a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第6章
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(55) The word roo'…akh; Strong:7307; literally means a wind; e。。q。 the south
wind; but it is frequently employed in other derivative significations。
It is used as equivalent to;
(56) (1。) Breath: 〃Neither is there any spirit in his mouth;〃 Ps。 cxxxv:17。
(57) (2。) Life; or breathing: 〃And his spirit returned to him〃
1 Sam。 xxx:12; i。e。 he breathed again。
(58) (3。) Courage and strength: 〃Neither did there remain any more spirit
in any man;〃 Josh。 ii:11; 〃And the spirit entered into me; and
made me stand on my feet;〃 Ezek。 ii:2。
(59) (4。) Virtue and fitness: 〃Days should speak; and multitudes of years
should teach wisdom; but there is a spirit in man;〃Job xxxii:7;
i。e。 wisdom is not always found among old men for I now discover
that it depends on individual virtue and capacity。 So; 〃A man in
whom is the Spirit;〃 Numbers xxvii:18。
(60) (5。) Habit of mind: 〃Because he had another spirit with him;〃
Numbers xiv:24; i。e。 another habit of mind。 〃Behold I will pour
out My Spirit unto you;〃 Prov。 i:23。
(61) (6。) Will; purpose; desire; impulse: 〃Whither the spirit was to go;
they went;〃 Ezek。 1:12; 〃That cover with a covering; but not of My
Spirit;〃 Is。 xxx:1; 〃For the Lord hath poured out on you the
spirit of deep sleep;〃 Is。 xxix:10; 〃Then was their spirit
softened;〃 Judges viii:3; 〃He that ruleth his spirit; is better
than he that taketh a city;〃 Prov。 xvi:32; 〃He that hath no ru
over his own spirit;〃 Prov。 xxv:28; 〃Your spirit as fire shall
devour you;〃 Isaiah xxxiii:l。
From the meaning of disposition we get …
(62) (7。) Passions and faculties。 A lofty spirit means pride; a lowly spirit
humility; an evil spirit hatred and melancholy。 So; too; the
expressions spirits of jealousy; fornication; wisdom; counsel;
bravery; stand for a jealous; lascivious; wise; prudent; or brave
mind (for we Hebrews use substantives in preference to
adjectives); or these various qualities。
(63) (8。) The mind itself; or the life: 〃Yea; they have all one spirit;〃
Eccles。 iii:19 〃The spirit shall return to God Who gave it。〃
(64) (9。) The quarters of the world (from the winds which blow thence); or
even the side of anything turned towards a particular quarter …
Ezek。 xxxvii:9; xlii:16; 17; 18; 19; &c。
(65) I have already alluded to the way in which things are referred to God; and said to be of God。
(66) (1。) As belonging to His nature; and being; as it were; part of Him; e。g the power
of God; the eyes of God。
(67) (2。) As under His dominion; and depending on His pleasure; thus the heavens are
called the heavens of the Lord; as being His chariot and habitation。 So Nebuchadnezzar is
called the servant of God; Assyria the scourge of God; &c。
(68) (3。) As dedicated to Him; e。g。 the Temple of God; a Nazarene of God; the Bread of
God。
(69) (4。) As revealed through the prophets and not through our natural faculties。 In this sense the
Mosaic law is called the law of God。
(70) (5。) As being in the superlative degree。 Very high mountains are styled the mountains
of God; a very deep sleep; the sleep of God; &c。 In this sense we must explain Amos iv:11:
〃I have overthrown you as the overthrow of the Lord came upon Sodom and Gomorrah;〃 i。e。
that memorable overthrow; for since God Himself is the Speaker; the passage
cannot well be taken otherwise。 The wisdom of Solomon is called the wisdom of God; or
extraordinary。 The size of the cedars of Lebanon is alluded to in the Psalmist's
expression; 〃the cedars of the Lord。〃
(71) Similarly; if the Jews were at a loss to understand any phenomenon; or
were ignorant of its cause; they referred it to God。 (72) Thus a storm was
termed the chiding of God; thunder and lightning the arrows of God; for it
was thought that God kept the winds confined in caves; His treasuries; thus
differing merely in name from the Greek wind…god Eolus。 (73) In like manner
miracles were called works of God; as being especially marvellous; though in
reality; of course; all natural events are the works of God; and take place
solely by His power。 (74) The Psalmist calls the miracles in Egypt the works
of God; because the Hebrews found in them a way of safety which they had not
looked for; and therefore especially marvelled at。
(75) As; then; unusual natural phenomena are called works of God; and trees
of unusual size are called trees of God; we cannot wonder that very strong
and tall men; though impious robbers and whoremongers; are in Genesis called
sons of God。
(76) This reference of things wonderful to God was not peculiar to the Jews。
(77) Pharaoh; on hearing the interpretation of his dream; exclaimed that the
mind of the gods was in Joseph。 (78) Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel that he
possessed the mind of the holy gods; so also in Latin anything well made is
often said to be wrought with Divine hands; which is equivalent to the
Hebrew phrase; wrought with the hand of God。
(80) We can now very easily understand and explain those passages of
Scripture which speak of the Spirit of God。 (81) In some places the
expression merely means a very strong; dry; and deadly wind; as in
Isaiah xl:7; 〃The grass withereth; the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of
the Lord bloweth upon it。〃 (82) Similarly in Gen。 i:2: 〃The Spirit of the
Lord moved over the face of the waters。〃 (83) At other times it is used as
equivalent to a high courage; thus the spirit of Gideon and of Samson is
called the Spirit of the Lord; as being very bold; and prepared for any
emergency。 (84) Any unusual virtue or power is called the Spirit or Virtue
of the Lord; Ex。 xxxi:3: 〃I will fill him (Bezaleel) with the Spirit of the
Lord;〃 i。e。; as the Bible itself explains; with talent above man's usual
endowment。 (85) So Isa。 xi:2: 〃And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon
him;〃 is explained afterwards in the text to mean the spirit of wisdom and
understanding; of counsel and might。
(86) The melancholy of Saul is called the melancholy of the Lord; or a very
deep melancholy; the persons who applied the term showing that they
understood by it nothing supernatural; in that they sent for a musician to
assuage it by harp…playing。 (87) Again; the 〃Spirit of the Lord〃 is used
as equivalent to the mind of man; for instance; Job xxvii:3: 〃And the Spirit
of the Lord in my nostrils;〃 the allusion being to Gen。 ii:7: 〃And God
breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life。〃 (88) Ezekiel also;
prophesying to the dead; says (xxvii:14); 〃And I will give to you My Spirit;
and ye shall live;〃 i。e。 I will restore you to life。 (89) In Job xxxiv:14;
we read: 〃If He gather unto Himself His Spirit and breath;〃 in Gen。 vi:3:
〃My Spirit shall not always strive with man; for that he also is flesh;〃
i。e。 since man acts on the dictates of his body; and not the spirit which I
gave him to discern the good; I will let him alone。 (90) So; too; Ps。 li:12:
〃Create in me a clean heart; 0 God; and renew a right spirit within me; cast
me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me。〃 (91)
It was supposed that sin originated only from the body; and that good
impulses come from the mind; therefore the Psalmist invokes the aid of God
against the bodily appetites; but prays that the spirit which the Lord; the
Holy One; had given him might be renewed。 (92) Again; inasmuch as the Bible;
in concession to popular ignorance; describes God as having a mind; a heart;
emotions … nay;