旧约 - 约书亚记(Joshua)第10章

Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and were living near them.
He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters.
So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon.
"Come up and help me attack Gibeon," he said, "because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites."
Then the five kings of the Amorites--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon--joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.
The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us."
So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men.
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you."
After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise.
The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.
As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."
So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.
There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah,
he said, "Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it.
But don't stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don't let them reach their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand."
So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely--almost to a man--but the few who were left reached their fortified cities.
The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.
Joshua said, "Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me."
So they brought the five kings out of the cave--the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon.
When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.
Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."
Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening.
At sunset Joshua gave the order and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had been hiding. At the mouth of the cave they placed large rocks, which are there to this day.
That day Joshua took Makkedah. He put the city and its king to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it. He left no survivors. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Makkedah to Libnah and attacked it.
The LORD also gave that city and its king into Israel's hand. The city and everyone in it Joshua put to the sword. He left no survivors there. And he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish; he took up positions against it and attacked it.
The LORD handed Lachish over to Israel, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
Meanwhile, Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army--until no survivors were left.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Lachish to Eglon; they took up positions against it and attacked it.
They captured it that same day and put it to the sword and totally destroyed everyone in it, just as they had done to Lachish.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglon to Hebron and attacked it.
They took the city and put it to the sword, together with its king, its villages and everyone in it. They left no survivors. Just as at Eglon, they totally destroyed it and everyone in it.
Then Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and attacked Debir.
They took the city, its king and its villages, and put them to the sword. Everyone in it they totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did to Debir and its king as they had done to Libnah and its king and to Hebron.
So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded.
Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon.
All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.
约书亚记第十章   第 10 章 

  书 10:5-8> 坏事也能变好事,五王集结进攻,反而…… 

  10:5-8 迦南地南方诸王的联盟,实际上是帮了约书亚和以色列军的忙。因为他们合力攻打基遍,使约书亚前往施援,反而不需要将这些王所属的坚固城逐一击破,而可以将他们一举歼灭。他满有把握地与联军对抗,只一仗便打败了他们,因为他信靠神已经使以色列人得胜有余了。 

  书 10:6-7> 受骗后能否不计前嫌? 

  10:6-7 约书亚对基遍人的回覆,显出他的正直。他和首领受他们欺骗以后,本可以慢慢地前往援救,但是他们仍立刻赶去施援。如果你受到欺骗,对于欺骗你的人你会乐意去帮助他吗?我们应当像约书亚一样信守诺言。 

  基遍之战 

  书 10:12-14> 太阳真的停住了吗?是不是夸张的文学手法? 

  10:12-14 太阳怎能停住不动?就地球而论,太阳当然是不动的──乃是地球绕着太阳旋转。不过我们不要因为这卷书的遣词用字,就怀疑这个神迹,因为大家都习惯说太阳升起和落下,我们总不至于对地球和太阳的运行混淆不清。这段的重点不在于神使用什么特别的方法,把时间延长,而是在这一天白天的时间确实延长了。 

  对这件事有两种解释:( 1 )照希伯来文原文,似乎指地球不按正常的情形转动而缓慢下来,使约书亚有更多的时间作战。( 2 )太阳光线有一种不寻常的屈折,使以色列人多了争战的时间。不管神用了什么方法,圣经明确地说明,神用神迹使这一日延长;而祂的介入,也使战争变得对百姓有利。 

  书 10:13> 雅煞珥书没编入圣经中,其权威性如何? 

  10:13 雅煞珥书(在撒下 1:18 也提到这卷书)可能是以诗体记载的历史文集。圣经有许多地方引用以前的经卷,也引过诗歌、口述和笔录的资料。因为神引导作者选用这些资料,其信息就具有神的权威性。 

  书 10:24> 脚踏在王的颈项上是什么意思? 

  10:24 把脚踏在仇敌的颈项上,是古代近东的军事惯例,表示得胜者制伏了俘虏。这些骄傲的王曾经夸耀武力,现在全以色列人都看出,神远超乎世上一切的军队。 

  书 10:25> 昔日,神助以色列人争战,今日,神为所有基督徒争战── 

  10:25 以色列人靠神的帮助,胜过亚摩利人的五王。这样的胜利是神大能的彰显,祂要藉着百姓得胜。约书亚吩咐以色列人切勿惧怕,因为神要使他们胜过所有的仇敌。祂常常保护我们,为我们争战得胜。过去领导我们的神,必然会帮助我们,供给我们现在与未来的需要。我们要切记,祂过去的帮助,对我们在未来的奋斗,会带来大盼望。 

  书 10:32> 当荣耀来临时,是居功邀赏,还是赞美感谢神? 

  10:32 请留意圣经的记载,人所有的胜利,都是耶和华所赐的。胜利都是出于神。在成功的时候,会有一种试探,叫我们将一切的功劳与光荣归于自己,好似一切全靠自己的力量而得。其实是祂使我们得胜,独有祂拯救我们脱离仇敌;因祂的良善,我们应当归荣耀与祂并赞美祂。 

  书 10:40-43> 对敌人要一鼓作气地消灭,对罪也是如此── 

  10:40-43 神吩咐约书亚领导百姓,除灭迦南地的罪恶,好让祂的子民占领那地。约书亚尽他的本分贯彻使命──率领全军,打击当地人。在神吩咐我们不要犯罪的时候,我们不可停下来争辩,看有无妥协的可能,或者找理由来解释一番。当像约书亚一样,迅速而彻底地回应神。一切能使我们犯罪的人际关系与活动,都要不讲情面地避开。──《灵修版圣经注释》