The Cruelty of Retributive Justice
全新四年樂活讀經
W5 2012-06-29 (撒下21)
經文: 撒母耳記下 21:4-6遍人回答說：我們和掃羅與他家的事並不關乎金銀，也不要因我們的緣故殺一個以色列人。大衛說：你們怎樣說，我就為你們怎樣行。他們對王說：那從前謀害我們、要滅我們、使我們不得再住以色列境內的人，現在願將他的子孫七人交給我們，我們好在耶和華面前，將他們懸掛在耶和華揀選掃羅的基比亞。
默想: 本段經文讓我們看到，那個時代的人所要求與期待的，是報復性公義 (retributive justice) 的追求。掃羅王為以色列人與猶大人而大發熱心，企圖將基遍人滅族屠殺。掃羅卻沒有先去瞭解基遍人生存在以色列人中間的歷史背景，以及約書亞的一時失察，被基遍人的化妝術所欺騙，而向基遍人發誓，絕對不會滅覺基遍人。當大衛王遭遇全國連續饑荒三年，不知所措時，求問耶和華。耶和華才將這一段在以色列人歷史中被忽略或掩蓋而沒有記載，這一段掃羅企圖滅絕基遍人的歷史公案給翻了出來。大衛王並沒有求問耶和華，要如何妥善的處理這一段歷史公案，才能夠解決遍地饑荒的困境。大衛王是直接去請問基遍人的建議。我們看到的是基遍人，血債血還、殺人償命、父債子還的報復性公義要求。我們也看到大衛王為了堅守他過去曾對約拿單發誓要善待約拿單後代，而私下將約拿單所遺留下來那位瘸腿兒子米非波設交給基遍人，而是從掃羅妃嬪利斯巴所生的兩個兒子，以及掃羅大女兒米拉所生的五個兒子交給基遍人，七個人都被基遍人公開處以絞刑去世。這段經文讓我們看到當年面對天災時的追究責任歸屬的信念，報復性公義的被肯定，以及大衛王企圖處理掃羅王忽略前代領袖約書亞的誓言所帶來的全國性天災，還有他自己如何善處他曾經對約拿單承諾誓言的掙扎。求主保守我，不要漠視歷史共業、要謹守自己曾經向神或向人承諾的誓言、以及學習主耶穌所教導的復合性公義 (restorative justice)，好取代報復性公義的殘酷。
題目: 一連三年饑荒，大衛因而向神求問，因而得知是因掃羅沒有守約殘殺基遍人之故。試問，這事對我們有何教訓？
21:1 大衛年間有饑荒，一連三年，大衛就求問耶和華。耶和華說：「這饑荒是因掃羅和他流人血之家殺死基遍人。」
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gib'eonites to death."
21:2 原來這基遍人不是以色列人，乃是亞摩利人中所剩的；以色列人曾向他們起誓，不殺滅他們，掃羅卻為以色列人和猶大人發熱心，想要殺滅他們。大衛王召了他們來，
So the king called the Gib'eonites. Now the Gib'eonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.
21:3 問他們說：「我當為你們怎樣行呢？可用甚麼贖這罪，使你們為耶和華的產業祝福呢？」
And David said to the Gib'eonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?"
21:4 基遍人回答說：「我們和掃羅與他家的事並不關乎金銀，也不要因我們的緣故殺一個以色列人。」大衛說：「你們怎樣說，我就為你們怎樣行。」
The Gib'eonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "What do you say that I shall do for you?"
21:5 他們對王說：「那從前謀害我們、要滅我們、使我們不得再住以色列境內的人，
They said to the king, "The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,
21:6 現在願將他的子孫七人交給我們，我們好在耶和華面前，將他們懸掛在耶和華揀選掃羅的基比亞。」王說：「我必交給你們。」
let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them up before the LORD at Gibeon on the mountain of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."
21:7 王因為曾與掃羅的兒子約拿單指著耶和華起誓結盟，就愛惜掃羅的孫子、約拿單的兒子米非波設，不交出來，
But the king spared Mephib'osheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
21:8 卻把愛雅的女兒利斯巴給掃羅所生的兩個兒子亞摩尼、米非波設，和掃羅女兒米甲的姊姊給米何拉人巴西萊兒子亞得列所生的五個兒子
The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, whom she bore to Saul, Armo'ni and Mephib'osheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to A'dri-el the son of Barzil'lai the Meho'lathite;
21:9 交在基遍人的手裡。基遍人就把他們，在耶和華面前，懸掛在山上，這七人就一同死亡。被殺的時候正是收割的日子，就是動手割大麥的時候。
and he gave them into the hands of the Gib'eonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.
21:10 愛雅的女兒利斯巴用麻布在磐石上搭棚，從動手收割的時候直到天降雨在屍身上的時候，日間不容空中的雀鳥落在屍身上，夜間不讓田野的走獸前來糟踐。
Then Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.
21:11 有人將掃羅的妃嬪愛雅女兒利斯巴所行的這事告訴大衛。
When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, the concubine of Saul, had done,
21:12 大衛就去，從基列•雅比人那裡將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨搬了來（是因非利士人從前在基利波殺掃羅，將屍身懸掛在伯•珊的街市上，基列•雅比人把屍身偷了去。）
David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilbo'a;
21:13 大衛將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨從那裡搬了來，又收殮被懸掛七人的骸骨，
and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
21:14 將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨葬在便雅憫的洗拉，在掃羅父親基士的墳墓裡；眾人行了王所吩咐的。此後 神垂聽國民所求的。
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded supplications for the land.
21:15 非利士人與以色列人打仗；大衛帶領僕人下去，與非利士人接戰，大衛就疲乏了。
The Philistines had war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and David grew weary.
21:16 偉人的一個兒子以實比諾要殺大衛；他的銅槍重三百舍客勒，又佩著新刀。
And Ish'bi-be'nob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was girded with a new sword, thought to kill David.
21:17 但洗魯雅的兒子亞比篩幫助大衛，攻打非利士人，將他殺死。當日，跟隨大衛的人向大衛起誓說：「以後你不可再與我們一同出戰，恐怕熄滅以色列的燈。」
But Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men adjured him, "You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."
21:18 後來，以色列人在歌伯與非利士人打仗，戶沙人西比該殺了偉人的一個兒子撒弗。
After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sib'becai the Hu'shathite slew Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.
21:19 又在歌伯與非利士人打仗，伯利恆人雅雷俄珥金的兒子伊勒哈難殺了迦特人歌利亞。這人的槍桿粗如織布的機軸。
And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elha'nan the son of Ja'areor'egim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
21:20 又在迦特打仗，那裡有一個身量高大的人，手腳都是六指，共有二十四個指頭；他也是偉人的兒子。
And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was descended from the giants.
21:21 這人向以色列人罵陣，大衛的哥哥示米亞的兒子約拿單就殺了他。
And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim'e-i, David's brother, slew him.
21:22 這四個人是迦特偉人的兒子，都死在大衛和他僕人的手下。
These four were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gib'eonites to death."
21:2 原來這基遍人不是以色列人，乃是亞摩利人中所剩的；以色列人曾向他們起誓，不殺滅他們，掃羅卻為以色列人和猶大人發熱心，想要殺滅他們。大衛王召了他們來，
So the king called the Gib'eonites. Now the Gib'eonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.
21:3 問他們說：「我當為你們怎樣行呢？可用甚麼贖這罪，使你們為耶和華的產業祝福呢？」
And David said to the Gib'eonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?"
21:4 基遍人回答說：「我們和掃羅與他家的事並不關乎金銀，也不要因我們的緣故殺一個以色列人。」大衛說：「你們怎樣說，我就為你們怎樣行。」
The Gib'eonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "What do you say that I shall do for you?"
21:5 他們對王說：「那從前謀害我們、要滅我們、使我們不得再住以色列境內的人，
They said to the king, "The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,
21:6 現在願將他的子孫七人交給我們，我們好在耶和華面前，將他們懸掛在耶和華揀選掃羅的基比亞。」王說：「我必交給你們。」
let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them up before the LORD at Gibeon on the mountain of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."
21:7 王因為曾與掃羅的兒子約拿單指著耶和華起誓結盟，就愛惜掃羅的孫子、約拿單的兒子米非波設，不交出來，
But the king spared Mephib'osheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
21:8 卻把愛雅的女兒利斯巴給掃羅所生的兩個兒子亞摩尼、米非波設，和掃羅女兒米甲的姊姊給米何拉人巴西萊兒子亞得列所生的五個兒子
The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, whom she bore to Saul, Armo'ni and Mephib'osheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to A'dri-el the son of Barzil'lai the Meho'lathite;
21:9 交在基遍人的手裡。基遍人就把他們，在耶和華面前，懸掛在山上，這七人就一同死亡。被殺的時候正是收割的日子，就是動手割大麥的時候。
and he gave them into the hands of the Gib'eonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.
21:10 愛雅的女兒利斯巴用麻布在磐石上搭棚，從動手收割的時候直到天降雨在屍身上的時候，日間不容空中的雀鳥落在屍身上，夜間不讓田野的走獸前來糟踐。
Then Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.
21:11 有人將掃羅的妃嬪愛雅女兒利斯巴所行的這事告訴大衛。
When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, the concubine of Saul, had done,
21:12 大衛就去，從基列•雅比人那裡將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨搬了來（是因非利士人從前在基利波殺掃羅，將屍身懸掛在伯•珊的街市上，基列•雅比人把屍身偷了去。）
David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilbo'a;
21:13 大衛將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨從那裡搬了來，又收殮被懸掛七人的骸骨，
and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
21:14 將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨葬在便雅憫的洗拉，在掃羅父親基士的墳墓裡；眾人行了王所吩咐的。此後 神垂聽國民所求的。
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded supplications for the land.
21:15 非利士人與以色列人打仗；大衛帶領僕人下去，與非利士人接戰，大衛就疲乏了。
The Philistines had war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and David grew weary.
21:16 偉人的一個兒子以實比諾要殺大衛；他的銅槍重三百舍客勒，又佩著新刀。
And Ish'bi-be'nob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was girded with a new sword, thought to kill David.
21:17 但洗魯雅的兒子亞比篩幫助大衛，攻打非利士人，將他殺死。當日，跟隨大衛的人向大衛起誓說：「以後你不可再與我們一同出戰，恐怕熄滅以色列的燈。」
But Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men adjured him, "You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."
21:18 後來，以色列人在歌伯與非利士人打仗，戶沙人西比該殺了偉人的一個兒子撒弗。
After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sib'becai the Hu'shathite slew Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.
21:19 又在歌伯與非利士人打仗，伯利恆人雅雷俄珥金的兒子伊勒哈難殺了迦特人歌利亞。這人的槍桿粗如織布的機軸。
And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elha'nan the son of Ja'areor'egim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
21:20 又在迦特打仗，那裡有一個身量高大的人，手腳都是六指，共有二十四個指頭；他也是偉人的兒子。
And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was descended from the giants.
21:21 這人向以色列人罵陣，大衛的哥哥示米亞的兒子約拿單就殺了他。
And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim'e-i, David's brother, slew him.
21:22 這四個人是迦特偉人的兒子，都死在大衛和他僕人的手下。
These four were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
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