commendations for their fidelity and earnest admonitions to cultivate perpetual piety in life. The redundancy of the language is remarkable
[Jos 22:2-5].
It shows how important, in the judgment of the venerable leader, a steadfast observance of the divine law was to personal happiness, as well as national prosperity.
3
無標題
3. 你們這些日子沒有撇下你們的弟兄，直到今日——前後共計七年之久。
英文原文
3. Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day--for the space of seven years.
4
無標題
4-7. 你們回帳棚去吧——意即回家，因為他們的家眷都留在堅固的城裏
(民 32:17)。
英文原文
4-7. get you unto your tents--that is, home; for their families had been left in fortified towns
(Nu 32:17).
8
無標題
8. 對他們說話，說：你們帶回許多財物——即牛羊、衣物和貴重的金屬。
將仇敵的掠物分給你們的弟兄——
(參
民 31:25-39)。
英文原文
8. he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches--in cattle, clothes, and precious metals.
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren--(See on
Nu 31:25-39).
10
Jos 22:10.
書 22:10。
他們在歸途上築壇為證
10. 他們到了約旦河一帶迦南地的境界，流便的子孫……在那裏築了一座壇——這座壇大概是一大堆石頭和泥土。一般譯者認為它是建在約旦河岸上、迦南本境之內。但稍加細察，便會得出無可推諉的結論：它的位置在河的東岸；理由有二：第一，因為經上說
(書 22:11)
它是建在「對面」，即在迦南地能望見之處——而非在迦南境內；第二，因為約旦河東的以色列人明說他們築壇的動機，是為防止迦南的弟兄日後說：「日後你們與耶和華以色列的神有甚麼關涉呢？因為耶和華使約旦河作我們和你們的交界」，等等
[書 22:24、25]。
這兩個半支派既在約旦河東自己境內有一座與示羅祭壇相同的複製品，作為他們敬奉同一真神、奉行同樣敬拜之禮的見證，上述那種譏誚顯然便可被防止或駁倒。
英文原文
Jos 22:10.
THEY BUILD THE ALTAR OF TESTIMONY ON THEIR JOURNEY.
10. when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben . . . built there an altar by Jordan--This altar was probably an immense pile of stones and earth. The generality of our translators supposes that it was reared on the banks of the Jordan, within the limits of Canaan proper. But a little closer examination seems to make the conclusion irresistible that its position was on the eastern side of the river, for these two reasons; first, because it is said
(Jos 22:11)
to have been built "over against," or in the sight of the land of Canaan--not within it; and secondly, because the declared motive of the trans-jordanic Israelites in erecting it was to prevent their brethren in Canaan ever saying, "in time to come, What have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you," &c.
[Jos 22:24, 25].
Such a taunt would be obviously prevented or confuted by the two tribes and a half having on the eastern side of Jordan, within their own land, a facsimile of the altar at Shiloh, as a witness that they acknowledged the same God and practised the same rites of worship as the brethren in Canaan.
11
Jos 22:11-29.
書 22:11-29。
因此而起爭論
11-29. 以色列人聽見說——風聲很快便把約旦河東兩支派所作的事傳開。這事既被懷疑有拜偶像的企圖，眾支派便群情激憤，聚集到示羅的會幕前，決意向這兩個半支派宣戰，視之為背道之民。但經過較冷靜、較成熟的商議，他們決定先派一個使團——由大祭司之子及每支派各十位首腦人物組成——去查究這一傳聞中的背叛神之舉
(申 13:13-15)。
使團成員的規格，顯出他們對維護以色列全境神聖敬拜之純潔何等關切。使團既假定這兩個半支派果真築了一座壇，便對他們這麼快就犯了破壞敬拜獨一真神之統一這樣的大罪，深表驚駭
(出 20:24；
利 17:8、9；
申 12:5-13)。
他們提醒河東的弟兄，當年在毗珥的背道和亞干的罪給全國招來何等慘重的災禍；最後又勸勉他們，若他們覺得缺少會幕和祭壇，悔悟自己因貪圖世俗利益而輕忽宗教特權的輕率選擇，便當遷到約旦河西去，好使各支派在那裏組成一個合一、順服的敬拜群體。
英文原文
Jos 22:11-29.
CONTENTION THEREUPON.
11-29. and the children of Israel heard say--Fame speedily spread intelligence of what the trans-jordanic tribes had done. The act being suspected of some idolatrous design, the tribes rose in a mass, and repairing to the tabernacle at Shiloh, resolved to declare war against the two tribes and a half as apostates from God. On calmer and more mature consideration, however, they determined, in the first instance, to send a deputation consisting of the son of the high priest, and ten eminent persons from each tribe, to make inquiry into this rumored rebellion against God
(De 13:13-15).
The quality of the deputies evinced the deep solicitude that was felt on the occasion to maintain the purity of the divine worship throughout Israel. In the presumptive belief that the two tribes and a half had really built an altar, the deputies expressed astonishment at their so soon falling into such a heinous crime as that of violating the unity of divine worship
(Ex 20:24; Leviticus 17:8, 9; De 12:5-13).
They reminded their eastern brethren of the disastrous consequences that were entailed on the nation at large by the apostasy at Peor and by the sin of Achan, and finally exhorted them, if they felt the want of the tabernacle and altar and repented of their rash choice in preferring worldly advantages to religious privileges, to remove to the western side of the Jordan, where all the tribes would form a united and obedient community of worshippers.
21
無標題
21. 於是流便的子孫……回答說——他們以最強烈的措辭駁斥了所控之罪，並聲明他們不但絕無被歸罪之意，其唯一目的不過是要記念他們與以色列的聯盟
[書 22:24、25]，
並表明他們堅守對以色列之神的敬拜
[書 22:26、27]。
英文原文
21. Then the children of Reuben . . . answered--repudiating, in the strongest terms, the alleged crime, and deponing that so far from entertaining the intention imputed to them, their only object was to perpetuate the memory of their alliance with Israel
[Jos 22:24, 25],
and their adherence to the worship of Israel's God
[Jos 22:26, 27].
30
Jos 22:30-34.
書 22:30-34。
使者滿意而回
英文原文
Jos 22:30-34.
THE DEPUTIES SATISFIED.
33
無標題
33, 34. 這事在以色列人眼中看為好——這一番解釋不但使使者們完全滿意，更引出他們無限喜樂與感恩的話語。「今日我們才知道耶和華在我們中間」
[書 22:31]，
即藉著祂恩惠的同在與先行的恩典，使你們不致陷入被猜疑的罪中，又救全國免遭弟兄相殘之戰或神降的刑罰。這一段事蹟使各方都得了榮耀，也顯明那些進入迦南的百姓，其敬虔與為神榮耀和敬拜而發的熱心，遠遠超過以色列歷史中許多其他時期所能見到的。
英文原文
33, 34. the thing pleased the children of Israel--The explanation not only gave perfect satisfaction to the deputies, but elicited from them expressions of unbounded joy and thankfulness. "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us"
[Jos 22:31],
that is, by His gracious presence and preventing goodness, which has kept you from falling into the suspected sin and rescued the nation from the calamity of a fratricidal war or providential judgments. This episode reflects honor upon all parties and shows that piety and zeal for the honor and worship of God animated the people that entered Canaan to an extent far beyond what was exemplified in many other periods of the history of Israel.
書 22:1-9。
約書亞為兩個半支派祝福並打發他們回去
1. 當時約書亞召了流便人、迦得人和瑪拿西半支派的人——侵略之戰既已結束，敵人又如此喪膽孤立，以至於每個支派憑自己的力量、或借助鄰近支派之力，便足以壓制任何重新挑起的敵對行動，約旦河東的以色列援軍便在此時解散了。約書亞為他們的忠心給予高度的稱讚，又懇切地囑咐他們要在生活中持守恆久的敬虔。其言辭之重複冗長，值得注意
[書 22:2-5]。
這顯出在這位德高望重的領袖看來，堅定地遵守神的律法，對個人的幸福和國家的繁榮是何等重要。