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2 Mose 14

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1 Und Jehova redete zu Mose und sprach:

2 Sprich zu den Kindern Israel, daß sie umkehren und sich lagern vor Pi-Hachiroth, zwischen Migdol und dem Meere; vor Baal-Zephon, ihm gegenüber, sollt ihr euch am Meere lagern.

3 Und der Pharao wird von den Kindern Israel sagen: Verwirrt irren sie im Lande umher, die Wüste hat sie umschlossen.

4 Und ich will das Herz des Pharao verhärten, daß er ihnen nachjage; und ich will mich verherrlichen an dem Pharao und an seiner ganzen Heeresmacht, und die Ägypter sollen erkennen, daß ich Jehova bin. Und sie taten also.

5 Und es wurde dem König von Ägypten berichtet, daß das Volk entflohen wäre; da verwandelte sich das Herz des Pharao und seiner Knechte gegen das Volk, und sie sprachen: Was haben wir da getan, daß wir Israel aus unserem Dienste haben ziehen lassen!

6 Und er spannte seinen Wagen an und nahm sein Volk mit sich.

7 Und er nahm sechshundert auserlesene Wagen und alle Wagen Ägyptens, und Wagenkämpfer auf jedem derselben.

8 Und Jehova verhärtete das Herz des Pharao, des Königs von Ägypten, und er jagte den Kindern Israel nach; und die Kinder Israel zogen aus mit erhobener Hand.

9 Und die Ägypter jagten ihnen nach, alle osse, Wagen (O. alle Wagenrosse) des Pharao und seine eiter und seine Heeresmacht, und erreichten sie, als sie sich am Meere gelagert hatten, bei Pi-Hachiroth, vor Baal-Zephon.

10 Und als der Pharao nahte, da hoben die Kinder Israel ihre Augen auf, und siehe, die Ägypter zogen hinter ihnen her; und die Kinder Israel fürchteten sich sehr und schrieen zu Jehova.

11 Und sie sprachen zu Mose: Hast du uns darum, weil in Ägypten keine Gräber waren, weggeholt, um in der Wüste zu sterben? Warum hast du uns das getan, daß du uns aus Ägypten herausgeführt hast?

12 Ist dies nicht das Wort, das wir in Ägypten zu dir geredet haben, indem wir sprachen: Laß ab von uns, daß wir den Ägyptern dienen? denn besser wäre es uns, den Ägyptern zu dienen, als in der Wüste zu sterben.

13 Und Mose sprach zu dem Volke: Fürchtet euch nicht! stehet und sehet die ettung Jehovas, die er euch heute schaffen wird; denn die Ägypter, die ihr heute sehet, die werdet ihr hinfort nicht mehr sehen ewiglich.

14 Jehova wird für euch streiten, und ihr werdet stille sein. (O. sollt schweigen)

15 Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Was schreiest du zu mir? rede zu den Kindern Israel, daß sie aufbrechen.

16 Und du, erhebe deinen Stab und strecke deine Hand aus über das Meer und spalte es, daß die Kinder Israel mitten in das Meer hineingehen auf dem Trockenen.

17 Und ich, siehe, ich will das Herz der Ägypter verhärten, und sie werden hinter ihnen herkommen; und ich will mich verherrlichen an dem Pharao und an seiner ganzen Heeresmacht, an seinen Wagen und an seinen eitern.

18 Und die Ägypter sollen erkennen, daß ich Jehova bin, wenn ich mich verherrlicht habe an dem Pharao, an seinen Wagen und an seinen eitern.

19 Und der Engel Gottes, der vor dem Heere Israels herzog, brach auf und trat hinter sie; und die Wolkensäule brach auf von vorn (W.- von vor ihnen) und stellte sich hinter sie.

20 Und sie kam zwischen das Heer der Ägypter und das Heer Israels, und sie wurde dort Wolke und Finsternis, und erleuchtete hier die Nacht; und so nahte jenes diesem nicht die ganze Nacht.

21 Und Mose streckte seine Hand aus über das Meer, und Jehova trieb das Meer durch einen starken Ostwind hinweg, die ganze Nacht, und machte das Meer trocken, (Eig. zu trockenem Lande) und die Wasser wurden gespalten.

22 Und die Kinder Israel gingen mitten in das Meer hinein auf dem Trockenen, und die Wasser waren ihnen eine Mauer zur echten und zur Linken.

23 Und die Ägypter jagten ihnen nach und kamen hinter ihnen her, alle osse des Pharao, seine Wagen und seine eiter, mitten ins Meer.

24 Und es geschah in der Morgenwache, da schaute Jehova in der Feuer- und Wolkensäule auf das Heer der Ägypter und verwirrte das Heer der Ägypter.

25 Und er stieß die äder von seinen Wagen und ließ es fahren mit Beschwerde. Und die Ägypter sprachen: Laßt uns vor Israel fliehen, denn Jehova streitet für sie wider die Ägypter!

26 Und Jehova sprach zu Mose: Strecke deine Hand aus über das Meer, daß die Wasser über die Ägypter zurückkehren, über ihre Wagen und über ihre eiter.

27 Da streckte Mose seine Hand aus über das Meer, und das Meer kehrte beim Anbruch des Morgens zu seiner Strömung zurück; und die Ägypter flohen ihm entgegen; und Jehova stürzte die Ägypter mitten ins Meer.

28 Und die Wasser kehrten zurück und bedeckten die Wagen und die eiter der ganzen Heeresmacht des Pharao, die hinter ihnen her ins Meer gekommen waren; es blieb auch nicht einer von ihnen übrig.

29 Und die Kinder Israel gingen auf dem Trockenen mitten durch das Meer, und die Wasser waren ihnen eine Mauer zur echten und zur Linken.

30 So rettete Jehova Israel an selbigem Tage aus der Hand der Ägypter, und Israel sah die Ägypter tot am Ufer des Meeres.

31 Und Israel sah die große Macht, (W. Hand) die Jehova an den Ägyptern betätigt hatte; und das Volk fürchtete Jehova, und sie glaubten an Jehova und an Mose, seinen Knecht.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4876

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4876. 'And your rod which is in your hand' means through the power of this, that is, of this truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the hand' too as power, dealt with in 876, 3091, 3387, 3563. The phrase 'which is in your hand' is used because the power of that truth, namely lowest truth, is meant, like that present with the semblance of religion among the Jewish nation, meant here by 'Judah'. Regarding the attribution of power to truth, see 3091, 3563. Frequent mention is made in the Word of 'a rod', yet surprisingly few at the present day know that something in the spiritual world was represented by it, as for instance when Moses was commanded, every time a miracle was performed, to lift up his rod and so it was accomplished. The existence of such knowledge even among gentiles may be recognized from their myths in which rods are assigned to magicians. The reason 'a rod' means power is that it is a support, for it gives support to the hand and arm, and through these to the whole body. This being so, a rod takes on the meaning of the part to which it immediately gives support, namely that of the hand and the arm, both of which mean in the Word the power of truth. Also, the hand and arm correspond to that power in the Grand Man, as will be seen at the ends of chapters.

[2] That 'a rod' represented power is evident, as has been stated, from what is recorded about Moses,

He was commanded to take a rod and use it to perform miracles; so he took the rod of God in his hand. Exodus 4:17, 20.

When the waters in Egypt were struck with the rod, they turned to blood.

Exodus 7:15, 19.

When the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came forth. Exodus 8:5-15.

When the dust was struck by the use of the rod, it turned into lice. Exodus 8:16-20.

When the rod was stretched out towards heaven, hail fell. Exodus 9:23.

When the rod was stretched out over the earth, locusts came forth. Exodus 10:3-21.

Since 'the hand', which means power, comes first, while 'a rod' is merely its instrument, the following references to 'the hand' also occur:

The miracles happened when Moses' hand was stretched out. Exodus 10:12-13. When he stretched out his hand towards heaven, thick darkness came over the land of Egypt. Exodus 10:21-22. When he stretched out his hand over the Sea Suph, an east wind made the sea dry land; and when again he stretched out his hand, the waters returned. Exodus 14:21, 26-27.

[3] Reference is in addition made to the rod being used to strike the rock at Horeb, after which water flowed out, Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:7-10. Also, when Joshua was about to fight against Amalek,

Moses said to Joshua, Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with God's rod in my hand. And it happened, that when Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed. Exodus 17:9-11.

From these references it is quite plain that 'a rod', like the hand, represented power, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine almighty power. It is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the external features of the Church, and that its internal features - which were spiritual and celestial realities such as exist in heaven - corresponded to those external ones, which owed their efficacy to that correspondence. From this it is also evident how crazy those people are who believe that power had been infused into and therefore dwelt in Moses' rod or hand.

[4] The meaning in the spiritual sense of 'a rod' as power is also evident from many places in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,

Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth is taking away from Jerusalem rod and stay, the whole rod of bread, and the whole rod of water. Isaiah 3:1.

'The rod of bread' stands for the support and power provided by the good of love, 'the rod of water' for the support and power provided by the truth of faith. For 'bread' means the good of love, see 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735; and 'water' the truth of faith' 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424. 'The rod of bread' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; Psalms 105:16.

[5] In addition to this, in Isaiah,

The Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, said, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur, who will smite you with a stick and will lift up the rod over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah will lift up the scourge against him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Oreb, and his rod will be over the sea, which he will lift up in the way of Egypt. Isaiah 10:24, 26.

Here 'the rod' stands for power provided by reasoning and knowledge, like that which those people possess who, with ideas based on factual knowledge, reason against the truths of faith and pervert these or else treat them as worthless. This is what is meant by 'the stick with which Asshur will smite' and by 'the rod which he will lift up in the way of Egypt'. For 'Asshur' means reasoning, see 1186, and 'Egypt' knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462.

[6] Similarly in Zechariah,

The pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart. Zechariah 10:11.

In Isaiah,

You relied on the rod of a bruised reed, on Egypt, which, when anyone leans on it, goes into his hand and pierces it. Isaiah 36:6.

'Egypt' stands for factual knowledge, as above; and power in spiritual things which is received from that knowledge is meant by 'the rod of a bruised reed'. By 'the hand which it enters and pierces' is meant power received from the Word. In the same prophet,

Jehovah has broken the rod of the wicked, the stick of those who have dominion. Isaiah 14:5

'The rod' and 'the stick' plainly stand for power.

[7] In Jeremiah,

Grieve, all regions surrounding Moab; say, How is the rod of strength, the rod of beauty, broken! Jeremiah 48:17.

'The rod of strength' stands for power received from good, and 'the rod of beauty' for power received from truth.

[8] In Hosea,

My people enquire of their piece of wood, and their rod gives them a reply, for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray. Hosea 4:12.

'Inquiring of a piece of wood' stands for consulting evils, 'the rod gives reply' for the fact that falsity results from these, its power being derived from the evil to which they give support. 'The spirit of whoredom' stands for the life of falsity resulting from evil. In David,

Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your stick and Your rod comfort me. Psalms 23:4.

'Your stick and your rod' stands for Divine truth and good, which have power. In the same author,

The rod of the wicked will not rest on the lot of the righteous. Psalms 125:3.

[9] In the same author,

You will break them in pieces with a stick of iron, you will dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Psalms 2:9.

'A stick of iron' stands for the power of spiritual truth within the natural, for all natural truth that has spiritual truth present within it possesses power. 'Iron' means natural truth, 425, 426. Similarly in John,

He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations to rule 1 them untie a stick of iron as when earthen pots are broken in pieces. Revelation 2:26-27. (Also Revelation 12:5; 19:15.)

[10] Because 'a rod' represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good expressed by means of truth, kings therefore had sceptres; and those sceptres were shaped like short rods. For kings represent the Lord as regards truth, while kingship itself means Divine Truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581. The sceptre means the power which is theirs not by virtue of their high position but of truth which must reign. Nor must this be any other kind of truth than that which is grounded in good, and so is primarily Divine Truth, and among Christians is the Lord, the source of all Divine Truth.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, pasture

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