士師記1:9-15

 

1:9 後來猶大人下去，與住山地、南地，和高原的迦南人爭戰。
1:10 猶大人去攻擊住希伯崙的迦南人，殺了示篩、亞希幔、撻買。希伯崙從前名叫基列‧亞巴。
1:11 他們從那裡去攻擊底壁的居民；底壁從前名叫基列‧西弗。
1:12 迦勒說：「誰能攻打基列‧西弗，將城奪取，我就把我女兒押撒給他為妻。」
1:13 迦勒兄弟基納斯的兒子俄陀聶奪取了那城，迦勒就把女兒押撒給他為妻。
1:14 押撒過門的時候，勸丈夫向她父親求一塊田。押撒一下驢，迦勒問她說：「你要甚麼？」
1:15 她說：「求你賜福給我，你既將我安置在南地，求你也給我水泉。」迦勒就把上泉下泉賜給她。

⁹ After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. ¹⁰ They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. ¹¹ From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

¹² And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

¹⁴ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him^[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

¹⁵ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

 

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    摩西差派的探子中，約書亞和迦勒是報好信息給以色列的，雖然約書亞後來成為以色列的領袖，迦勒沒有，卻是在約書亞去世之後發揮祂的領袖長才，帶領猶大支派攻打下希伯崙。

 

    雖然有人用這段來說明要勇敢禱告向上帝求，就會得「上泉下泉」。這種說法太牽強了，還是不要這樣解！

 

    不過迦勒的做法讓我們看見「激勵」或「獎賞」的重要性，做領袖的人運用得當的話，可以產生好的效果，使彼此都得利益，使士氣得提升，這是非常重要的！讓我們也常常這樣，讓恩澤可以臨到願意付出努力的人，引導人到正確的方向。