智慧篇12章——神对罪人的忍耐

智慧篇12章将神对迦南人耐心的管教与对以色列严格的纪律相对照,将神的审判呈现为既公义又满有怜悯。

智慧篇

第12章

  1. 1.因为你的不死灵存在于万物之中。For thy immortal spirit is in all things.
  2. 2.因此,你逐渐地责备那些过错的人,并提醒他们、警告他们所犯的罪,好使他们脱离邪恶,归向你,主。Therefore thou dost correct little by little those who trespass, and dost remind and warn them of the things wherein they sin, that they may be freed from wickedness and put their trust in thee, O Lord.
  3. 3.迦南人所犯的罪孽 从前居住在你圣地上的人The Sins of the Canaanites Those who dwelt of old in thy holy land
  4. 4.你憎恶他们因可憎之事,他们的邪术和不圣洁的仪式,thou didst hate for their detestable practices, their works of sorcery and unholy rites,
  5. 5.他们无情地屠杀儿童,并以人肉和人血作为祭祀的宴席。这些人来自异教邪教的中心,their merciless slaughter of children, and their sacrificial feasting on human flesh and blood. These initiates from the midst of a heathen cult,
  6. 6.这些杀害无辜生命的父母,你愿意通过我们祖先的手将他们毁灭,these parents who murder helpless lives, thou didst will to destroy by the hands of our fathers,
  7. 7.使你最看重的土地能够接纳上帝的仆人中最配得上的一个殖民地。that the land most precious of all to thee might receive a worthy colony of the servants of God.
  8. 8.但你却饶恕了他们,因为他们不过是人,你派遣黄蜂作为你军队的先锋,逐渐消灭他们,But even these thou didst spare, since they were but men, and didst send wasps as forerunners of thy army, to destroy them little by little,
  9. 9.虽然你完全有能力在战场上将不虔之人交在义人手中,或是通过可怕的野兽或你严厉的言语一下子将他们消灭。though thou wast not unable to give the ungodly into the hands of the righteous in battle, or to destroy them at one blow by dread wild beasts or thy stern word.
  10. 10.但你逐渐地审判他们,给他们机会悔改,虽然你知道他们的根源是恶的,他们的邪恶是天生的,他们的思维方式永远不会改变。But judging them little by little thou gavest them a chance to repent, though thou wast not unaware that their origin was evil and their wickedness inborn, and that their way of thinking would never change.
  11. 11.因为他们从起初就是被咒诅的种族,你不是因为怕谁就让他们为自己的罪过不受惩罚。For they were an accursed race from the beginning, and it was not through fear of any one that thou didst leave them unpunished for their sins.
  12. 12.上帝是至高无上的 因为谁能对你说:“你做了什么?” 或谁能抵挡你的审判? 谁能因为你毁灭你所造的国家而指责你? 或谁能为不义的人在你面前辩护?God Is Sovereign For who will say, “What hast thou done?” Or will resist thy judgment? Who will accuse thee for the destruction of nations which thou didst make? Or who will come before thee to plead as an advocate for unrighteous men?
  13. 13.因为除你以外没有别的神,关心所有的人,你要向他们证明,你没有作出不公正的判决;For neither is there any god besides thee, whose care is for all men, to whom thou shouldst prove that thou hast not judged unjustly;
  14. 14.也不再有任何一位君王或君主能够因为你所惩罚的人而与你对抗。nor can any king or monarch confront thee about those whom thou hast punished.
  15. 15.你是公义的,以公义统管万事,认为惩罚不该受罚的人是与你的权能不相称的。Thou art righteous and rulest all things righteously, deeming it alien to thy power to condemn him who does not deserve to be punished.
  16. 16.因为你的力量是公义的源头,你治理万有的权能使你宽容一切。For thy strength is the source of righteousness, and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all.
  17. 17.因为当人们疑惑你的权能的完全时,你便显出你的能力,并且责备那些认识你的人中所有的狂妄。For thou dost show thy strength when men doubt the completeness of thy power, and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
  18. 18.你以强大的力量为君王,用温和公正的态度审判我们,并以极大的忍耐心管教我们;因为你有能力随时行事。Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness, and with great forbearance thou dost govern us; for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose.
  19. 19.上帝通过这些事迹教导以色列人,你教导你的子民,义人必须仁慈,你用美好的希望充满你的儿子,因为你赐予他们因罪得以悔改的机会。God’s Lessons for Israel Through such works thou has taught thy people that the righteous man must be kind, and thou hast filled thy sons with good hope, because thou givest repentance for sins.
  20. 20.因为你如果这样小心和宽容地惩罚你仆人和该死的人的敌人,给他们时间和机会使他们放弃邪恶,For if thou didst punish with such great care and indulgence the enemies of thy servants and those deserving of death, granting them time and opportunity to give up their wickedness,
  21. 21.你用何等严厉审判你的儿子,你曾向他们的祖宗起誓许下了充满美好应许的约和契约!with what strictness thou hast judged thy sons, to whose fathers thou gavest oaths and covenants full of good promises!
  22. 22.所以当你管教我们的时候,你惩罚我们的敌人要厉害十万倍,这样我们在审判的时候可以思想你的良善,在我们被审判的时候可以指望你的怜悯。So while chastening us thou scourgest our enemies ten thousand times more, so that we may meditate upon thy goodness when we judge, and when we are judged we may expect mercy.
  23. 23.埃及人的惩罚 因此那些在愚昧的生活中不公义地生活的人,你通过他们自己的可憎之事使他们受苦。The Punishment of the Egyptians Therefore those who in folly of life lived unrighteously thou didst torment through their own abominations.
  24. 24.因为他们在错误的道路上远远地迷失了,接受那些连敌人都鄙视的动物作为神,他们像愚蠢的婴孩一样被欺骗。For they went far astray on the paths of error, accepting as gods those animals which even their enemies despised; they were deceived like foolish babes.
  25. 25.因此,对于那些妄自尊大的孩子,你派遣你的判断来嘲笑他们。Therefore, as to thoughtless children, thou didst send thy judgment to mock them.
  26. 26.但那些不听从轻微责备警告的人将会经历上帝应得的判断。But those who have not heeded the warning of light rebukes will experience the deserved judgment of God.
  27. 27.因为他们在受苦的时候,愤怒于那些他们曾以为是神的生物,并且被这些生物惩罚,他们看到了并承认了真正的神,就是他们以前拒绝认识的神。因此,他们遭到了最严厉的谴责。For when in their suffering they became incensed at those creatures which they had thought to be gods, being punished by means of them, they saw and recognized as the true God him whom they had before refused to know. Therefore the utmost condemnation came upon them.

这段经文的意思

本章开篇将神的宽容根基定在内在永存的圣灵之上(12:1-2)。由于神的灵维系万有,神并不将罪人全然灭绝,而是渐渐管教他们,唤醒他们想起自己的罪过,使他们得以离开邪恶,归向主。12:2、12:8、12:10中反复出现的句式强调了渐进、有节制的管教,而非突如其来的毁灭。

12:3-11节叙述了原住迦南人的命运,他们的行为列举为行邪术、亵渎的仪式、杀子献祭以及在人肉上的祭祀宴席。经文指出神命定借以色列先祖之手将他们灭绝,却仍视他们为血肉之躯而暂缓刑罚,差遣黄蜂作为军队的前驱,渐次毁灭他们。作者指出,神并非不知道他们与生俱来的邪恶,也明了他们的意念永不会改变,却仍选择给予他们悔改的机会。

结尾的经文(12:12-27)转向神的普世主权。既然没有其他神明如此顾念全人类,就无人能指控神有不公的审判。力量是公义的源头,主权使神宽容一切。本章以将以色列的经历与埃及相联系作结:那些愚昧地敬拜可憎之物的埃及人,正是借着那些动物自身而受折磨,从而认识真神,领受了充分的定罪。

背景

本章注释指出此文本系从智慧篇回填,不属于P0/P1优先章节。材料未附交叉引用或原文词汇条目,故此页仅依据所提供的英文文本。本章内部的脉络为:从神学根基(万物中的神圣灵)转向历史实例(迦南原住民),再进入关于神主权的普世性宣告,最终回到从以色列历史与埃及人所引出的预表性教训。

此段落未提供交叉引用,也未提供原文(希伯来文或希腊文)词汇,因此本页不附外部交叉引用链接,也不出现希腊文或希伯来文的词汇讨论。

常见问题

本章为何说神"一点一点地"管教罪人?

12:2、12:8、12:10中反复出现的句式表明,神的目的是给恶人悔改的机会,而非骤然毁灭他们,即便他们的习性根深蒂固。

本章所谴责的居民是指谁?

经文将他们认定为此圣地的原住民,与行邪术、亵渎的仪式、杀子献祭以及在人肉人血上的祭祀宴席相关(12:3-6)。

本章论及神的能力与怜悯时说了什么?

12:16-18节教导说,神的力量是公义的源头,主权使神宽容一切,神以温和与极大的忍耐施行治理,同时仍随时按其旨意行事。

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