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Exodus 8

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1 Ja Issand ütles Moosesele: 'Ütle Aaronile: Siruta oma käsi kepiga välja jõgede, kanalite ja tiikide kohale, ja lase tulla konni Egiptusemaale!'

2 Ja Aaron sirutas oma käe Egiptuse vete kohale ning konnad ronisid üles ja katsid Egiptusemaa.

3 Aga võlurid tegid oma salakunstidega sedasama ja lasksid tulla konni Egiptusemaale.

4 Siis vaarao kutsus Moosese ja Aaroni ning ütles: 'Paluge Issandat, et ta võtaks ära konnad minu ja mu rahva kallalt, siis ma lasen rahva minna Issandale ohverdama!'

5 Aga Mooses vastas vaaraole: 'Osuta mulle seda au: millal ma pean palvetama sinu ja su sulaste ning su rahva pärast, et konnad kaotataks sinu ja su kodade kallalt, et nad jääksid üksnes jõkke?'

6 Ja tema vastas: 'Homme.' Siis ütles Mooses: 'Sinu sõna peale! Et sa teaksid, et keegi ei ole niisugune nagu Issand, meie Jumal.

7 Konnad eemaldatakse sinu ja su kodade, su sulaste ja su rahva kallalt. Nad jäävad üksnes jõkke.'

8 Siis Mooses läks koos Aaroniga vaarao juurest välja. Ja Mooses hüüdis Issanda poole konnade pärast, keda ta oli vaaraole saatnud.

9 Ja Issand tegi Moosese sõna järgi ning konnad surid kodadest, õuedest ja põldudelt,

10 neid kuhjati hunnikute viisi ja maa hakkas haisema.

11 Kui vaarao nägi, et ta oli saanud kergendust, siis ta tegi oma südame kõvaks ega kuulanud neid - nagu Issand oli öelnud.

12 Siis Issand ütles Moosesele: 'Ütle Aaronile: Siruta oma kepp välja ja löö maa põrmu, et sellest tuleks sääski kogu Egiptusemaale!'

13 Ja nad tegid nõnda. Aaron sirutas oma käe kepiga välja ja lõi maa põrmu; siis tulid sääsed inimeste ja loomade kallale; kõik maa põrm muutus sääskedeks kogu Egiptusemaal.

14 Ka võlurid tegid oma salakunstidega sedasama, et tekitada sääski, aga ei suutnud; ja sääsed olid inimeste ja loomade kallal.

15 Siis võlurid ütlesid vaaraole: 'See on Jumala sõrm!' Aga vaarao süda jäi kõvaks ja ta ei kuulanud neid - nagu Issand oli öelnud.

16 Ja Issand ütles Moosesele: 'Tõuse hommikul vara ja astu vaarao ette, kui ta läheb vee äärde, ja ütle temale: Nõnda ütleb Issand: Lase mu rahvas minna ja mind teenida!

17 Sest kui sa ei lase mu rahvast minna, vaata, siis ma läkitan parmud sinu ja su sulaste ja su rahva kallale ning su kodadesse. Egiptlaste kojad täituvad parmudega, nõndasamuti ka maapind, millel need on.

18 Aga ma eraldan sel päeval Gooseni maakonna, kus asub mu rahvas, nõnda et parme ei tule sinna, selleks et sa teaksid, et mina olen Issand keset seda maad.

19 Ma teen vahe oma rahva ja sinu rahva vahele. Homme sünnib see imetegu.'

20 Ja Issand tegi nõnda: parme tuli rängasti vaarao kotta ja tema sulaste kodadesse; ja kogu Egiptusemaal kannatas maa parmude tõttu.

21 Siis vaarao kutsus Moosese ja Aaroni ning ütles: 'Minge ohverdage oma Jumalale siin maal!'

22 Aga Mooses vastas: 'Ei ole sünnis nõnda teha, sest see, mis me ohverdame Issandale, oma Jumalale, on egiptlastele vastik. Vaata, kui me ohverdame seda, mis egiptlaste meelest on vastik, nende silme ees, eks nad viska meid siis kividega?

23 Me tahame minna kolme päeva tee kõrbesse ja ohverdada Issandale, oma Jumalale, nagu tema meid on käskinud.'

24 Ja vaarao ütles: 'Ma lasen teid minna ja ohverdada Issandale, teie Jumalale kõrbes. Ainult ärge minge väga kaugele. Palvetage minu eest!'

25 Siis ütles Mooses: 'Vaata, ma lähen su juurest ja palun Issandat, et parmud homme kaoksid vaarao, ta sulaste ja rahva kallalt. Ainult ärgu vaarao enam petku, laskmata rahvast minna Issandale ohverdama!'

26 Ja Mooses läks ära vaarao juurest ning palus Issandat.

27 Ja Issand tegi Moosese sõna järgi ning kaotas parmud vaarao, ta sulaste ja rahva kallalt; ühtainsatki ei jäänud alles.

28 Aga vaarao tegi oma südame kõvaks ka seekord ega lasknud rahvast minna.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4876

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4876. And thy staff that is in thy hand. That this signifies by means of its power, that is, of that truth, is evident from the signification of a “staff,” as being power, of which presently; and from the signification of a “hand,” as being also power (n. 878, 3091, 3387, 3563). It is said “that is in thy hand,” because the power of that lowest truth is signified such as belonged to the religiosity of the Jewish nation, which here is “Judah.” That power is predicated of truth may be seen above (n. 3091, 3563). A “staff” is frequently mentioned in the Word, and it is surprising that scarcely anyone at this day knows that anything in the spiritual world was represented by it, as where Moses was commanded that whenever miracles were wrought, he was to lift up his staff, and thereby they were wrought. This was known among Gentiles also, as is evident from their fabulous tales in which staffs are ascribed to magicians. That a “staff” signifies power, is because it is a support; for it supports the hand and arm, and through them the whole body; wherefore a staff takes on the signification of the part which it immediately supports, that is, the hand and arm, by both of which in the Word is signified the power of truth. Moreover, it will be seen at the end of the chapters that in the Grand Man the hand and arm correspond to this power.

[2] That by a staff was represented power, appears, as just said, from what is related of Moses, in that he was commanded to take a staff (or rod), with which he was to do miracles; and that he took the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 4:17, 20); that when smitten by the rod, the waters in Egypt became blood (Exodus 7:15, 19-20); that when the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came up (Exodus 8:1-11); that when the dust was smitten by the rod, it became lice (Exodus 8:16-20); that when the rod was stretched out toward heaven, there was hail (Exodus 9:23); and that when the rod was stretched out over the land, locusts came up (Exodus 10:3-21). As the hand is the principal, by which power is signified, and a rod is the instrumental, therefore miracles were also wrought when his hand was stretched forth (Exodus 10:12-13); when his hand was stretched forth toward heaven, there was thick darkness over the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22); and when his hand was stretched forth over the sea Suph, by an east wind the sea was made dry land; and on again stretching forth his hand, the waters returned (Exodus 14:21, 26-27).

[3] Moreover, when the rock of Horeb was smitten with the rod, waters flowed out (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:7-10). When Joshua fought against Amalek, “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:9, 11). From these passages it is very evident that a rod or staff, like the hand, represented power, and in the supreme sense the Divine omnipotence of the Lord; and it is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the externals of the church; and that the internals, which are spiritual and celestial things such as are in heaven, corresponded to them; and that from this came their efficacy. From this it is also plain how irrational those are who believe that there was any power infused into the staff or the hand of Moses.

[4] That in the spiritual sense, a “staff” is power, appears also from many passages in the prophets, as in Isaiah: Behold the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth doth take away from Jerusalem staff and stay, the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water (Isaiah 3:1); the “staff of bread” denotes support and power from the good of love, and the “staff of water,” support and power from the truth of faith. That “bread” is the good of love may be seen above (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735); and that “water” is the truth of faith (n. 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424). The “staff of bread” is mentioned in like manner in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; and Psalms 105:16).

[5] Again in Isaiah:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, who shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee, in the way of Egypt. Jehovah shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the plague of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and his staff shall be over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt (Isaiah 10:24, 26); where “staff” denotes power from reasoning and memory-knowledge, such as is the power of those who reason from memory-knowledges against the truths of faith, and either pervert them or make them of no account. This is signified by the “rod” with which Asshur shall smite, and by the “staff” which he shall lift up in the way of Egypt. That by “Asshur” is meant reasoning may be seen above (n. 1186); and that by “Egypt” is meant memory-knowledge (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462).

[6] In like manner in Zechariah:

The pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away (Zech. 10:11).

In Isaiah:

Thou hast trusted on the staff of a bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it (Isaiah 36:6);

“Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges, as above; power from them in spiritual things is the “staff of a bruised reed;” the “hand” which it goes into and pierces, is power from the Word. Again:

Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers (Isaiah 14:5); where “staff” and “rod” manifestly denote power.

[7] In Jeremiah:

Grieve, all ye circuits of Moab, and say, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of beauty (Jeremiah 48:17).

The “staff of strength” denotes power from good, and the “staff of beauty” power from truth.

[8] In Hosea:

My people interrogate their wood, and their staff will answer them; for the spirit of whoredom hath led them astray (Hos. 4:12);

“interrogating wood” means consulting evils; the “staff answering” means that falsity is thence, which has power from the evil which they confirm; the “spirit of whoredom” denotes a life of falsity from evil.

In David:

Yea, when I walk in the valley of shadow, I will fear not evil to me; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me (Psalms 23:4);

“Thy rod and Thy staff” denote the Divine truth and good, which have power. Again:

The staff of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the just (Psalms 125:3).

[9] Again:

Thou shalt crush them with a rod of iron; thou shalt scatter them like a potter’s vessels (Psalms 2:9);

a “rod of iron” denotes the power of spiritual truth in natural, for all natural truth in which there is spiritual truth has power; “iron” is natural truth (n. 425, 426). So also in Revelation:

He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; that he may pasture them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers (Revelation 2:26-27; and also 12:5; 19:15).

[10] Because a staff represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good through truth, therefore kings had scepters, which were made like short staffs; for by kings the Lord is represented as to truth, the Divine truth being the royalty itself (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581). The scepter signifies the power belonging to them, not by dignity, but by the truth which should rule, and no other truth than that which is from good; thus principally the Divine truth, and with Christians the Lord, from whom is all Divine truth.

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