智慧书 16 — 吗哪、铜蛇与医治之话

本章将不敬虔之人的惩罚与神对他子民的眷顾并列陈明,论证同一受造之物按造物主的旨意,或施行审判,或施予怜悯。

智慧篇

第16章

  1. 1.因此,那些人理所应当地通过这些生物受到惩罚,并被大量的动物折磨。Therefore those men were deservedly punished through such creatures, and were tormented by a multitude of animals.
  2. 2.你没有施行这惩罚,反而向你的百姓施行仁慈,并为他们预备了鹌鹑作为食物,来满足他们口中的欲望;Instead of this punishment thou didst show kindness to thy people, and thou didst prepare quails to eat, a delicacy to satisfy the desire of appetite;
  3. 3.为了使那些人,当他们渴望食物时,因所派遣的可憎之物而失去对食物的最后一点渴望;而你的子民,在短暂的饥饿之后,却能享用美食。in order that those men, when they desired food, might lose the least remnant of appetite because of the odious creatures sent to them, while thy people, after suffering want a short time, might partake of delicacies.
  4. 4.因为那些暴虐的压迫者必须遭受不可避免的灾祸,而这些人只是被显明他们的敌人如何受折磨。For it was necessary that upon those oppressors inexorable want should come, while to these it was merely shown how their enemies were being tormented.
  5. 5.当野兽的猛烈愤怒临到你的人民的时候,他们被蜿蜒的蛇咬伤,你的愤怒并没有延续到底;For when the terrible rage of wild beasts came upon thy people and they were being destroyed by the bites of writhing serpents, thy wrath did not continue to the end;
  6. 6.他们暂时受了警戒,得了脱离的凭据,叫他们记念你的命令和律法。they were troubled for a little while as a warning, and received a token of deliverance to remind them of thy law’s command.
  7. 7.因为向它转过来的都得救了,不是因为他们所看见的,而是因为你,万人的救主。For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by thee, the Savior of all.
  8. 8.并且藉此你也使我们的敌人相信,正是你能救我们脱离一切灾祸。And by this also thou didst convince our enemies that it is thou who deliverest from every evil.
  9. 9.因为他们被蝗虫和苍蝇的叮咬所杀,没有为他们寻得医治,因为他们该受这样的刑罚;For they were killed by the bites of locusts and flies, and no healing was found for them, because they deserved to be punished by such things;
  10. 10.但你的儿子们没有被毒蛇的牙齿所征服,因为你的怜悯帮助了他们,治愈了他们。but thy sons were not conquered even by the teeth of venomous serpents, for thy mercy came to their help and healed them.
  11. 11.为了提醒他们你的言语,他们受到了咬伤,随后很快得到了解救,这样他们就不会陷入深深的忘恩之中,也不会对你的仁慈变得无动于衷。To remind them of thy oracles they were bitten, and then were quickly delivered, lest they should fall into deep forgetfulness and become unresponsive to thy kindness.
  12. 12.因为无论是药物还是敷料都不能治愈他们,但却是你的话,主啊,你的话治愈了所有的人。For neither herb nor poultice cured them, but it was thy word, O Lord, which heals all men.
  13. 13.因为你掌管着生死大权,你引导人下到阴间的门户,又使人归回。For thou hast power over life and death; thou dost lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again.
  14. 14.一个人的邪恶导致他杀死另一个人,但他却无法使已离去的灵魂归来,也不能释放被囚禁的灵魂。A man in his wickedness kills another, but he cannot bring back the departed spirit, nor set free the imprisoned soul.
  15. 15.灾难性的风暴袭击埃及,想要逃脱你的手是根本不可能的;Disastrous Storms Strike Egypt To escape from thy hand is impossible;
  16. 16.那些不虔诚的人,不肯认识你,他们被你手臂的力量惩罚,遭受异常的雨、 hail 和无休止的风暴,并被火完全吞灭。for the ungodly, refusing to know thee, were scourged by the strength of thy arm, pursued by unusual rains and hail and relentless storms, and utterly consumed by fire.
  17. 17.因为——最不可思议的是——在水中,水能浇灭一切,火却产生了更大的效果,因为宇宙在保护义人。For—most incredible of all—in the water, which quenches all things, the fire had still greater effect, for the universe defends the righteous.
  18. 18.曾有一次,火焰被抑制,如此它就不会吞灭那些被派来攻击不虔之人的生物,而是让他们看到这一切,从而知道他们正在受到神的审判;At one time the flame was restrained, so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly, but that seeing this they might know that they were being pursued by the judgment of God;
  19. 19.并且在另一个时候,即使在水中也比火烧得更旺,以毁灭不义之地的庄稼。and at another time even in the midst of water it burned more intensely than fire, to destroy the crops of the unrighteous land.
  20. 20.以色列人得吗哪 你没有给你的百姓这些东西,反而给他们天使的食物,任凭他们不劳而获,从天上赐给他们可以直接吃的食物,满足他们一切的喜悦,并且适合他们每个人的口味。The Israelites Receive Manna Instead of these things thou didst give thy people food of angels, and without their toil thou didst supply them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste.
  21. 21.因为你用养育他们的方式,向你的子民显现了你的甜美,并且那块面包,满足了拿着它的人的渴望,改变了它的性质,以适应每个人的口味。For thy sustenance manifested thy sweetness toward thy children; and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit every one’s liking.
  22. 22.雪和冰在烈火中不融化,这样他们就知道敌人的庄稼被冰雹中的烈火和雨中的闪电所毁灭;Snow and ice withstood fire without melting, so that they might know that the crops of their enemies were being destroyed by the fire that blazed in the hail and flashed in the showers of rain;
  23. 23.然而火却为了让义人得以饱足,甚至忘却了它本来的力量。whereas the fire, in order that the righteous might be fed, even forgot its native power.
  24. 24.造物为你而造,你既创造了它,就努力惩罚不义的人,反而对那些信靠你的人施以仁慈。For creation, serving thee who hast made it, exerts itself to punish the unrighteous, and in kindness relaxes on behalf of those who trust in thee.
  25. 25.因此在那时,也变成各种形态,侍奉你的丰富供给,按照需要的人的愿望,Therefore at that time also, changed into all forms, it served thy all-nourishing bounty, according to the desire of those who had need,
  26. 26.使你所爱的儿子,主啊,能够知道不是庄稼养活人,乃是你的话使那些倚靠你的人得以保守。so that thy sons, whom thou didst love, O Lord, might learn that it is not the production of crops that feeds man, but that thy word preserves those who trust in thee.
  27. 27.凡火不能毁灭的,只要被阳光短暂的光线一温暖,就都融化了,For what was not destroyed by fire was melted when simply warmed by a fleeting ray of the sun,
  28. 28.要使人知道必须在日出之前起来称谢你,并且要在晨光初现时祷告你;to make it known that one must rise before the sun to give thee thanks, and must pray to thee at the dawning of the light;
  29. 29.对于忘恩之人的希望,将会像冬天的霜一样消融,并像废水一样流失。for the hope of an ungrateful man will melt like wintry frost, and flow away like waste water.

这段经文的意思

1–4 节重回埃及的灾祸,将其框定为合宜的惩罚:那些人正是通过那些他们曾亏待的受造之物——众多各类活物——而受折磨。与此相对,神却向自己的百姓施慈爱,为他们预备鹌鹑作食物,成为满足口腹的美味。3 节将此对比加以强化:压迫者渴望食物时,却因被差来的可憎之物夺去了最后一丝食欲;神的百姓经历短暂的匮乏之后,便得享美味。4 节陈述其理由——压迫者无可避免地遭受匮乏;而对神的百姓而言,只需知道仇敌正在受苦,便已足够。

5–14 节转向火蛇与医治之事。当野兽的猛烈怒气临到神的百姓,他们正被蠕动的毒蛇所咬而濒临灭亡,神的怒气并未持续到底;他们只是短暂地受了困扰,作为警戒,并领受了解救的记号,使他们记念律法的吩咐。凡转向那记号的人便得救,7 节强调拯救并非因所见之物,而是因神——众人的救主。由此,连仇敌也确信是神将人从各样的灾祸中拯救出来。随后的对比进一步展开:仇敌被蝗虫与苍蝇所咬而丧命,无药可救,因为他们理当受此惩罚;神的众子却连毒蛇之牙也不能胜过他们,因为怜悯前来相助。11 节指出被咬的用意——记念神的言语,并得到迅速解救,免得他们深陷遗忘,对神的恩慈变得麻木迟钝。12 节将医治归到药物之外:既非草药也非膏药治好了他们,乃是主的话医治众人。13–14 节以神掌管生死的大能结束此段——他引导人下到阴间之门,又领回——恶人虽能杀人,却不能召回已离去的灵,也不能释放被囚的灵魂。

15–29 节先述风暴,再论吗哪。逃脱神的手是不可能的:不敬虔之人拒绝认识他,就被神大能的手臂所惩治,被异常的雨、冰雹与无情的风暴追赶,并被烈火彻底吞灭。本章称,在能熄灭万物的水中,火却发挥更大的效力,这是最令人惊异之事;它解释了火焰的节制与释放:一时火焰被约束,不致吞灭那些被差来攻击不敬虔者的活物,使他们看见便知道自己是受了神的审判所追讨;另一时火焰竟在水中燃烧,焚烧那不义之地的庄稼。相对而言,神赐给他百姓天使的食物——天上预备好的饼,无需劳苦即可取食,满足各样的喜乐,适合各样的口味;这饼应合取食者的心意,随各人所好而改变。冰雪经火而不融化,也是要使人知道仇敌的庄稼乃是被燃烧在冰雹中的火所毁灭,而火却忘却了它本有的力量,好让义人得以饱足。24–26 节陈明结论:受造之物服事它的造主,努力惩治不义之人,又出于恩慈为那些信靠他的人松弛;它变形为各样形态,按需用者的心意服事那全备的滋养之恩,使神的众子明白,养活人的不是庄稼的出产,乃是他的话保守那些信靠他的人。27–29 节补充道,未经火烧之物,仅被一缕短暂的日光温暖便融化——人须在日出前起来感恩,在晨光初现时祷告——因为不知感恩之人的希望将如冬日的霜雪消融,如污水流去。

背景

本章的构造是一个不断延伸的对比,而非一个完整叙事。几乎每一段落先提到一方,再提到另一方——一边是不敬虔者、压迫者、仇敌;另一边是神的百姓、他的众子、义人、信靠他的人。贯穿始终的连接词都相同:「以代替这惩罚」「因为必须」「因为当……」。读者被引导将这两种经历并列同观,看见它们涉及同一个受造的世界。

在这个框架之内,本章展开了三个场景:施行惩罚的活物与喂养百姓的鹌鹑(1–4 节)、火蛇与医治之话(5–14 节)、风暴与吗哪(15–29 节)。论辩在 24–26 节达到其所明示的结论——受造之物被描述为服事造它的主,努力惩治不义之人,并以恩慈为信靠他的人松弛。最后几节将论点从食物推回到赐予者,以日出之前献上的感恩,与不知感恩之人消融泯灭的盼望之间的对比作结。

常见问题

是什么将智慧书 16 章中诸多的对比维系在一起?

本章一再将不敬虔者的经历与神百姓的经历并置,表明同一受造之物最终落在对比的两端。折磨一方的活物,在另一种形态下竟成为另一方的食物与医治;能熄灭万物的水却止不住火,火也忘却了自身的力量,好让义人得以饱足。其明示的原因见于 24–26 节:受造之物服事造它的主,因此决定的不是诸元素本身,而是神的旨意与话语,要它们成就什么。

本章为何要详述火在水里燃烧与冰雪不被融化?

这些反常之事被呈现为证据,而非关于自然的训诫。17 节称之为火在水中发生效力之中最令人惊异之事;18–19 节说明火焰节制与释放的用意——使受追讨之人知道他们是受神的审判所追讨。22–23 节将同样的逻辑应用于经受火的冰雪,并再次陈明其目的:要使人知道仇敌的庄稼正被火所毁灭,而火忘却了本有的力量,好让义人得以饱足。诸元素的异常行为,乃是标示着谁在施行作为的一种征兆。

依据本章,到底是什么医治并喂养一个人?

本章的指引越过了受造的媒介,直指神的话语。11–12 节说,百姓被咬乃是为了记念神的言语,并得到迅速的解救,文本明确指出,既非草药也非膏药治好了他们,而是主的话医治众人。相同的思路也出现在章末:描述完天上降下、随各人所好而改变的饼之后,26 节说神的众子要明白,养活人的不是庄稼的出产,乃是他的话保守那些信靠他的人。物质的供应真实且被详尽描述,但本章将其果效定位于赐予这一切的神。

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