拿但業,你還沒看到其他的呢(約翰福音一章四十七到五十一節)
Nathaniel, You Have Not Seen Anything Yet (John 1.47-51)
耶穌看見拿但業向他走來,就談論他說,「看哪,這是個確實的以色列人,他的心中沒有詭計!」拿但業對他說,「你怎麼會認識我?」耶穌回答他,「在菲力去叫你之前,當時你在無花果樹下,我看過你了。」拿但業回答他,「拉比,你是神的兒子!你是以色列的王!」耶穌回答他,「因為我對你說,『我在無花果樹下看過你』,你就相信了?你會見到比這些更大的事情。」然後對他說,「實實在在,我對你說,你將會看見天上開了,並且神的天使於人子上去下來。」
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
當時拿但業隨著菲力的勸說去見耶穌,耶穌以這些話來歡迎他(對照四十七節)「看哪,這是個確實的以色列人,他的心中沒有狡詐!」說完這些話耶穌確信他看見拿但業在無花果樹下做了一些事情,只有拿但業知道發生了些甚麼。不知道耶穌究竟指的是甚麼(一章四十八節),這的確很難解釋為甚麼拿但業(名字的意思是「神的賜與」)以宣示來回應耶穌的話:「拉比,你是神的兒子;你是以色列的王」(對照四十九節)一個重點是,這裡使用了希伯來文學的平行結構。神的兒子與以色列的王(意義層面上)是同樣的一個概念。
When Nathaniel followed Phillip’s advice and went to see Jesus, Jesus welcomed him in (vs.47) with the words “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” With these words Jesus assured Nathaniel that he saw him under the fig tree doing something that only Nathaniel knew had happened. Not knowing what it is exactly that Jesus referred to (1:48) it is hard to explain exactly why Nathaniel, whose name means “God gave”, responded to Jesus’ words with a declaration: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (vs.49) One important note is that Hebrew literary structure of parallelism is used here. Son of God and King of Israel are therefore (meaningwise) one and the same concept.
值得注意的是耶穌指稱拿但業時的確不是用確實的 Ioudaiois 猶太人,他心中沒有狡詐,而是以更通用的說法 ㄧ 「確實的以色列人他心裡沒有狡詐。」(一章四十七節)這樣看來,在這福音書當中拿但業所表現出的回應可能是為了點出以色列人之間的論證,作為約翰福音的主要關注與脈絡的方向。拿但業提及耶穌不是用「hoi Ioudaioi 猶太人的王」,而是用以色列人的王(一章四十九節)。
It is significant that Jesus referred to Nathaniel not as Ioudaiois (a Jew) indeed, in whom there is no guile, but in a more generic way – “an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile.” (1:47) Nathaniel’s response, therefore, may point in the direction of inter-Israelite polemic present in this Gospel as the mainconcern and context for John’s gospel. Nathaniel referred to Jesus not as the king of hoi Ioudaioi (the Jews), but as the king of Israel (1:49).
對照五十一節時會聯想到雅各的夢。根據聖經故事,雅各想必是夢見古代的塔廟狀結構,一般在古人的心中有座在山頂上以樓梯通往的神殿。天使於伯特利之上上去下來(神的家),當時雅各睡在石頭上,焦慮關於離開多年後,以掃他值得商榷的接待。撒瑪利亞人認為,伯特利跟基利心是同樣的一個地方,從伯特利接連到路斯、路斯接連到基利心山。直到今日路斯的撒瑪利亞村實質上就貼近於基利心山。
In vs. 51 Jacob’s dream is evoked. According to the Biblical story, Jacob most likely dreamed about an ancient ziggurat-like structure that in the mind of the ancients normally had a temple on the top of that mountain with stairs leading to it. The angels were ascending and descending upon Bethel (house of God), where Jacob slept on a stone anxious about Esau’s reception of him after many years away and that under questionable circumstances. Samaritans thought that Bethel and Gerizim were one and the same place since Bethel is connected with Luz and Luz is connected to Mt. Gerizim. Up until today the Samaritan village of Luza is located essentially next to the Mt. Gerizim.
耶穌在對拿但業的交談中確信他還沒見過更多(「你將會看見天上開了,並且神的使者於人子上去下來。」)在創世紀故事中「撒瑪利亞」伯特利是在「雅各梯子」的腳下(創世紀二十八章),但在約翰福音中神的家(伯特利)變成 ㄧ 耶穌這個人(一章五十一節)。作為雅各的夢的引用,耶穌指示拿但業也會見到天使再次上去下來,但並不在雅各故事中的伯特利,而是改用在耶穌的身上了。這是、理所當然的,連結到我們將會讀到的約翰福音四章,耶穌將會與撒瑪利亞的婦人談話:「⋯時候到了,你們敬拜父將既不在這山上,也不在耶路撒冷」(約翰福音四章二十一節)。基本的理念是清晰的:當一切準備就緒完成,耶穌將會同為猶大人與撒瑪利亞人會見以色列人的神的焦點。
Jesus in talking to Nathaniel assured him that he has not yet seen much (“…you shall see the heavens opened, and the messengers of God ascending and descending on the son of man.”) In Genesis story it was “Samaritan” Bethel that was the foot of “Jacob’s ladder” (Gen.28), but in John’s gospel the house of God (Bethel) has become – the person of Jesus (1:51). In making a reference to Jacob’s dream, Jesus indicated to Nathaniel that he will also see the angels ascending and descending again, but not on Bethel as it was in the story of Jacob, but upon Jesus instead. This is, of course, linked with what we will read in Jn.4 when Jesus will talk with the Samaritan woman: “…the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” (Jn.4.21) The basic idea is clear: When all is set in done, Jesus for both Judeans and Samaritans will be the focal point of meeting with Israel’s God.
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