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Genezo 24

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1 Kaj Abraham estis maljuna kaj en profunda agxo. Kaj la Eternulo benis Abrahamon en cxio.

2 Kaj Abraham diris al sia sklavo, la administranto de lia domo, kiu regis cxion, kio apartenis al li: Metu vian manon sub mian femuron;

3 kaj mi jxurigas vin per la Eternulo, la Dio de la cxielo kaj la Dio de la tero, ke vi ne prenos edzinon por mia filo el la filinoj de la Kanaanidoj, inter kiuj mi logxas;

4 sed en mian landon kaj en mian patrujon vi iros kaj vi prenos edzinon por mia filo Isaak.

5 Kaj la sklavo diris al li: Eble la virino ne volos iri kun mi en cxi tiun landon; cxu mi tiam devas revenigi vian filon en la landon, el kiu vi eliris?

6 Kaj Abraham diris al li: Gardu vin, ne revenigu mian filon tien.

7 La Eternulo, la Dio de la cxielo, kiu prenis min el la domo de mia patro kaj el mia patrujo, kaj diris al mi kaj jxuris al mi, dirante: Al via idaro Mi donos cxi tiun landon-Li sendos Sian angxelon antaux vi, kaj vi prenos edzinon por mia filo el tie.

8 Kaj se la virino ne volos iri kun vi, tiam vi farigxos libera de cxi tiu mia jxuro; nur mian filon ne revenigu tien.

9 Kaj la sklavo metis sian manon sub la femuron de sia sinjoro Abraham kaj jxuris al li pri tiu afero.

10 Kaj la sklavo prenis dek kamelojn el la kameloj de sia sinjoro, kaj li iris; kaj cxiaj bonajxoj de lia sinjoro estis en liaj manoj. Kaj li levigxis kaj iris Mezopotamion, al la urbo Nahxor.

11 Kaj li genuigis la kamelojn ekstere de la urbo, cxe puto kun akvo, en vespera tempo, en la tempo, kiam eliras la virinoj, por cxerpi akvon.

12 Kaj li diris: Ho Eternulo, Dio de mia sinjoro Abraham, sukcesigu min hodiaux kaj faru favorkorajxon al mia sinjoro Abraham.

13 Jen mi staras apud la fonto da akvo, kaj la filinoj de la urbanoj eliras, por cxerpi akvon;

14 kaj la junulinon, al kiu mi diros: Volu klini vian krucxon, ke mi trinku, kaj sxi diros: Trinku, kaj mi trinkigos ankaux viajn kamelojn-sxin Vi destinis por Via sklavo Isaak; kaj per tio mi sciigxos, ke Vi faris favorkorajxon al mia sinjoro.

15 Kaj antaux ol li finis paroli, jen eliras Rebeka, kiu estis naskita al Betuel, la filo de Milka, edzino de Nahxor, frato de Abraham; kaj sxia krucxo estis sur sxia sxultro.

16 Kaj la junulino estis tre belaspekta, virgulino, kiun ankoraux ne ekkonis viro. Kaj sxi malsupreniris al la fonto kaj plenigis sian krucxon kaj iris supren.

17 Kaj la sklavo kuris al sxi renkonte, kaj diris: Volu lasi min trinki iom da akvo el via krucxo.

18 Kaj sxi diris: Trinku, mia sinjoro; kaj sxi rapide mallevis la krucxon sur sian manon, kaj sxi donis al li trinki.

19 Kaj kiam sxi suficxe lin trinkigis, sxi diris: Ankaux por viaj kameloj mi cxerpos, gxis ili finos trinki.

20 Kaj rapide sxi elversxis el sia krucxo en la trinkujon, kaj kuris denove al la puto, por cxerpi por cxiuj liaj kameloj.

21 Kaj la viro admiris sxin silente, por konvinkigxi, cxu la Eternulo prosperigis lian vojon aux ne.

22 Kaj kiam la kameloj cxesis trinki, tiam la viro prenis oran ringon, havantan la pezon de duono de siklo, kaj du braceletojn por sxiaj manoj, havantajn la pezon de dek sikloj da oro.

23 Kaj li diris: Kies filino vi estas? volu diri al mi; cxu en la domo de via patro estas loko por ni, por tradormi la nokton?

24 Kaj sxi diris al li: Mi estas filino de Betuel, filo de Milka, kiun sxi naskis al Nahxor.

25 Kaj sxi diris al li: Ankaux da pajlo kaj da furagxo ni havas multe, kaj ankaux lokon, por ke vi tradormu la nokton.

26 Kaj la viro klinigxis kaj faris adoron al la Eternulo.

27 Kaj li diris: Glorata estu la Eternulo, la Dio de mia sinjoro Abraham, kiu ne lasis sen Sia favorkoreco kaj vereco mian sinjoron. Per la vojo, kiun mi iris, la Eternulo alkondukis min al la domo de la frato de mia sinjoro.

28 Kaj la junulino kuris, kaj rakontis tiujn aferojn en la domo de sia patrino.

29 Kaj Rebeka havis fraton, kiu estis nomata Laban. Kaj Laban kuris al la viro eksteren, al la fonto.

30 Kaj kiam li vidis la ringon kaj la braceletojn sur la manoj de sia fratino, kaj kiam li auxdis la vortojn de sia fratino Rebeka, kiu diris: Tiel parolis kun mi tiu viro-tiam li iris al la viro, kaj jen tiu staras cxe la kameloj apud la fonto.

31 Kaj li diris: Venu, benita de la Eternulo; kial vi staras ekstere? mi pretigis la domon kaj ankaux lokon por la kameloj.

32 Kaj li venigis la viron en la domon, kaj malligis la kamelojn, kaj donis pajlon kaj furagxon al la kameloj, kaj akvon por lavi liajn piedojn, kaj la piedojn de la homoj, kiuj estis kun li.

33 Kaj estis metita antaux li mangxo; sed li diris: Mi ne mangxos, antaux ol mi diros mian aferon. Kaj tiu diris: Parolu.

34 Kaj li diris: Sklavo de Abraham mi estas.

35 Kaj la Eternulo forte benis mian sinjoron, kaj li farigxis granda; kaj Li donis al li sxafojn kaj bovojn kaj argxenton kaj oron kaj sklavojn kaj sklavinojn kaj kamelojn kaj azenojn.

36 Kaj Sara, la edzino de mia sinjoro, naskis filon al mia sinjoro, kiam sxi maljunigxis; kaj li donis al li cxion, kion li havis.

37 Kaj mia sinjoro jxurigis min, dirante: Ne prenu edzinon por mia filo el la filinoj de la Kanaanidoj, en kies lando mi logxas.

38 Nur al la domo de mia patro iru kaj al mia familio, kaj prenu edzinon por mia filo.

39 Kaj mi diris al mia sinjoro: Eble la virino ne volos iri kun mi?

40 Kaj li diris al mi: La Eternulo, antaux kiu mi iradis, sendos Sian angxelon kun vi kaj sukcesigos vian vojon; kaj vi prenos edzinon por mia filo el mia familio kaj el la domo de mia patro.

41 Tiam vi estos libera de mia jxuro, kiam vi venos al mia familio; kaj se ili ne donos al vi, vi estos libera de mia jxuro.

42 Kaj mi venis hodiaux al la fonto, kaj mi diris: Eternulo, Dio de mia sinjoro Abraham! ho, se Vi volus sukcesigi mian vojon, kiun mi nun iras!

43 Jen mi staras apud la fonto da akvo; la virgulino, kiu eliros, por cxerpi, kaj al kiu mi diros: Lasu min trinki iom da akvo el via krucxo,

44 kaj kiu diros al mi: Trinku vi, kaj ankaux por viaj kameloj mi cxerpos -tio estas la virino, kiun la Eternulo destinis por la filo de mia sinjoro.

45 Antaux ol mi finis paroli en mia koro, jen Rebeka eliras, kaj sxia krucxo estas sur sxia sxultro; kaj sxi malsupreniris al la fonto kaj cxerpis. Kaj mi diris al sxi: Volu trinkigi min.

46 Kaj rapide sxi deprenis sian krucxon de la sxultro, kaj diris: Trinku, kaj ankaux viajn kamelojn mi trinkigos. Kaj mi trinkis, kaj ankaux la kamelojn sxi trinkigis.

47 Kaj mi demandis sxin, kaj mi diris: Kies filino vi estas? Kaj sxi diris: Filino de Betuel, filo de Nahxor, kiun naskis al li Milka. Kaj mi metis la ringon sur sxian nazon kaj la braceletojn sur sxiajn manojn.

48 Kaj mi klinigxis kaj faris adoron al la Eternulo, kaj mi gloris la Eternulon, la Dion de mia sinjoro Abraham, kiu kondukis min per gxusta vojo, por ke mi prenu la filinon de la frato de mia sinjoro por lia filo.

49 Kaj nun se vi volas fari favorkorajxon kaj gxustajxon al mia sinjoro, diru al mi; kaj se ne, vi ankaux diru al mi, kaj mi turnos min dekstren aux maldekstren.

50 Tiam respondis Laban kaj Betuel, kaj diris: De la Eternulo venis cxi tiu afero; ni ne povas diri al vi ion malbonan aux bonan.

51 Jen Rebeka estas antaux vi; prenu sxin kaj iru, kaj sxi estu edzino al la filo de via sinjoro, kiel diris la Eternulo.

52 Kaj kiam la sklavo de Abraham auxdis iliajn vortojn, li klinigxis gxis la tero al la Eternulo.

53 Kaj la sklavo elprenis argxentajxojn kaj orajxojn kaj vestojn kaj donis al Rebeka; kaj donacojn li donis al sxia frato kaj al sxia patrino.

54 Kaj mangxis kaj trinkis li kaj la homoj, kiuj estis kun li, kaj ili tradormis tie la nokton. Kaj kiam ili levigxis matene, li diris: Lasu min for al mia sinjoro.

55 Tiam sxia frato kaj sxia patrino diris: La junulino restu kun ni almenaux dek tagojn, poste vi iros.

56 Kaj li diris al ili: Ne retenu min, cxar la Eternulo sukcesigis mian vojon. Lasu min for, kaj mi iros al mia sinjoro.

57 Kaj ili diris: Ni vokos la junulinon, kaj Ni demandos, kion sxi diros.

58 Kaj ili alvokis Rebekan, kaj diris al sxi: CXu vi iros kun cxi tiu viro? Kaj sxi diris: Mi iros.

59 Kaj ili forsendis sian fratinon Rebeka kaj sxian nutrintinon kaj la sklavon de Abraham kaj liajn homojn.

60 Kaj ili benis Rebekan, kaj diris al sxi: Nia fratino! miloj da miloj elkresku el vi, kaj via idaro posedu la pordegojn de siaj malamikoj.

61 Kaj levigxis Rebeka kaj sxiaj servistinoj kaj sidigxis sur la kameloj, kaj ili iris post tiu viro; kaj la sklavo prenis Rebekan kaj foriris.

62 Kaj Isaak venis de la vojo, kiu kondukas al la puto de la Vivanto- Vidanto; li logxis en la suda lando.

63 Kaj Isaak eliris, por mediti sur la kampo, kiam komencigxis vespero; kaj li levis siajn okulojn kaj vidis, ke jen venas kameloj.

64 Kaj Rebeka levis siajn okulojn, kaj sxi ekvidis Isaakon kaj desaltis de la kamelo.

65 Kaj sxi diris al la sklavo: Kiu estas tiu viro, kiu iras sur la kampo renkonte al ni? Kaj la sklavo diris: Tio estas mia sinjoro. Kaj sxi prenis la kovrotukon kaj kovris sin.

66 Kaj la sklavo rakontis al Isaak cxion, kion li faris.

67 Kaj Isaak enkondukis sxin en la tendon de sia patrino Sara; kaj li prenis Rebekan, kaj sxi farigxis lia edzino, kaj li ekamis sxin. Kaj Isaak konsoligxis pri sia patrino.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 600

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600. And he set his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth, signifies the sense of the letter, which is natural, in which are all things of heaven and the church. This is evident from the signification of "feet," as being in reference to the angel, by whom is meant the Lord in relation to the Word, the Divine truth in ultimates, or the Word in the natural sense, which is the sense of the letter (See above 65, 69). "Feet" in a general sense signify natural things, because man from the head to the soles of the feet corresponds to heaven, which in its whole complex represents one man, the head corresponding to the inmost or third heaven, the angels of which are celestial, the breast down to the loins corresponding to the middle or second heaven, the angels of which are called spiritual, and the feet corresponding to the ultimate or first heaven, the angels of which are celestial-natural and spiritual-natural; and the soles of the feet corresponding to the world, in which everything is natural. This makes clear why the "feet" signify natural things (See more on this correspondence in the work on Heaven and Hell 59-86, and 87-102).

[2] From this it is now evident why "the feet of the angel," who here represented the Lord as to the Word, signify the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter. The above is evident also from the signification of "the right foot upon the sea and the left upon the earth," as being all things of heaven and the church; for the "right" 1 signifies all things of good which is the source of truth, and the "left" all things of truth from good; and "the sea and the earth" signify all things of heaven and the church exterior and interior, the "sea" exterior things, and the "earth" interior things. And as all things of heaven and the church have relation to good and truth, also to things exterior and things interior, therefore these words signify in general all things of heaven and the church. The angel was seen to stand "upon the sea and upon the earth," because there is a similar appearance of things in the spiritual world as in the natural world; that is, in the spiritual world as in the natural world there are seas and lands, seas round about and lands between them (See above, n. 275, 342, 538). This shows why "sea and earth" signify all things of heaven and also of the church.

[3] As "right and left" are mentioned in many passages in the Word, and in some places "right" alone, or "left" alone, I will explain in a few words what is signified by each of them, and by the two together. This can be known from the quarters in the spiritual world, where the south is to the right, and the north to the left, and the east in front, and the west behind. An angel perpetually faces the Lord as a sun, therefore before him is the Lord as the east, and behind him the Lord as the west, and at his right hand is the south, and at his left hand the north. It is from this way of facing that the "right" signifies truth in light, and the "left" truth in shade; or what is the same, that the "right" signifies spiritual good which is truth in light, and the "left" signifies spiritual truth which is truth in shade; so, too, the "right" signifies good which is a source of truth, and the "left" truth from good. Such is the signification of all the right and left parts of the body, and also of the head; as the right and left eye, the right and left hand, the right and left foot, and so on, the proper signification of each member or part being preserved. From these few statements it can be known what "right" and "left" signify, in general and in particular, in the Word of both the New and the Old Testaments, as in the following passages.

[4] In Matthew:

When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what the right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret (Matthew 6:3, 4).

This signifies that good is to be done from good and for the sake of good, and not on account of self and the world for the sake of appearance; "alms" mean every good work; and "let not the left hand know what the right hand doeth" signifies that good must be done from good itself, and not without good, since that would not be good. The "right hand" signifies good which is a source of truth, and the "left hand" truth from good, as has been said above; these act as one in those who are in the good of love and charity, but not as one in those who have regard to self and the world in the goods they do; therefore the "left hand" means here to know and to act without good. "That thine alms may be in secret" signifies that it may not be for the sake of appearance.

[5] In the same:

And the King shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left; and He shall say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess as inheritance the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And He shall say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:33, 34, 41).

He who does not know what is signified in the proper sense by "sheep" and what by "goats," might suppose that "sheep" mean all who are good, and "goats" all who are evil; but in the proper sense "sheep" mean those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor, and thence in faith, and "goats" mean those who are in faith separated from charity; thus all upon whom the judgment in the last time of the church will come; for all who were in the good of love to the Lord, and thence in the good of charity and faith, had been taken up into heaven before the Last Judgment; while all who were in no good of charity, and in no faith therefrom, consequently all who were inwardly and at the same time outwardly evil, had been cast down into hell before the Last Judgment; but those who were inwardly good and not equally so outwardly, also those who were inwardly evil but outwardly in good, were all left until the Last Judgment, when those who were inwardly good were taken up into heaven, and those who were inwardly evil were cast into hell (respecting this see what has been said from things seen and heard, in the little work on The Last Judgment). From this it can be seen that "goats" mean those who have been in faith separated from charity; as for instance:

The he-goat in Daniel (Daniel 8:5-25), and in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:17).

This makes evident that the "right hand," where the "sheep" are, means the good of charity and of faith therefrom, and the "left hand," where the "goats" are, means faith separated from charity. It was said to the sheep that they should "possess as inheritance the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world," because in the heavens at the right is the south, where all those are who are in truths from good; for in the southern part the Divine proceeding itself is such as is meant by "the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world." So, too, they are called "the blessed of My Father," the "Father" meaning the Divine good, from which are all things of heaven. But respecting the "goats," that are on the left hand, it is not said "prepared from the foundation of the world," but "the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," because the evil prepare their hell for themselves. They are called "cursed" because by the "cursed" in the Word are meant all who turn themselves away from the Lord, for such reject the charity and faith of the church. What the "eternal fire" signifies may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 566-575.

[6] The "two robbers who were crucified one of them on the right hand and the other on the left hand of the Lord" (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:39-43), have a similar signification as the "sheep" and the "goats;" therefore to the one who acknowledged the Lord it was said that he should be with Him in paradise.

[7] In John:

Jesus said to the disciples who were fishing, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, then ye shall find. They cast, therefore, and they were no longer able to draw it for the multitude of fishes (John 21:6).

Since "fishing" signifies in the Word the instruction and conversion of men who are in external or natural good, in which good were most of the Gentiles at that time, "fish" signifying the things of the natural man, and "boat" doctrine from the Word; therefore "the right side of the boat" signifies the good of life. This makes clear the signification of what the Lord said, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat," namely, that they should teach the good of life. That they would thus convert the Gentiles to the church is signified by their finding in such abundance that "they were not able to draw the net for the multitude of fishes." Anyone can see that the Lord would not have commanded them "to cast the net on the right side of the ship" unless the "right side" had been significative.

[8] In Matthew:

If thy right eye hath caused thee to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from thee. And if thy right hand hath caused thee to stumble, cut it off and cast it from thee (Matthew 5:29, 30).

That by the "right eye" and the "right hand" the Lord did not mean the right eye and the right hand, anyone can see from its being said that the eye "must be plucked out" and the hand "must be cut off" if they cause to stumble; but as the "eye" signifies in the spiritual sense everything belonging to the understanding and to thought therefrom, and the "right hand" everything belonging to the will and to affection therefrom, it is evident that "if the right eye hath caused thee to stumble it must be plucked out" signifies that if one thinks evil the evil must be rejected from the thought; also "if the right hand hath caused thee to stumble it must be cut off" signifies that if evil is willed the evil of the will must be cast out. For the eye itself cannot cause to stumble, nor can the right hand, but the thought of the understanding and the affection of the will, to which they correspond, can. It is said the "right eye" and the "right hand," and not the left eye and the left hand, because the "right" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, while the "left" hand signifies truth, and in the contrary sense falsity, and all cause of stumbling comes from evil, not from falsity, unless the falsity is the falsity of evil. That these things are said of the internal man, whose part it is to think and to will, and not of the external, whose part it is to see and to act, is evident also from the words that immediately precede respecting the "woman of another," that merely looking upon her from lust is committing adultery.

[9] In the Gospels:

The mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus that one of her sons should sit on the right hand and the other on the left in His kingdom. Jesus said, Ye know not what ye ask; to sit on My right hand and on My left hand is not Mine to give except to those to whom it is given by the Father (Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40).

"The mother of the sons of Zebedee," James and John, asked this, because by "mother" the church is meant; by "James" charity, and by "John" the good of charity in act; these two, or those who are in them, are at the right hand and the left of the Lord in heaven; to the right there is the south, and to the left is the north, and in the south are those who are in the light of truth from clear good, and in the north are those who are in the light of truth from obscure good. The Divine itself proceeding from the Lord as a sun produces such a Divine sphere in those quarters; for this reason none can possibly dwell there except those who are in those truths from good; this is the signification of "to sit on the right hand and on the left hand of the Lord is for those only to whom it has been given, or for whom it has been prepared by the Father;" "the Father" meaning the Divine good of the Divine love, from which is heaven and everything of heaven; so these words of the Lord mean that to sit on His right hand and on His left in the heavens is given by the Lord to those for whom it has been prepared from the foundation of the world to have an inheritance allotted to them in the south and in the north.

[10] That the "right hand" means the south in the heavens is clearly evident in David:

The heavens are Thine, and the earth is Thine; the world and the fullness thereof, Thou hast founded them; the north and the right hand Thou hast created (Psalms 89:11, 12).

"Heaven and earth" means the higher and lower heavens, likewise the internal and external church; the "world and the fullness thereof" means the heavens and the church in general as to good and truth; the "world" heaven and the church as to good, and the "fullness thereof" heaven and the church as to truth; and as these principles, or those who are in them, are in the north and in the south, and the south is at the Lord's right hand, it is said "the north and the right hand;" and as Divine truth united to Divine good in those quarters is such from the foundation of the world, as has been said above, it is said, "Thou hast founded" and "Thou hast created."

[11] In Isaiah:

The Lord hath given you the bread of distress and the waters of oppression; but thine instructors shall not be made to fly away anymore, and thine eyes shall look again to thine instructors; and thine ears shall hear the word saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye shall go to the right and when ye shall go to the left (Isaiah 30:20, 21).

This treats of those who are in temptations, and who, by means of temptations and after temptations, accept and receive instruction in the truths of doctrine; temptations themselves are signified by "the bread of distress and the waters of oppression," "bread of distress" signifying temptations in respect to the good of love, and "waters of oppression" temptations in respect to the truths of faith; for temptations are of two kinds, namely, in respect to the good which is of love, and in respect to the truth which is of faith; "bread" signifying the good of love, and "waters" the truths of faith, and "distress" and "oppression" states of temptation. Instruction in the truths of doctrine is signified by "thine eyes shall look again to thine instructors," "eyes" signifying the understanding and faith, and "instructors" doctrine. The good of life according to the truths of doctrine is signified by "thine ears shall hear the word," "ears" signifying obedience, and because obedience is of the life, so "to hear the word" signifies a life according to the truths of doctrine. Instruction and obedience are further described by "saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye shall go to the right hand and when ye shall go to the left;" "way" signifies truth leading, truth leading to the south in heaven is meant by "going to the right," and truth leading to the north there by "going to the left."

[12] In the same:

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; hinder not; make long thy cords, and make firm thy stakes; for on the right hand and on the left thou shalt break forth; and thy seed shall inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited (Isaiah 54:2, 3).

This treats of the establishment of the church among the Gentiles; and "Enlarge the place of thy tent" signifies the increase of the church in respect to the worship from good; "to stretch forth the curtains of the habitations" signifies the increase of the church in respect to the truths of doctrine; "to make long the cords" signifies the extension of these truths; "to make firm the stakes" signifies confirmation from the Word; "to break forth on the right hand and on the left" signifies enlargement in respect to the good of charity and the truth of faith; "on the right" meaning in respect to the good of charity, and "on the left" in respect to the truth of faith from that good; "the seed which shall inherit the nations" signifies truth through which are goods; "seed" meaning truth, and "nations" goods; "the desolate cities which the nations shall make to be inhabited," signify the truths from goods of life; "the desolate cities" meaning the truths of doctrine where there were no truths before; "nations" meaning the goods of life from which are truths, and "to inhabit" meaning to live.

[13] In the same:

In the wrath of Jehovah of Hosts the land has been obscured, and the people have become as the fuel of the fire; they shall not spare a man his brother; and if he shall cut down 2 on the right hand he shall still be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm (Isaiah 9:19-21).

This describes the extinction of good by falsity, and of truth by evil; the extinction of all good and truth, however it is sought for, is signified by "if he shall cut down on the right hand he shall still be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied;" "the right hand" meaning good from which is truth; "the left hand" truth from good; "to cut down and to eat of these" means to search for; "to be hungry and not to be satisfied" means not to be found, or if found, still not received. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 386.)

[14] In Ezekiel:

This was the likeness of the faces of the cherubim, the four had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; the four also had the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10).

What is signified by the "cherubim" and by their "faces" which were like the faces of a man, of a lion, of an ox, and of an eagle, may be seen above (n. 277-281). The faces of the man and of the lion were seen "on the right side" because "man" signifies Divine truth in light and intelligence, and a "lion" Divine truth in power therefrom, such as it is in heaven in the south; and the face of the ox was seen "on the left side," to signify the good of truth in obscurity, for an "ox" signifies the good of the natural man, which is in obscurity in those who in heaven dwell to the north.

[15] In Zechariah:

In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, that they may devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left, that Jerusalem may yet dwell in her own place in Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6).

This treats of the establishment of a celestial church, or of a church that will be in the good of love to the Lord; that church is meant by "the house of Judah." Her "leaders" mean the goods with the truths of that church; the dispersion of evils and falsities by these is signified by "they shall be made like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf," and by "they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left;" the evils that will be dispersed by that church are signified by "like a furnace among the wood, and like a torch in a sheaf;" and the falsities that will also be dispersed are signified by "all the peoples round about, whom they shall devour or consume;" that this church will be safe from the infestation of evils and falsities, and will live in the good of life according to the truths of doctrine, is signified by "Jerusalem shall yet dwell in her own place in Jerusalem;" "to be dwelt in" is predicated of the good of life, and "Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to the truths of doctrine.

[16] In Ezekiel:

I will set the point of the sword against all their gates, it is made into lightning, it is sharpened for slaughter. Gather thee together, turn to the right, set thyself in array, turn to the left, whithersoever thy faces are set (Ezekiel 21:15, 16).

This describes the destruction of truth by direful falsities; "a sword" signifies such falsities destroying truth, and the direfulness and enormity of that falsity is described by "a sword made into lightning, and sharpened for slaughter;" that those who are in such falsity have nothing of good or truth, with however much zeal they may search for it, is signified by "Gather thee together, turn to the right, set thyself in array, turn to the left, whithersoever thy faces are set."

[17] In Zechariah:

Woe to the shepherd of naught forsaking the flock! A sword is upon his arm, and upon the eye of his right side; his arm in withering shall wither, and the eye of his right side in growing dim shall grow dim (Zechariah 11:17).

"A shepherd of naught forsaking the flock" means those who do not teach truth and by it lead to the good of life, and who do not care whether it is truth or falsity that they teach; "a sword upon his arm" signifies falsity destroying every good of the will, and "a sword upon the eye of his right side" signifies falsity destroying every truth of the understanding; that they will be deprived of all good and truth is signified by "his arm in withering shall wither, and the eye of his right side in growing dim shall grow dim." (This may be seen further explained, n. 131, 152.)

[18] As the right region of the body and the members of the right region signify good through which is truth, so when Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the priesthood it was commanded:

That the blood of the ram should be taken and should be put upon the tip of their right ear, upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot (Exodus 29:20).

This was commanded because "blood" signified Divine truth, by means of which is the good of love, for this good was represented by "Aaron," and truth by his "sons;" and because all consecration for representing the Divine good of love is effected by Divine truth, "blood was put upon the tip of the right ear, upon the thumb of the right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot." The "tip of the right ear" signifies obedience from perception; the "thumb of the right hand" signifies good in the will; and the "great toe of the right foot" signifies good in act.

[19] Because a "leper" signifies good consumed by falsities, the way in which such an evil is to be cured by Divine means is described by the process of the cleansing of the leper, understood in the spiritual sense, from which I will cite only this:

That the priest should take of the blood of the guilt-offering and should put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot; and the priest should take oil from the log and pour it upon the palm of his left hand; and the priest should dip his left 3 finger in the oil that is in his left palm, and should sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before Jehovah (Leviticus 14:14-17, 24-28).

Here "the tip of the right ear," "the thumb of the right hand," and "the great toe of the right foot," have a similar signification as above; so has the "blood," namely, Divine truth, for this is what purifies man from the falsities that have consumed the goods in him; and when he is purified from these, good can be produced by means of truths, and the man be thus healed of leprosy. From all this it can be seen that "the right and the left" signify the good from which is truth and the truth that is from good (as has been said above). For what other purpose would the blood have been put upon the right part of those members, and the oil be taken from the left palm, and sprinkled with the left finger?

[20] Likewise:

The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to lie upon his left side, and to have laid upon him the iniquities of the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4:4).

For a "prophet" signifies one who teaches, and in an abstract sense the doctrine of the church; the "left side" signifies the doctrine of truth from good, and it is through truths from good that man is purified from his iniquities.

[21] Solomon set the lavers:

Five beside the shoulder of the house on the right, and five beside the shoulder of the house on its left; but he set the brazen sea by the right shoulder of the house eastward from the region of the south (1 Kings 7:39);

for the reason that the "house or temple" represented heaven and the church; the "lavers" the purifications from falsities and evils, and thus the preparations for entering into heaven and the church; "the right shoulder of the house" signified the south in the heavens, where Divine truth is in its light, and "the left shoulder" signified the north, where Divine truth is in its shade. Thus these "ten lavers" signified all things of purification and all who are purified, and "the five on one shoulder and the five on the other" signified those, or that kind of men, with whom Divine truth is in the light and with whom it is in the shade; "ten" signifying all things and all persons, and "five" one part or one kind. The brazen sea represented general purifying. This was placed by "the right shoulder of the house eastward from the region of the south," because purifying Divine truth proceeds from the Lord's Divine love; for the east is where the Lord appears as a sun; Divine truth, which is the light of heaven from that sun, in the south is in its clearness and sunshine; this is why the general purificator was placed "eastward from the region of the south." These arcana of the Word cannot be known in the world until the quarters in heaven are understood, which differ from the quarters in the world. (Respecting the Quarters in Heaven, see what has been said, from things seen and heard, in the work on Heaven and Hell 141-153.)

[22] Since everyone in the spiritual world enters and walks in ways that lead to those who are in a like ruling love, and everyone is free to go any way he wishes, thus into and by any way that his love leads him, and these ways to the right or to the left tend to one love or another, thus to the love that has become ingrafted, so "right and left" signifies pleasantly, freely, and of choice. Thus in the book of Genesis:

Abraham said to Lot, Separate thyself; if to the left I will go to the right, if to the right I will go to the left (Genesis 13:9).

And Abraham's servant said to Laban when he asked for Rebecca as a wife for Isaac:

Tell me, that I may look to the right or the left (Genesis 24:49).

Not to recede or to turn to the right hand or to the left, signifies also to go in no other way than that in which the Lord Himself leads, and in which the good and truth of heaven and the church lead, thus not to go astray, as:

That they should not turn aside from the word of the priest, the Levite, and of the judge, nor from the precepts in the Word, to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 17:11, 20; 28:14; Joshua 1:7; 2 Samuel 14:19).

And that the sons of Israel should not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but should go by the king's highway when they passed through the land of Edom (Numbers 20:17).

And when they passed through the land of King Sihon (Deuteronomy 2:27).

Moreover, "the right hand" signifies full power, and in relation to the Lord, Divine omnipotence (as may be seen above, n. 298.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. Latin has "for the right and the left."

2. Latin has "fall," the text as quoted just above has "cut down. "

3. Latin has "left," the Hebrew "right," as is also found in AC 7430, 10061.

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