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Judges 9

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1 καὶ ἐπορεύθη αβιμελεχ υἱὸς ιεροβααλ εἰς συχεμ πρὸς ἀδελφοὺς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν συγγένειαν οἴκου πατρὸς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ λέγων

2 λαλήσατε δὴ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν πάντων τῶν ἀνδρῶν συχεμ τί τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὑμῖν κυριεῦσαι ὑμῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας πάντας υἱοὺς ιεροβααλ ἢ κυριεύειν ὑμῶν ἄνδρα ἕνα καὶ μνήσθητε ὅτι ὀστοῦν ὑμῶν καὶ σὰρξ ὑμῶν εἰμι

3 καὶ ἐλάλησαν περὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν πάντων τῶν ἀνδρῶν συχεμ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἔκλινεν ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ὀπίσω αβιμελεχ ὅτι εἶπαν ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν ἐστιν

4 καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ ἑβδομήκοντα ἀργυρίου ἐξ οἴκου βααλβεριθ καὶ ἐμισθώσατο ἑαυτῷ αβιμελεχ ἄνδρας κενοὺς καὶ δειλούς καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ

5 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ εἰς εφραθα καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ υἱοὺς ιεροβααλ ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας ἐπὶ λίθον ἕνα καὶ κατελείφθη ιωαθαν υἱὸς ιεροβααλ ὁ νεώτερος ὅτι ἐκρύβη

6 καὶ συνήχθησαν πάντες ἄνδρες σικιμων καὶ πᾶς οἶκος βηθμααλων καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν καὶ ἐβασίλευσαν τὸν αβιμελεχ πρὸς τῇ βαλάνῳ τῇ εὑρετῇ τῆς στάσεως τῆς ἐν σικιμοις

7 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ ιωαθαν καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ κορυφὴν ὄρους γαριζιν καὶ ἐπῆρεν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσεν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀκούσατέ μου ἄνδρες σικιμων καὶ ἀκούσεται ὑμῶν ὁ θεός

8 πορευόμενα ἐπορεύθη τὰ ξύλα τοῦ χρῖσαι ἐφ' ἑαυτὰ βασιλέα καὶ εἶπον τῇ ἐλαίᾳ βασίλευσον ἐφ' ἡμῶν

9 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐλαία μὴ ἀπολείψασα τὴν πιότητά μου ἐν ᾗ δοξάσουσι τὸν θεὸν ἄνδρες πορεύσομαι κινεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων

10 καὶ εἶπον τὰ ξύλα τῇ συκῇ δεῦρο βασίλευσον ἐφ' ἡμῶν

11 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ συκῆ μὴ ἀπολείψασα ἐγὼ τὴν γλυκύτητά μου καὶ τὰ γενήματά μου τὰ ἀγαθὰ πορεύσομαι κινεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων

12 καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα πρὸς τὴν ἄμπελον δεῦρο σὺ βασίλευσον ἐφ' ἡμῶν

13 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἄμπελος μὴ ἀπολείψασα τὸν οἶνόν μου τὸν εὐφραίνοντα θεὸν καὶ ἀνθρώπους πορεύσομαι κινεῖσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ξύλων

14 καὶ εἶπαν πάντα τὰ ξύλα τῇ ῥάμνῳ δεῦρο σὺ βασίλευσον ἐφ' ἡμῶν

15 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ ῥάμνος πρὸς τὰ ξύλα εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ χρίετέ με ὑμεῖς τοῦ βασιλεύειν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς δεῦτε ὑπόστητε ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ μου καὶ εἰ μή ἐξέλθῃ πῦρ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ καταφάγῃ τὰς κέδρους τοῦ λιβάνου

16 καὶ νῦν εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τελειότητι ἐποιήσατε καὶ ἐβασιλεύσατε τὸν αβιμελεχ καὶ εἰ ἀγαθωσύνην ἐποιήσατε μετὰ ιεροβααλ καὶ μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰ ὡς ἀνταπόδοσις χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐποιήσατε αὐτῷ

17 ὡς παρετάξατο ὁ πατήρ μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξέρριψεν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐξ ἐναντίας καὶ ἐρρύσατο ὑμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς μαδιαμ

18 καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπανέστητε ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου σήμερον καὶ ἀπεκτείνατε τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας ἐπὶ λίθον ἕνα καὶ ἐβασιλεύσατε τὸν αβιμελεχ υἱὸν παιδίσκης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας σικιμων ὅτι ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν

19 καὶ εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τελειότητι ἐποιήσατε μετὰ ιεροβααλ καὶ μετὰ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ εὐφρανθείητε ἐν αβιμελεχ καὶ εὐφρανθείη καί γε αὐτὸς ἐφ' ὑμῖν

20 εἰ δὲ οὐ ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἀπὸ αβιμελεχ καὶ φάγοι τοὺς ἄνδρας σικιμων καὶ τὸν οἶκον βηθμααλλων καὶ ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἀπὸ ἀνδρῶν σικιμων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου βηθμααλλων καὶ καταφάγοι τὸν αβιμελεχ

21 καὶ ἔφυγεν ιωαθαν καὶ ἀπέδρα καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἕως βαιηρ καὶ ὤ|κησεν ἐκεῖ ἀπὸ προσώπου αβιμελεχ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

22 καὶ ἦρξεν αβιμελεχ ἐπὶ ισραηλ τρία ἔτη

23 καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα πονηρὸν ἀνὰ μέσον αβιμελεχ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἀνδρῶν σικιμων καὶ ἠθέτησαν ἄνδρες σικιμων ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αβιμελεχ

24 τοῦ ἐπαγαγεῖν τὴν ἀδικίαν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα υἱῶν ιεροβααλ καὶ τὰ αἵματα αὐτῶν τοῦ θεῖναι ἐπὶ αβιμελεχ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῶν ὃς ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτούς καὶ ἐπὶ ἄνδρας σικιμων ὅτι ἐνίσχυσαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ

25 καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες σικιμων ἐνεδρεύοντας ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν ὀρέων καὶ διήρπαζον πάντα ὃς παρεπορεύετο ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ αβιμελεχ

26 καὶ ἦλθεν γααλ υἱὸς ιωβηλ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ παρῆλθον ἐν σικιμοις καὶ ἦλπισαν ἐν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄνδρες σικιμων

27 καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ἀγρὸν καὶ ἐτρύγησαν τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπάτησαν καὶ ἐποίησαν ελλουλιμ καὶ εἰσήνεγκαν εἰς οἶκον θεοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἔπιον καὶ κατηράσαντο τὸν αβιμελεχ

28 καὶ εἶπεν γααλ υἱὸς ιωβηλ τίς ἐστιν αβιμελεχ καὶ τίς ἐστιν υἱὸς συχεμ ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ οὐχ υἱὸς ιεροβααλ καὶ ζεβουλ ἐπίσκοπος αὐτοῦ δοῦλος αὐτοῦ σὺν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν εμμωρ πατρὸς συχεμ καὶ τί ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς

29 καὶ τίς δῴη τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἐν χειρί μου καὶ μεταστήσω τὸν αβιμελεχ καὶ ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτόν πλήθυνον τὴν δύναμίν σου καὶ ἔξελθε

30 καὶ ἤκουσεν ζεβουλ ἄρχων τῆς πόλεως τοὺς λόγους γααλ υἱοῦ ιωβηλ καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ αὐτός

31 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς αβιμελεχ ἐν κρυφῇ λέγων ἰδοὺ γααλ υἱὸς ιωβηλ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔρχονται εἰς συχεμ καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτοὶ περικάθηνται τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ σέ

32 καὶ νῦν ἀναστὰς νυκτὸς σὺ καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐνέδρευσον ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ

33 καὶ ἔσται τὸ πρωὶ ἅμα τῷ ἀνατεῖλαι τὸν ἥλιον ὀρθριεῖς καὶ ἐκτενεῖς ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύονται πρὸς σέ καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτῷ ὅσα ἂν εὕρῃ ἡ χείρ σου

34 καὶ ἀνέστη αβιμελεχ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ νυκτὸς καὶ ἐνήδρευσαν ἐπὶ συχεμ τέτρασιν ἀρχαῖς

35 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν γααλ υἱὸς ιωβηλ καὶ ἔστη πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς πύλης τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀνέστη αβιμελεχ καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνέδρου

36 καὶ εἶδεν γααλ υἱὸς ιωβηλ τὸν λαὸν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς ζεβουλ ἰδοὺ λαὸς καταβαίνει ἀπὸ κεφαλῶν τῶν ὀρέων καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ζεβουλ τὴν σκιὰν τῶν ὀρέων σὺ βλέπεις ὡς ἄνδρας

37 καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι γααλ τοῦ λαλῆσαι καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ λαὸς καταβαίνων κατὰ θάλασσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐχόμενα ὀμφαλοῦ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀρχὴ ἑτέρα ἔρχεται διὰ ὁδοῦ ηλωνμαωνενιμ

38 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ζεβουλ καὶ ποῦ ἐστιν τὸ στόμα σου ὡς ἐλάλησας τίς ἐστιν αβιμελεχ ὅτι δουλεύσομεν αὐτῷ μὴ οὐχὶ οὗτος ὁ λαός ὃν ἐξουδένωσας ἔξελθε δὴ νῦν καὶ παράταξαι αὐτῷ

39 καὶ ἐξῆλθεν γααλ ἐνώπιον ἀνδρῶν συχεμ καὶ παρετάξατο πρὸς αβιμελεχ

40 καὶ ἐδίωξεν αὐτὸν αβιμελεχ καὶ ἔφυγεν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπεσαν τραυματίαι πολλοὶ ἕως τῆς θύρας τῆς πύλης

41 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν αβιμελεχ ἐν αρημα καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ζεβουλ τὸν γααλ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μὴ οἰκεῖν ἐν συχεμ

42 καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ λαὸς εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν τῷ αβιμελεχ

43 καὶ ἔλαβεν τὸν λαὸν καὶ διεῖλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τρεῖς ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐνήδρευσεν ἐν ἀγρῷ καὶ εἶδεν καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ λαὸς ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀνέστη ἐπ' αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτούς

44 καὶ αβιμελεχ καὶ οἱ ἀρχηγοὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐξέτειναν καὶ ἔστησαν παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς πύλης τῆς πόλεως καὶ αἱ δύο ἀρχαὶ ἐξέτειναν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ καὶ ἐπάταξαν αὐτούς

45 καὶ αβιμελεχ παρετάσσετο ἐν τῇ πόλει ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην καὶ κατελάβετο τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν λαὸν τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν πόλιν καὶ ἔσπειρεν εἰς ἅλας

46 καὶ ἤκουσαν πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες πύργων συχεμ καὶ ἦλθον εἰς συνέλευσιν βαιθηλβεριθ

47 καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ αβιμελεχ ὅτι συνήχθησαν πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες πύργων συχεμ

48 καὶ ἀνέβη αβιμελεχ εἰς ὄρος ερμων καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν αβιμελεχ τὰς ἀξίνας ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκοψεν κλάδον ξύλου καὶ ἦρεν καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπ' ὤμων αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν τῷ λαῷ τῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὃ εἴδετέ με ποιοῦντα ταχέως ποιήσατε ὡς ἐγώ

49 καὶ ἔκοψαν καί γε ἀνὴρ κλάδον πᾶς ἀνὴρ καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπίσω αβιμελεχ καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ τὴν συνέλευσιν καὶ ἐνεπύρισαν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὴν συνέλευσιν ἐν πυρί καὶ ἀπέθανον καί γε πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες πύργου σικιμων ὡς χίλιοι ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες

50 καὶ ἐπορεύθη αβιμελεχ ἐκ βαιθηλβεριθ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν θηβης καὶ κατέλαβεν αὐτήν

51 καὶ πύργος ἰσχυρὸς ἦν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἔφυγον ἐκεῖ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἔκλεισαν ἔξωθεν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα τοῦ πύργου

52 καὶ ἦλθεν αβιμελεχ ἕως τοῦ πύργου καὶ παρετάξαντο αὐτῷ καὶ ἤγγισεν αβιμελεχ ἕως τῆς θύρας τοῦ πύργου τοῦ ἐμπρῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν πυρί

53 καὶ ἔρριψεν γυνὴ μία κλάσμα ἐπιμυλίου ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν αβιμελεχ καὶ ἔκλασεν τὸ κρανίον αὐτοῦ

54 καὶ ἐβόησεν ταχὺ πρὸς τὸ παιδάριον τὸ αἶρον τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ σπάσον τὴν ῥομφαίαν μου καὶ θανάτωσόν με μήποτε εἴπωσιν γυνὴ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν καὶ ἐξεκέντησεν αὐτὸν τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν

55 καὶ εἶδεν ἀνὴρ ισραηλ ὅτι ἀπέθανεν αβιμελεχ καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ἀνὴρ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

56 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν πονηρίαν αβιμελεχ ἣν ἐποίησεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ

57 καὶ τὴν πᾶσαν πονηρίαν ἀνδρῶν συχεμ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἡ κατάρα ιωαθαν υἱοῦ ιεροβααλ

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Judges 9

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Judges 9: Abimelech’s conspiracy, the parable of the trees, Abimelech’s downfall.

This chapter follows the story of Gideon’s many sons; he had seventy sons by his many wives, and also one other son, Abimelech, by a concubine. After Gideon’s death, Abimelech went to the men of Shechem, where his mother’s family lived, and asked them if they would rather be ruled by seventy sons, or by him. The men of Shechem agreed it would be better to have one king, so they gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal. Using the silver, Abimelech hired men to come with him, and they killed the seventy sons of Gideon except the youngest, Jotham, who hid. Then they anointed Abimelech king.

When Jotham heard the news, he stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and taunted the men of Shechem with a parable. In his parable, the trees were searching for a king to lead them; they ask the olive, then the fig, then the vine to rule over them. Each refuses, because they do not want to give up their special purpose. Finally, the bramble agrees to lead them, but gives them the choice of either sheltering in its non-existent shade or being consumed by its own fire.

Jotham explained the parable, warning that Abimelech and the men of Shechem would more than likely tear each other down in the end. Then he fled to Beer to escape his brother’s vengeance.

After Abimelech had ruled Israel for three years, the Lord sent an evil spirit to spark ill-will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. This evil spirit was meant to avenge the killing of Gideon’s seventy sons.

The rest of this chapter describes the city’s descent into chaos, illustrating the various manifestations of evil and falsity through many examples. Robbers were sent to ambush travellers in the mountains, the people of Shechem drunkenly cursed Abimelech in the temple of their god, and the tower of Shechem was burned, killing a thousand hiding in it. Finally, Abimelech lay siege to Thebez, and the people took shelter on the top of a tower there. When he tried to burn that tower, a woman hurled down a millstone to break Abimelech’s skull. In his final moments, Abimelech commanded his armourbearer to kill him with his sword, so that people would not say he was killed by a woman. All of these incidents depict the absolute corruption under Abimelech’s rule.

*****

The key to understanding this story is that Gideon’s son, Abimelech, is the son of a concubine, not a lawful wife. Spiritually speaking, a concubine stands for a love that has become distorted. A genuine love for someone is a love for sake of that other person, while a distorted love means loving someone for what we can get from them (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Love and Wisdom 271[2], on the love of dominating for the sake of self-love).

The references to Gideon’s seventy sons stand for the enormity of Abimelech’s wrongdoing. The number ‘seven’ stands for something fully worked through, and seventy even more so.

Jotham’s parable presents three levels of pure love: the love of the Lord (the olive with its fragrant oil), the love of truth (the vine with its rich wine), and the love of use (the fig with its abundant seeds). The bramble, with its painful grip, stands for a love of evil and falsity (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 273).

The evil spirit sent by the Lord seems to show that God was punishing his own people, but that is only how things appear (Arcana Caelestia 1838). When we look deeper, we will realize that we are punished by our own evil actions, for evil breeds more evil and there is no rest for the wicked (see Isaiah 48:22). In regeneration, the process of breaking down the power of evil and false states in ourselves is called “vastation”. Once we have done the grueling work to minimize these influences over us, we can fully appreciate the joys of spiritual life (Arcana Caelestia 2694[2]).

Spiritually, an ambush depicts the way hell attacks our minds: without warning. Drunkenness and cursing a former ally stands for the abandonment of all values and integrity. The tower represents the pride which rises up in self-love and love of dominance, and beyond that, Abimelech’s aversion to being killed by a woman stands for the rejection of all that is good and true. Her millstone grinds corn to make it edible, in the same way that we must process truths to put them to use (see Swedenborg’s work, Apocalypse Explained 1182).

This powerful chapter shows the descent of evil into greater evils, until they become so consuming they have no vestige of good left, and no recognition of truth remaining. The final two verses state: “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Gideon.”

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 273

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273. That 'thorn and thistle' means curse and vastation is clear from the fact that 'harvest' and 'fruitful tree' mean the opposite, namely blessings and increases. It is clear from the Word that thorn, thistle, brier, bramble, and nettle have such meanings, as in Hosea,

Behold, they have gone away on account of the vastation; Egypt will gather them, Moph 1 will bury them, their precious things of silver. The nettle will inherit them, the bramble will be in their tents. Hosea 9:6.

Here 'Egypt' and 'Moph' 1 stand for people who rely on themselves and on their own factual knowledge to be wise in Divine matters. In the same prophet,

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will grow up on their altars. Hosea 10:8.

Here 'the high places of Aven' stands for self-love, 'thorn and thistle on their altars' for profanation. In Isaiah,

They are smiting their breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine; for over the ground of My people the spiky thorn will come up. Isaiah 32:12-13.

And in Ezekiel,

No more will there be for the house of Israel a pricking brier and a painful thorn from all those surrounding them. Ezekiel 28:24.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. i.e. Memphis

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