8:13 他又說:「你還要看見他們另外行大可憎的事。」
8:14 他領我到耶和華殿外院朝北的門口。誰知,在那裡有婦女坐著,為搭模斯哭泣。
8:15 他對我說:「人子啊,你看見了嗎?你還要看見比這更可憎的事。」
8:16 他又領我到耶和華殿的內院。誰知,在耶和華的殿門口、廊子和祭壇中間,約有二十五個人背向耶和華的殿,面向東方拜日頭。
8:17 他對我說:「人子啊,你看見了嗎?猶大家在此行這可憎的事還算為小嗎?他們在這地遍行強暴,再三惹我發怒,他們手拿枝條舉向鼻前。
8:18 因此,我也要以忿怒行事,我眼必不顧惜,也不可憐他們;他們雖向我耳中大聲呼求,我還是不聽。」
13 He said also to me, "You will see
still greater abominations that they commit."
14 Then he brought me to the entrance of
the north gate of the house of the Lord, and behold, there sat women weeping
for Tammuz. 15 Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? You
will see still greater abominations than these."
16 And he brought me into the inner court
of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the
Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty- five men, with their
backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping
the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said to me, "Have you seen this, O son
of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the
abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with
violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to
their nose. 18 Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I
have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear
them."
***********
搭模斯是當時巴比倫人所敬拜的神,名叫杜祖,被說成是女神伊師塔的兄弟,兒子,丈夫或情人。此神主管農作物和牧場,是畜牧的保護神。根據傳說,他每年死去一次,降到陰間。他的去世造成農作物、牧場和水流的枯乾。在當時的四月(陽曆的六月或七月),要舉行哀哭和唱輓歌的儀式,來紀念搭模斯的去世。女神伊師塔也一年一度要降到陰間,喚醒死去的搭模斯。搭模斯的回歸使植物再次繁榮起來。這個過程就混雜了淫亂的儀式。這個傳統與巴力崇拜相似,事實上巴力就是腓尼基流傳的搭模斯崇拜形式。
「手拿枝條舉向鼻前」:原文是「看哪,他們手拿枝條舉向自己的鼻前」。這段經文是個解經難題,有學者認為這是「一種敬拜的儀式」。也有人認為這是「把惡臭舉到上帝的鼻子前」,經文呈現目前這種形式,是文士們修改經文,以避免太過褻瀆上帝。
這一整段的異象說明了整個猶大的信仰已經都破產。從一般人、領導階層、婦女甚至到宗教人士,都已經敬拜別神了。因此18節中上帝的審判就是:「既然猶大人要上帝發怒,上帝就發怒,不可憐、顧惜猶大人」。
這不只是對以色列人的警告,也是對基督徒的警告,要悔改歸向上帝,不要再拜其他偶像,尤其是不要高舉自己,讓基督真的在教會做主做王!
沒有留言:
張貼留言