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Deuteronomy 28

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1 And it shall be, if obeying thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep and to do all His commandments which I command thee today, that Jehovah thy God will put thee on high above all nations of the earth;

2 and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God.

3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and Blessed shalt thou be in the field.

4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the progeny of thine oxen, and the sheep of thy flock.

5 Blessed shall be thy bushel and thy kneading-trough.

6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest·​·in, and Blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

7 Jehovah shall give thine enemies that rise·​·up against thee to be struck down before thee; they shall go·​·out against thee in one way, and flee before thee in seven ways.

8 Jehovah shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou puttest·​·forth thy hand; and He shall bless thee in the land which Jehovah thy God gives thee.

9 Jehovah shall raise· thee ·up for a holy people to Himself, as He has promised to thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, and walk in His ways.

10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of Jehovah; and they shall be afraid of thee.

11 And Jehovah shall make thee a remainder for goodness, in the fruit of thy belly, and in the fruit of thy beasts, and in the fruit of thy ground, on the ground which Jehovah promised to thy fathers to give thee.

12 Jehovah shall open to thee His good treasure, the heavens to give the rain of thy land in its time, and to bless all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend to many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

13 And Jehovah shall put thee for the head, and not for the tail; and thou shalt be only above, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou hearken to the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee today, to keep and to do;

14 and thou shalt not turn·​·aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right·​·hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

15 But it shall be, if thou wilt not obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to take·​·heed to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee today; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee;

16 cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

17 Cursed shall be thy bushel and thy kneading-trough.

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, the progeny of thine oxen, and the sheep of thy flock.

19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest·​·in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest·​·out.

20 Jehovah shall send upon thee a curse, upset, and rebuke, in all that thou puttest· thy hand ·forth to do, until thou be blotted·​·out, and until thou perish hastily; on·​·account·​·of the evil of thine actions in which thou hast forsaken Me.

21 Jehovah shall make the pestilence stick to thee, until He has consumed· thee ·all from on the ground, whither thou goest·​·in to possess her.

22 Jehovah shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with a blazing fever, and with the drought, and with scorching, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

23 And thy heavens that are over thy head shall be bronze, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

24 Jehovah shall give the rain of thy land as powder and dust; from the heavens shall it come·​·down on thee, until it blots· thee ·out.

25 Jehovah shall give thee to be struck down before thine enemies; thou shalt go·​·out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be in turmoil before all the kingdoms of the earth.

26 And thy carcass shall be food to all fowls of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth, and none shall·​·frighten them.

27 Jehovah will smite thee with the ulcer of Egypt, and with the hemorrhoids, and with scabies, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

28 Jehovah shall smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with amazement of heart;

29 and thou shalt be feeling·​·around at noon, as the blind feels·​·around in thick·​·darkness; and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways; and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed all the days, and none shall save thee.

30 Thou shalt betroth a woman, and another man shall ravish her; thou shalt build a house, and shalt not dwell in it; thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not begin to use it.

31 Thine ox shall be butchered before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat of it; thine donkey shall be taken·​·by·​·robbery from before thy face, and shall not be returned to thee; thy flock shall be given to thine enemies, and thou shalt have no·​·one to save them.

32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given to another people, and thine eyes shall see, and be consumed upon them all the day; and there shall be no power in thy hand.

33 The fruit of thy ground, and all thy toils, shall a people which thou knowest not eat·​·up; and thou only shalt be oppressed and fractured all the days.

34 And thou shalt be mad from the seeing of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

35 Jehovah shall smite thee on the knees, and on the hips, with a bad ulcer that is· not ·able to be healed, from the sole of thy foot to the top·​·of· thy ·head.

36 Jehovah shall make thee go, and thy king whom thou shalt raise·​·up over thee, to a nation which thou and thy fathers have not known; and there shalt thou serve other gods of wood and stone.

37 And thou shalt be an astonishment, a proverb, and a sharp·​·word, among all the peoples whither Jehovah shall direct thee.

38 Thou shalt carry out much seed into the field, and shalt gather in but a·​·little; for the locust shall consume it.

39 Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.

40 There shall be olive·​·trees for thee in all thy border, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive·​·trees shall shake·​·off their fruit.

41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine; for they shall go into captivity.

42 All thy trees and fruit of thy ground shall the locust possess.

43 The sojourner that is among thee shall go·​·up above thee, upward upward; and thou shalt go·​·down, downward downward.

44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

45 And all these curses shall come on thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, until thou be blotted·​·out; for thou didst not obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee;

46 and they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a miracle, and upon thy seed even·​·to eternity.

47 Because thou didst not serve Jehovah thy God with gladness, and with goodness of heart, for the multitude of all things;

48 and shalt thou serve thine enemies which Jehovah shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron on thy neck, until he has blotted· thee ·out.

49 Jehovah shall lift up a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle soars; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not hear;

50 a nation strong of face, which shall not accept the faces of an elder, nor be·​·gracious to a lad;

51 and he shall eat the fruit of thy beasts, and the fruit of thy ground, until thou be blotted·​·out; which also shall not leave for thee grain, must*, or olive·​·oil, or the progeny of thine oxen, or the sheep of thy flock, until he have made· thee ·perish.

52 And he shall be·​·an·​·adversary to thee in all thy gates, until thy tall and fortified walls come·​·down, in which thou didst trust, in all thy land; and he shall be·​·an·​·adversary to thee in all thy gates in all thy land, which Jehovah thy God has given to thee.

53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own belly, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which Jehovah thy God has given to thee, in the siege, and in the anguish, with which thine enemies shall cause· thee ·anguish;

54 So that the man that is soft among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be·​·evil against his brother, and against the wife of his bosom, and against the remnant of his sons who shall remain;

55 so that he will not give to any one of them from the flesh of his sons whom he shall eat; because he has nothing left to him in the siege, and in the anguish, with which thine enemies shall cause· thee ·anguish in all thy gates.

56 The tender woman among thee and the delicate, who would not attempt to place the sole of her foot on the earth from delicateness and from tenderness, her eye shall be·​·evil against the husband of her bosom, and against her son, and against her daughter,

57 and against her offspring that goes·​·out from between her feet, and against her sons to whom she shall give·​·birth; for she shall eat them in hiding for want of all things in the siege and in the anguish with which thine enemy shall cause· thee ·anguish in thy gates.

58 If thou wilt not take·​·heed to do all the words of this law written in this book, to fear this glorious and fearful name, Jehovah thy God;

59 then Jehovah will make thy smitings a wonder, and the smitings of thy seed great and constant smitings, and bad and constant sicknesses.

60 And He will turn·​·back on thee all the diseases of Egypt, before which thou wast afraid; and they shall stick to thee.

61 Also every sickness, and every smiting, which is not written in the book of this law, these will Jehovah bring·​·up upon thee, until thou be blotted·​·out.

62 And you shall be left with few mortals, instead·​·of being as the stars of the heavens for multitude; for thou didst not obey the voice of Jehovah thy God.

63 And it shall be, that as Jehovah had·​·joy over you to do· you ·good, and to multiply you; so Jehovah will have·​·joy over you to make· you ·perish, and to blot· you ·out; and you shall be plucked·​·out from on the ground whither thou comest to possess it.

64 And Jehovah shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even to the other end; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have·​·known, even wood and stone.

65 And among these nations shalt thou have no repose, and there shall not be rest for the sole of thy foot; but Jehovah shall give thee there a trembling heart, and a complete consumption* of the eyes, and sadness of soul;

66 and thy life shall be hung in·​·front·​·of thee; and thou shalt dread night and day, and shalt not have·​·faith in thy life;

67 in the morning thou shalt say, May He give evening! and in the evening thou shalt say, May He give morning! for the dread of thy heart wherewith thou shalt dread, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

68 And Jehovah shall return thee to Egypt with ships, by the way of which I said to thee, Thou shalt not see it again any·​·more; and there you shall be sold to your enemies for servants and handmaids, and no·​·one shall buy you.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Arcana Coelestia # 4402

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4402. 'And he called it El Elohe Israel' means that it, that is to say, interior worship, originated in the Divine Spiritual. This is clear from the meaning of 'El Elohe', dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'Israel' as the spiritual, dealt with in 4286, 4292. The things stated so far in this chapter from verse 17 onwards appear there because the subject in the highest sense of the chapter is how the Lord made His Natural Divine. But since things in the highest sense which are concerned with the Lord are beyond the range of ideas present in a person's thought because such things are Divine, let them be illustrated by means of the kind of things that do fall more immediately within the range of a person's ideas. That is to say, let those things that are Divine be illustrated by means of the way in which the Lord regenerates man's natural. Indeed the regeneration of man, that is, of his natural, is also the subject here in the internal sense; for the regeneration of man is a model of the glorification of the Lord, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490. In fact the Lord glorified Himself, that is, made Himself Divine, according to Divine order, according to which same order He also regenerates man, that is, makes him celestial and spiritual. Here the way in which He makes him spiritual is dealt with, for 'Israel' means that spiritual man.

[2] The spiritual man is not the interior rational man but the interior natural. The interior rational man is that which is called celestial. How the spiritual man and the celestial differ from each other has often been stated already. A person becomes spiritual through the joining of the truths residing with him to good, that is, through the joining of matters of faith to those of charity, a joining together which takes place within his natural. There exterior truths first are joined to good, and after that interior truths. The joining of exterior truths within the natural has been dealt with in verses 1-16 of this chapter, the joining of interior truths to good in verses 17-end. Interior truths are not joined to good except by means of an enlightenment entering through the internal man into the external. That enlightenment makes Divine truths visible in a purely general way, as when, to use a comparison, countless objects are seen by the eye as an obscure single whole devoid of any distinguishable features. This enlightenment making truths visible in a purely general way was meant by Esau's words to Jacob, 'Let me now place with you some of the people who are with me', and by Jacob's reply, 'Why so? Let me find favour in your eyes', dealt with in 4385, 4386.

[3] On the point that the spiritual man, compared with the celestial, dwells in obscurity, see 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 3833. It is this spiritual man that is represented by 'Israel', 4286. The expression spiritual man is used because the light of heaven, which holds intelligence and wisdom within it, flows into those things with man which belong to the light of the world and causes those which belong to the light of heaven to be represented in those belonging to the light of the world, and in this way causes them to correspond. For regarded in itself the spiritual is the Divine Light itself which comes from the Lord, and therefore consists in intelligence which essentially is truth and as a consequence is wisdom. With the spiritual man however that light falls on things which are matters of faith with him and which he believes to be true, whereas with the celestial man it falls on the good of love. But although these considerations are clear to those who dwell in the light of heaven they are nevertheless obscure to those who dwell in the light of the world, and so to the majority at the present day. They are perhaps so obscure as to be barely intelligible. All the same, since they constitute the subject in the internal sense and are by nature as described, the exposition of them must not be left out. The time will come when people will be enlightened

[4] The reason why the altar was called El Elohe Israel and why interior worship originating in the Divine Spiritual was meant by it is that in the highest sense El Elohe is identical with the Divine Spiritual; as also is Israel. For 'Israel' means the Lord's Divine Spiritual, and in the representative sense the Lord's spiritual Church, or what amounts to the same, a person like that, see 4286, 4292. In the original language El Elohe means 'God God', and also, to be strictly literal, 'God of gods'. 1 In the Word Jehovah, or the Lord, is referred to in very many places by the singular name 'El', or else 'Eloah', as well as by the plural name 'Elohim'. Both names are sometimes used within the same verse or in the same section. A person who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word cannot know the reason why. Anyone may conclude that 'El' implies one thing, 'Eloah' another, and 'Elohim' another, from the consideration that the Word is Divine, that is, has its origin in the Divine, and that it is for that reason inspired as to every word, indeed as to the smallest part of every letter.

[5] What the name 'El' implies when it is used, or the name 'Elohim', may be seen from what has been shown in various places above, namely that El or Elohim - that is, God - is used when truth is the subject, see 709, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921 (end), 4287. This is why in the highest sense El and Elohim mean the Divine Spiritual, this being the same as Divine Truth. The two names differ however in that 'El' means truth in will and action, which is the same as the good of truth, 4337, 4353, 4390. The plural form Elohim exists for the reason that by Divine truth is meant all the truths which come from the Lord. This is also the reason why in the Word angels are sometimes called elohim or gods, 4295, as will be further evident from places in the Word that are quoted below. Now because El and Elohim in the highest sense mean the Lord as regards truth, they also mean Him as regards power; for truth is the entity to which power is attributed. Indeed when exercising power good acts by means of truth, 3091, 4015. Therefore when in the Word reference is made to the power received from truth, the Lord is called El and Elohim, that is, God. Hence also it is that El in the original language means one who is powerful.

[6] The fact that the names El and Elohim, or God, are used in the Word where the Divine Spiritual is the subject, or what amounts to the same, Divine Truth, and Divine Power received from this, may be seen in addition from the following places,

God spoke to Israel in visions in the night. I am the God of gods (El Elohe) of your father, do not be afraid of going down into Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. Genesis 46:2-3.

Since these words are addressed to Israel, whom He is going 'to make into a great nation', and so the subject is truth and the power this possesses, El Elohe is used, which in the proximate sense means the God of gods. The fact that in the proximate sense Elohim means gods because it has reference to truths and to the power received from them, is also evident in the same author,

There Jacob built an altar, and called the place El Beth El, for there the Elohim were revealed to him, when he was fleeing from before his brother. Genesis 35:7.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the God (El) who is great, powerful, and fearful. Deuteronomy 10:17.

Here 'God of gods' is expressed by Elohe Elohim, and after that 'God' by El, to whom greatness and power are attributed

[7] In David,

A great God (El) is Jehovah, and a great King above all gods (elohim), in whose hand are the deep places 2 of the earth; and the strength 3 of the mountains are His. Psalms 95:3-4.

The name 'God' or El is used here because reference is made to Divine Truth and the Power received from this, and also 'gods' because reference is made to subordinate truths. For in the internal sense 'a king' means truth, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670. From this it is clear what 'a great King above all gods' implies. 'The deep places of the earth' too means the truths of the Church, which are called 'the strength of the mountains' from power rooted in good. In the same author,

Who in heaven will compare himself to Jehovah? Who will be likened to Jehovah among the sons of gods (elim)? God (El) mighty in the secret place of the holy ones, O Jehovah God Zebaoth, who is strong as You are, O Jah? Psalms 89:6-8.

Here 'sons of gods (or of elim)' stands for Divine truths, to which, it is evident, power is attributed, since it is said 'God (El) mighty, Jehovah God of hosts, who is strong as You are?'

[8] Similarly elsewhere in the same author,

Give to Jehovah, O sons of gods, give to Jehovah glory and strength. Psalms 29:1.

In Moses,

They fell on their faces, and said, O God of gods (El elohe) of the spirits of all flesh. Numbers 16:22.

In David,

I said, You are gods (elohim), and sons of the Most High, all of you. Psalms 82:6; John 10:34.

Here they are called 'gods' from truths, for 'sons' means truths, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2628, 3373, 3704. In the same author,

Confess the God of gods (Elohe elohim), confess the Lord of lords. Psalms 136:2-3.

In Daniel,

The king will act according to his own pleasure, and will uplift himself, and exalt himself above every god (el), and will speak astonishing things above the God of gods (El elohim). Daniel 11:36.

These quotations show that in the proximate sense El elohe means God of gods, and that in the internal sense 'gods' is used in reference to truths which come from the Lord.

[9] The fact that the singular name El or God is used where the power which comes from Divine Truth is the subject, or what amounts to the same, from the Lord's Divine Spiritual, becomes clear from the following places: In Moses,

Let my hand be for God (El) to do you evil! Genesis 31:29.

And elsewhere,

Nor is there a hand for God (El). Deuteronomy 28:32.

And in Micah,

Let there be a hand for God (El). Micah 2:1.

'Let there be a hand for God' means, let there be power. For 'hand' means power, see 878, 3387, and 'hand' is used in reference to truth, 3091. In David,

I will set His hand in the sea, and His right hand in the rivers. He will cry to Me, You are My Father, My God (El), the Rock of My Salvation. Psalms 89:25-26.

This refers to power from truths. In the same author,

The wicked says in his heart, God (El) has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He never sees. Arise, O Jehovah God (El); lift up Your hand. For what reason does the wicked despise God (Elohim)? Psalms 10:11-13.

Here the meaning is similar.

[10] In the same author,

Jehovah is my rock (petra) and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God (El), my rock (rupes). Psalms 18:2.

This refers to power. In Isaiah, A residue will return, the residue of Jacob, to the God (El) of power. Isaiah 10:21.

In the same prophet,

To us a Boy is born, to us a Son is given, the government upon His shoulder; He will call His name, Wonderful, Counsellor, God (El), the Powerful One, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

In the same prophet,

Behold the God (El) of my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for He is my strength. Isaiah 12:2.

In the same prophet,

I am God (El) even from today; I am He, and nobody delivers from My hand; I work, and who will reverse it? Isaiah 43:12-13.

This refers to power. In Jeremiah, Great and powerful God (El), whose name is Jehovah of hosts. Jeremiah 32:18.

In the second Book of Samuel,

With my God (El) I will leap over the wall. God (El) is perfect in His way; the word of Jehovah is pure. Who is God (El) besides Jehovah? Who is a rock besides our God (Elohim)? God (El) is the strength of my refuge. 2 Samuel 22:30-33.

In Moses,

God (El) is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not act? Or has He spoken, and will He not carry it out? He brought them out of Egypt; He has so to speak the strength of a unicorn. At that time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, What has God (El) been doing? Numbers 23:19, 22-23.

This in the internal sense refers to power and to truth.

[11] And in the same author,

God (El) who brought him out of Egypt has as it were the strength of a unicorn. He will consume the nations, his enemies, and will break their bones, and smash their weapons. Numbers 24:8.

'Horns' and 'the strength of a unicorn' mean the power of truth that springs from good, see 2832. And there are many other places besides all these. Since most things in the Word also have a contrary sense, no less do 'god' and 'gods', names which are used when the subject is falsity and power from falsity, as in Ezekiel,

The gods (elim) of the mighty will speak to him in the midst of hell. Ezekiel 32:21.

In Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods (elim) under every green tree. Isaiah 57:5.

Here the name 'gods' is used on account of falsities. Similar examples exist in other places.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. 'El Elohe Israel may be understood in two different ways - 'God, the God of Israel' or 'Israel's God of gods'. Most English versions of the Bible prefer the first of these (e.g. in Genesis 46:3; Deuteronomy 10:17).

2. literally, the searchings

3. literally, the strengths

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