24
וְחִזַּקְתִּי אֶת־זְרֹעֹות מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־חַרְבִּי בְּיָדֹו וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת־זְרֹעֹות פַּרְעֹה וְנָאַק נַאֲקֹות חָלָל לְפָנָיו׃
Yechezchial 30:24
Arcana Coelestia # 1164
1164. That 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions is clear in Jeremiah,
Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put that handle the shield. Jeremiah 46:8-9.
In this case 'Egypt' stands for people who believe nothing they do not grasp through facts. As a result everything is subject to doubt, denial and falsification, meant by 'rising up, covering the earth, and destroying the city'. Here 'Cush' stands for the more universal and interior cognitions of the Word by which they confirm accepted false assumptions. 'Put' stands for cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word which are based on sensory appearances.
[2] In Ezekiel,
A sword will come upon Egypt, and there will be grief in Cush when the slain 1 falls in Egypt; and they will take her multitude, and her foundations will be destroyed. Cush and Put and Lud and all of Ereb 2 and Kub, and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall with them by the sword. Ezekiel 30:4-6.
Except from the internal sense nobody could possibly know what these statements mean. And if the names did not mean real things, these verses would have practically no meaning at all. In this case however 'Egypt' means the knowledge by means of which they wish to enter into the mysteries of faith. 'Cush and Put' are called 'her foundations' because they are cognitions drawn from the Word.
[3] In the same prophet,
On that day messengers will go forth from before Me in ships to terrify overconfident Cush, and there will be grief among them as in the day of Egypt. Ezekiel 30:9.
'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word which confirm falsities hatched out of facts. In the same prophet,
I will make the land of Egypt into waste places, an utter desolation, from the tower of Seveneh as far as the border of Cush. Ezekiel 29:10.
In this case 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Cush' for cognitions of the interior things of the Word, which are 'the borders' beyond which knowledge does not go.
[4] In Isaiah,
The king of Asshur will lead away the captives of Egypt and the captives of Cush, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. And they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope, and because of Egypt their glory. Isaiah 20:4-5.
Here 'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word by which falsities obtained through facts are confirmed. 'Asshur' is reasoning which carries away those who are captive. In Nahum,
Cush was her strength, Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were your help. Nahum 3:9.
This refers to a vastated Church where in a similar way 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'Cush' for cognitions.
[5] 'Cush' and 'Egypt' stand simply for cognitions and knowledge which are truths useful to people whose faith is grounded in charity. 'Cush and Egypt' is used in this good sense in Isaiah,
Jehovah said, The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you in fetters, they will come over and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. Isaiah 45:14.
'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve those who acknowledge the Lord, for all knowledge and every cognition are theirs.
[6] In Daniel,
The king of the north will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans (Put) and the Cushites will follow in his 3 steps. Daniel 11:3.
'Put and Cush' here stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, 'Egypt' for facts. In Zephaniah,
From beyond the rivers of Cush are those who adore Me. Zephaniah 3:10.
This stands for those who are beyond the range of cognitions, and so for gentiles. In David,
Noblemen will come out of Egypt, Cush will hasten [to stretch out] her hands to God. Psalms 68:31.
Here 'Egypt' stands for knowledge, and 'Cush' for cognitions.
[7] In the same author,
I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush. The latter was born here (in the city of God). Psalms 87:4.
'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, hence the statement that he was 'born in the city of God'. Since 'Cush' means interior cognitions of the Word and intelligence acquired from these, it is therefore said that the second river going out of the garden of Eden encompassed the whole land of Cush. On this see what has appeared already in 117.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, the pierced
2. the Hebrew word rendered Ereb here is usually regarded not as a proper but as a common noun which means a mixed company.
3. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means his, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
Genesis 42
1
Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?"
2
He said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may live, and not die."
3
Joseph's ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
4
But Jacob didn't send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers; for he said, "Lest perhaps harm happen to him."
5
The sons of Israel came to buy among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.
6
Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph's brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
7
Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, "Where did you come from?" They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."
8
Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.
9
Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land."
10
They said to him, "No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food.
11
We are all one man's sons; we are honest men. Your servants are not spies."
12
He said to them, "No, but you have come to see the nakedness of the land!"
13
They said, "We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."
14
Joseph said to them, "It is like I told you, saying, 'You are spies!'
15
By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go forth from here, unless your youngest brother comes here.
16
Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies."
17
He put them all together into custody for three days.
18
Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this, and live, for I fear God.
19
If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
20
Bring your youngest brother to me; so will your words be verified, and you won't die." They did so.
21
They said one to another, "We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn't listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us."
22
Reuben answered them, saying, "Didn't I tell you, saying, 'Don't sin against the child,' and you wouldn't listen? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required."
23
They didn't know that Joseph understood them; for there was an interpreter between them.
24
He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
25
Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man's money into his sack, and to give them food for the way. So it was done to them.
26
They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.
27
As one of them opened his sack to give his donkey food in the lodging place, he saw his money. Behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.
28
He said to his brothers, "My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!" Their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying, "What is this that God has done to us?"
29
They came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and told him all that had happened to them, saying,
30
"The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country.
31
We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are no spies.
32
We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'
33
The man, the lord of the land, said to us, 'By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your houses, and go your way.
34
Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.'"
35
It happened as they emptied their sacks, that behold, each man's bundle of money was in his sack. When they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
36
Jacob, their father, said to them, "You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."
37
Reuben spoke to his father, saying, "Kill my two sons, if I don't bring him to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him to you again."
38
He said, "My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along the way in which you go, then you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol."
