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וְהָיָה כָעָם כַּכֹּהֵן וּפָקַדְתִּי עָלָיו דְּרָכָיו וּמַעֲלָלָיו אָשִׁיב לֹו׃
Arcana Coelestia # 627
627. 'For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth 1 ' means that man's bodily-mindedness destroyed all understanding of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'flesh', dealt with already at verse 3, as in general the whole of mankind, and in particular the bodily-minded man, or everything of a bodily nature; and from the meaning of 'way' as the understanding of truth, or truth itself. The fact that 'way' has reference to the understanding of truth, or to truth itself, becomes clear from the examples already quoted in several places as well as from the following,
Jehovah said, Get up, go down quickly from here, for your people have corrupted themselves. They have suddenly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have cast for themselves a metal image. Deuteronomy 9:11, 16.
This means that they forsook His commandments, which are truths.
[2] In Jeremiah,
Whose eyes have been opened upon all the ways of the sons of man, giving to every man (vir) according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works. Jeremiah 32:19.
'Ways' means life according to the commandments, 'fruit of his works' life based on charity. 'Way' accordingly has reference to truths, which comprise commandments and ordinances, and so do 'son of man' and 'man' (vir), as shown above. Jeremiah 7:3; 17:10, also contain similar usages.
In Hosea,
I will visit upon him his ways, and require him for his works. Hosea 4:9.
In Zechariah,
Return from your evil ways and from your evil works. As Jehovah Zebaoth thought to deal with us for our ways and for our works. Zechariah 1:4, 6.
Similar phrases appear here, yet they are the contrary in meaning to those mentioned before them, since they are 'evil ways' and 'evil works'.
In Jeremiah,
I will give them one heart and one way. Jeremiah 32:39.
'Heart' stands for goods, 'way' for truths. In David,
Make me understand the way of Your commandments. Take from me the way of untruth, and graciously grant me Your law. I have chosen the way of truth. I will run in the way of Your precepts. Psalms 119:26-27, 29-30, 32, 35.
Here 'the way of the commandments and precepts' is called 'the way of truth', and the contrary of this, 'the way of untruth'.
[3] In the same author,
Make Your ways known to me, O Jehovah, teach me Your paths, guide my way in Your truth, and teach me. Psalms 25:4-5.
This in like manner plainly stands for the truth. In Isaiah,
With whom did Jehovah consult, and he instructed Him, and taught Him the path of judgement, and taught Him knowledge, and made Him know the way of understanding? Isaiah 40:14.
This plainly stands for an understanding of truth. In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Stand upon the highways and look, and ask concerning the paths of old, which is the good way, and go in it. Jeremiah 6:16.
This in like manner stands for an understanding of truth. In Isaiah,
I will lead the blind in a way they do not know; and in paths they do not know I will guide them. Isaiah 42:16.
The expressions way, by-path, pathway, road, and street all have reference to truths because they lead to what is true, as also in Jeremiah,
They have caused them to stumble in their ways, in the pathways of old, going into by-paths and not the highway. Jeremiah 18:15.
Similarly in the Book of Judges,
In the days of Jael pathways ceased to be. And those who went along the paths kept to twisting pathways; the streets in Israel ceased to be. Judges 5:6-7.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. or the land
Judges 5
1
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day, saying,
2
"Because the leaders took the lead in Israel, because the people offered themselves willingly, be blessed, Yahweh!
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"Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, [even] I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
4
"Yahweh, when you went forth out of Seir, when you marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the sky also dropped. Yes, the clouds dropped water.
5
The mountains quaked at the presence of Yahweh, even Sinai, at the presence of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
6
"In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied. The travelers walked through byways.
7
The rulers ceased in Israel. They ceased until I, Deborah, arose; Until I arose a mother in Israel.
8
They chose new gods. Then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
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My heart is toward the governors of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless Yahweh!
10
"Tell [of it], you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets, and you who walk by the way.
11
Far from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water, there they will rehearse the righteous acts of Yahweh, [Even] the righteous acts of his rule in Israel. "Then the people of Yahweh went down to the gates.
12
'Awake, Awake, Deborah! Awake, Awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Abinoam.'
13
"Then a remnant of the nobles [and] the people came down. Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.
14
Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal's staff came out of Zebulun.
15
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah. As was Issachar, so was Barak. They rushed into the valley at his feet. By the watercourses of Reuben, there were great resolves of heart.
16
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds, To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart.
17
Gilead lived beyond the Jordan. Why did Dan remain in ships? Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, and lived by his creeks.
18
Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the deaths; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
19
"The kings came and fought, then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo. They took no plunder of silver.
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From the sky the stars fought. From their courses, they fought against Sisera.
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The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. My soul, march on with strength.
22
Then the horse hoofs stamped because of the prancings, the prancings of their strong ones.
23
'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of Yahweh. 'Curse bitterly its inhabitants, because they didn't come to help Yahweh, to help Yahweh against the mighty.'
24
"Jael shall be blessed above women, the wife of Heber the Kenite; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25
He asked for water. She gave him milk. She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
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She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer. With the hammer she struck Sisera. She struck through his head. Yes, she pierced and struck through his temples.
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At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay. At her feet he bowed, he fell. Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
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"Through the window she looked out, and cried: Sisera's mother looked through the lattice. 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?'
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Her wise ladies answered her, Yes, she returned answer to herself,
30
'Have they not found, have they not divided the spoil? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a spoil of dyed garments, a spoil of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the spoil?'
31
"So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises forth in its strength." Then the land had rest forty years.
