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Habakkuk 3

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1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shiggaion*.

2 O Jehovah, I have heard Thy fame; I have feared Thy work, Jehovah; in the midst of the years make· it ·to·​·live; in the midst of the years make it known; with trembling Thou shalt remember compassion.

3 God came from Teman, and the Holy·​·One from Mount Paran. Selah. His majesty covered the heavens, and the earth was·​·full of His praise.

4 And His brightness was as the light; He had horns from His hand; and there was His strength hidden·​·away*.

5 Before Him went the pestilence, and embers went·​·out at His feet.

6 He stood, and measured the earth; He saw, and dispersed* the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered; the eternal hills did bow· themselves ·down; the walkings of eternity are His.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in sorrow, and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

8 Was· Jehovah ·incensed against the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the sea? For Thou didst ride on Thy horses and Thy chariots of salvation.

9 With nakedness Thy bow was made·​·naked: the promises of the rods of Thy saying. Selah. Thou didst split the earth with rivers.

10 The mountains saw Thee, they travailed; the downpour of the water crossed·​·over; the abyss gave forth its voice; it bore·​·up its hands on·​·high.

11 The sun and moon stood in their cohabitation; at the light of Thine arrows they go, at the brightness of the lightning of Thy spear.*

12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.

13 Thou wentest·​·forth for the salvation of Thy people, for the saving of Thine anointed; Thou strikest the head from the house of the wicked, making·​·naked the foundation, even·​·to the neck. Selah.

14 Thou didst puncture with his own rods the head of his infidels; they were as a whirlwind to scatter me; their triumph was like eating·​·up the afflicted in hiding.

15 Thou didst tread through the sea with Thy horses, through the clay of many waters.

16 I heard, and my belly trembled; my lips tingled at the voice; rottenness came into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of adversity, which comes·​·up against the people who will troop·​·against Him.

17 For the fig·​·tree shall not flourish, and there shall be no produce in the vines; the work of the olive·​·tree shall be denied, and the fields shall make no food; the flock shall be severed from the pen, and there shall be no herd in the stalls;

18 but I will triumph in Jehovah; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

19 Jehovih* the Lord is my strength, and He will set my feet as deer’s feet, and He will make me to tread on my high·​·places. To the victor; on my neginoth*.

   


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

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Arcana Coelestia # 2761

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2761. That 'a white horse' means an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents, or what amounts to the same, as regards the internal sense of the Word is clear from the meaning of 'a horse' as the understanding part of the mind. In prophetical parts of the Word 'a horse' and 'a rider' are referred to many times, but up to now nobody has known that 'a horse' means the understanding part of the mind, and 'a rider' one who has intelligence, as in the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, concerning Dan,

Dan will be a serpent on the road, a darting serpent on the path, biting the horse's heels; and its rider will fall backwards. I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah. Genesis 49:17-18.

'A serpent' means one who reasons about Divine arcana on the basis of sensory evidence and factual knowledge, see 195. 'Road' and 'path' mean truth, 627, 2333, 'heel' means the lowest part of the natural, 259, 'horse' an understanding of the Word, and 'rider' one who teaches. From this it is evident what these prophetical words mean, namely that one who reasons about the truths of faith on the basis of sensory evidence and factual knowledge is interested solely in the lowest things belonging to the natural world and so believes nothing, which is 'falling backwards'. And this is why the words 'I am awaiting Your salvation, O Jehovah' are added.

[2] In Habakkuk,

O God, You ride on Your horses, Your chariots are salvation. You made Your horses to tread in the sea. Habakkuk 3:8, 15.

Here 'horses' stands for Divine Truths that are in the Word, 'chariots' for doctrine drawn from them, 'the sea' for cognitions, 28, 2120. And since these belong to an understanding of the Word from God, it is said, 'You made Your horses to tread in the sea'. Here, as in the quotation above from the Book of Revelation, horses are attributed to God, but this attribution would not be possible if they did not have such a meaning.

[3] In David,

Sing to God, sing praises to His name; exalt Him who rides on the clouds by His name lain. Psalms 68:4.

'Riding on the clouds' stands for an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents or internal sense; for 'clouds' means the Word in the letter which has the internal sense within it - see the Preface to Genesis 18, where the meaning of 'the Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory' is explained.

[4] In the same author,

Jehovah bowed the heavens and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet, and He rode on a cherub. Psalms 18:9-10.

'Thick darkness' here stands for clouds, 'riding on a cherub' for the Lord's providence preventing man's entering of himself into the mysteries of faith that are in the Word, 308. In Zechariah,

On that day there will be on the horse-bells, Holiness to Jehovah. Zechariah 14:20. 'The horse-bells' stands for an understanding of the spiritual things of the Word, which are holy.

[5] In Jeremiah,

There will enter through the gates of this city kings and princes seated on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city will be inhabited for ever. Jeremiah 17:25-26; 22:4.

'The city of Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's spiritual kingdom and Church. 'Kings' stands for truths, 1672, 2015, 2069, 'princes' for the first and foremost commandments of truth, 1482, 2089, 'David' for the Lord, 1888, 'men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem' for those in whom there exists good that flows from love, charity, and faith, 2268, 2451, 2712. Thus 'riding in chariots and on horses' stands for being furnished with the doctrine of truth received from an internal understanding of the Word.

[6] In Isaiah, Then will you take delight in Jehovah and I will cause you to ride over the high places of the earth and cause you to eat the heritage of Jacob. Isaiah 58:14.

'Riding over the high places of the earth' stands for intelligence. In David,

A love song. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, [gird on] your glory and majesty. And in your majesty go on, ride on the word of truth, and of the meekness of righteousness. And your right hand will teach you marvellous things. Psalms 45:1, 3-4.

'Riding on the word of truth' stands plainly for intelligence based on truth, 'on the word of the meekness of righteousness' for wisdom based on good.

[7] In Zechariah,

On that day, said Jehovah, I will strike every horse with panic, and its rider with madness. And on the house of Judah I will open My eyes, and every horse of the peoples I will strike with blindness. Zechariah 12:4.

Here also 'horse' plainly stands for the understanding which was to be 'stricken with panic and blindness', and 'rider' for him with intelligence who was to be 'stricken with madness'. In Hosea,

Take away all iniquity and accept that which is good, and we will render the praises 1 of our lips. Asshur will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no more say Our God' to the work of our hands. Hosea 14:2-3.

'Asshur' stands for reasoning, 119, 1186, 'horse' for self-intelligence. 'Horse' and 'rider' are referred to in very many other places besides these.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, the calves

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