Bible

 

Exodus 11

Studie

   

1 And Jehovah said to Moses, Yet one plague will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let [you] go altogether, he shall utterly drive you out hence.

2 Speak now in the ears of the people, that they ask every man of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, utensils of silver and utensils of gold.

3 And Jehovah gave the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt -- in the eyes of Pharaoh's bondmen, and in the eyes of the people.

4 And Moses said, Thus saith Jehovah: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt.

5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sitteth on his throne, even unto the firstborn of the bondwoman that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of cattle.

6 And there shall be a great cry throughout the land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast; that ye may know that Jehovah distinguisheth between the Egyptians and Israel.

8 And all these thy bondmen shall come down unto me, and bow down to me, saying, Go out, thou, and all the people that follow thee; and after that I will Go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a glowing anger.

9 And Jehovah had said to Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken to you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; but Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart stubborn, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 7766

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

7766. 'One more plague I will bring onto Pharaoh and onto Egypt' means the final stage of vastation, which is damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'one more plague' as the last stage of vastation. It is evident from the explanation of what has gone before that the plagues brought onto Egypt meant consecutive states of vastation. The fact that the last stage is damnation - the damnation of faith separated from charity - will be evident from what is to follow; for the killing in Egypt of the firstborn means the damnation of that faith, 'death' being damnation and 'the firstborn' faith. Faith is said to be damned when matters of faith are used to support falsities and evils. When used in support of these, matters of faith go over to their side and become endorsements of them. This happens with those who separate faith from charity in both doctrine and life. But no faith in fact resides with them, only knowledge of such things as are matters of faith, though they call that knowledge faith. This is what one should understand by faith that is damned. Furthermore the people themselves in whom such matters of faith have been linked to falsities and evils end up in damnation after undergoing stages of vastation. Their damnation is made perceptible by the rotten and foul stink that emanates from them, worse than any emitted by those who have never subscribed to matters of faith. Their situation in particular is the same as that which arises in a general way. Generally, if an evil spirit approaches a heavenly community, where charity exists, its inhabitants smell plainly the foul stink emanating from him. They do so in particular situations in which such things as belong to heaven, that is, matters of faith, have co-existed in a person with such things as belong to hell. From all this it is now evident that 'one more plague which will be brought onto Pharaoh and onto Egypt' means the last stage of vastation, which is damnation. For 'Pharaoh' represents those who have been molesters, at this point those who are damned, and 'Egypt' means the natural mind, 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301, 6147, 6252.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.