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以西结书 27

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1 耶和华的又临到我说:

2 人子啊,要为推罗作起哀歌

3 :你居住口,是众民的商埠;你的交易通到许多耶和华如此:推罗啊,你曾:我是全然美丽的。

4 你的境界在中,造你的使你全然美丽

5 他们用示尼珥的松树做你的一切板,用利巴嫩的香柏树做桅杆,

6 用巴珊的橡树做你的桨,用象牙镶嵌基提海的黄杨木为坐板(或译:舱板)。

7 你的篷帆是用埃及绣花细麻布做的,可以做你的大旗;你的凉棚是用以利沙蓝色紫色布做的。

8 西顿和亚发的居民作你荡桨的。推罗啊,你中间的智慧人作掌舵的。

9 迦巴勒的老者和聪明人都在你中间作补缝的;一切泛只和水手都在你中间经营交易的事。

10 波斯人、路德人、弗人在你军营中作战士;他们在你中间悬盾牌和头盔,彰显你的尊荣。

11 亚发人和你的军队都在你四围的墙上,你的望楼也有勇士;他们悬盾牌,成全你的美丽

12 他施人因你多有各类的财物,就作你的客商,拿、铅兑换你的货物。

13 雅完人、土巴人、米设人都与你交易;他们用人口和铜器兑换你的货物。

14 陀迦玛族用战马并骡兑换你的货物。

15 底但人与你交易,许多作你的码头;他们拿象牙乌木与你兑换(或译:进贡)。

16 亚兰人因你的工作很多,就作你的客商;他们用绿宝石、紫色布绣货、细麻布、珊瑚、红宝石兑换你的货物。

17 犹大以色列的人都与你交易;他们用米匿的麦子、饼、蜜、、乳香兑换你的货物。

18 大马色人因你的工作很多,又因你多有各类的财物,就拿黑本酒和白羊毛与你交易。

19 威但人和雅完人拿纺成的线、亮、桂皮、菖蒲兑换你的货物。

20 底但人用高贵的毯子、鞍、屉与你交易。

21 亚拉伯人和基达的一切首领都作你的客商,用羔、公绵、公山与你交易。

22 示巴和拉玛的商人与你交易,他们用各类上好的香料、各类的宝,和黄兑换你的货物。

23 哈兰人、干尼人、伊甸人、示巴的商人,和亚述人、基抹人与你交易。

24 这些商人以美好的货物包在绣花蓝色包袱内,又有华丽的衣服装在香柏木的箱子里,用捆着与你交易。

25 他施的只接连成帮为你运货,你便在中丰富极其荣华。

26 荡桨的已经把你荡到大水之处,东中将你打破

27 你的资财、物件、货物、水手、掌舵的、补缝的、经营交易的,并你中间的战士和人民,在你破坏的日子必都沉在中。

28 你掌舵的呼号之声一发,郊野都必震动。

29 凡荡桨的和水手,并一切泛掌舵的,都必登岸。

30 他们必为你放声痛,把尘土撒在上,在灰中打滚;

31 又为你使头上光,用麻布束腰,号啕痛哭,苦苦悲哀。

32 他们哀号的时候,为你作起哀歌哀哭,说:有何城如推罗?有何城如他在中成为寂寞的呢?

33 你由上运出货物,就使许多国民充足;你以许多资财、货物使上的君丰富。

34 你在深水中被打破的时候,你的货物和你中间的一切人民,就都沉下去了。

35 居民为你惊奇;他们的君都甚恐慌,面带愁容。

36 各国民中的客商都向你发嘶声;你令人惊恐,不再存留於世,直到永远

   

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雅歌 4:14

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14 有哪哒和番红花,菖蒲和桂,并各样乳香、没药、沉香,与一切上等的果品。

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Apocalypse Explained # 70

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70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.