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5 Mosebok 17

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1 Du skal ikke ofre Herren din Gud et stykke storfe eller småfe som har noget lyte eller nogen skade; for det er en vederstyggelighet for Herren din Gud.

2 Dersom der i din midte, i en av de byer som Herren din Gud gir dig, finnes en mann eller kvinne som gjør det som ondt er i Herrens, din Guds øine, så han bryter hans pakt,

3 og han mot mitt bud går bort og dyrker andre guder og tilbeder dem eller solen eller månen eller hele himmelens hær,

4 og dette blir meldt dig, og du får høre om det, da skal du nøie granske saken; og er det da sannhet, er det sikkert og visst at denne vederstyggelighet er gjort i Israel,

5 da skal du føre den mann eller den kvinne som har gjort denne onde gjerning, ut til byens port, og enten det er mann eller kvinne, skal du stene dem, så de dør.

6 Efter to eller tre vidners utsagn skal den late livet som skal ; han skal ikke late livet bare efter ett vidnes utsagn.

7 Vidnene skal først løfte hånden for å avlive ham, og dernæst hele folket; således skal du rydde det onde bort av din midte.

8 Når en sak er dig for vanskelig å dømme i, enten det gjelder en drapssak eller en rettstrette eller et søksmål for skade på legemet eller i det hele nogen sak som der tvistes om i dine byer, da skal du gjøre dig rede og dra op til det sted Herren din Gud utvelger.

9 Og du skal gå til de levittiske prester og til den som er dommer på den tid, og spørre dig for hos dem, og de skal si dig hvad rett er.

10 Og du skal gjøre efter det de sier dig på det sted Herren utvelger; og du skal i alle stykker akte på å gjøre som de lærer dig.

11 Efter den lov de lærer dig, og efter den dom de forkynner dig, skal du gjøre; du skal ikke vike fra det de sier dig, hverken til høire eller til venstre.

12 Men den mann som er så overmodig at han ikke hører på presten, som står der for å tjene Herren din Gud, eller på dommeren, den mann skal ; således skal du rydde det onde bort av Israel,

13 og alt folket skal høre det og frykte og ikke mere bære sig overmodig at.

14 Når du kommer inn i det land Herren din Gud gir dig, og du eier det og bor i det, og du så sier: Jeg vil sette en konge over mig, likesom alle de folk som bor rundt omkring mig,

15 da skal du sette den til konge over dig som Herren din Gud utvelger. En av dine brødre skal du sette til konge over dig, du må ikke sette over dig en fremmed mann, en som ikke er din bror.

16 Men han skal ikke holde mange hester og ikke sende folket tilbake til Egypten for å hente mange hester; for Herren har sagt til eder: I skal nu ikke mere vende tilbake den vei.

17 Han skal heller ikke ta sig mange hustruer, forat hans hjerte ikke skal komme på avveie; heller ikke skal han samle sig meget sølv og gull.

18 Når han så sitter på sin kongetrone, da skal han få denne lov hos de levittiske prester og la den skrive av for sig i en bok.

19 Og den skal han ha hos sig og lese i den alle sitt livs dager, forat han kan lære å frykte Herren sin Gud, så han tar vare på alle denne lovs ord og disse forskrifter og holder dem,

20 forat han ikke skal ophøie sig over sine brødre og ikke vike av fra budet, hverken til høire eller til venstre. Da skal han leve lenge som konge i Israel, både han og hans sønner.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 6125

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6125. 'In exchange for horses' means factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'horses' as ideas forming the understanding, dealt with in 2760-2762, 3217, 5321; and since they are spoken of in connection with Egypt, which means factual knowledge, 'horses' here are factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. But what factual knowledge supplied from the understanding is must be stated. There is an understanding part and there is a will part in the human mind, and these are situated not only in his internal man but also in his external. The human understanding is developing and growing from early childhood through to manhood, and it consists in a discernment of things gained from experience and formal knowledge, also a discernment of causes from effects as well as of consequences from a chain of causes. Thus the understanding part consists in a comprehension and perception of such things as are part of everyday life, public and private. An inflowing of light from heaven brings it into existence, and for that reason everyone's understanding is capable of being made more perfect. Understanding is given to everyone in accordance with his effort to make use of what he knows, in accordance with the life he leads, and in accordance with his individual character; no one lacks it provided he is of sound mind. A person is given it to the end that he may have freedom of choice, that is, have the freedom to choose good or evil. Unless he possesses an understanding like the one just described, he has no power of his own to make that choice; thus nothing could possibly be made his own.

[2] In addition to this it should be recognized that the understanding part of a person's mind is that which receives what is spiritual, so that it is the recipient of spiritual truth and good. For no good at all, that is, no charity, nor any truth at all, that is, any faith, can be instilled into anyone if he does not have that understanding part; but they are instilled in the measure that he does have it. This also explains why a person is not regenerated by the Lord until adult life when he does possess an understanding. Till then the good of love and the truth of faith fall like seed into utterly infertile soil. But once a person has been regenerated his understanding serves the function of enabling him to see and perceive what good is and from this what truth is. For the understanding converts things belonging to the superior light of heaven into those belonging to the inferior light of the natural world, as a consequence of which the former are then seen within the latter in the same way as a person's inner affections are seen in his face when it lacks all pretence. And because the understanding serves that function, many places in the Word where the spiritual side of the Church is referred to refer also to its power of understanding, a matter which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere.

[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by factual knowledge supplied from the understanding, namely known facts which lend support to the things a person grasps and perceives with his understanding, whether those things are bad or good. Such facts are what are meant in the Word by 'horses from Egypt', as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help, and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are extremely strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Jehovah. For Egypt is man (homo), not God; and his horses are flesh, not spirit. Isaiah 31:1, 3.

'Horses from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding.

[4] In Ezekiel,

He rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that ha might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does this be rescued? Ezekiel 17:15.

'Horses from Egypt' again stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding, which knowledge is resorted to in matters of faith, though there is no belief in the Word, that is, in the Lord, apart from what that knowledge provides. Thus no belief ever comes to exist, for within a perverted understanding a negative attitude reigns.

[5] The destruction which such factual knowledge underwent is represented by the drowning of Pharaoh's horses and chariots in the Sea Suph; and since that knowledge is meant by 'horses' and false matters of doctrine by 'chariots', his horses and chariots are mentioned so many times in the description of that event, see Exodus 14:17-18, 27, 26, 28. And the Song of Moses and Miriam consequently contains these words,

Pharaoh's horse went, also his chariot, also his horsemen, into the sea; but Jehovah made the waters of the sea come back over them. Sing to Jehovah, for He has highly exalted Himself; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. Exodus 15:19, 21.

[6] Similar factual knowledge is also meant by the things required before-hand for a king over Israel, in Moses,

If they desire a king, from among their brothers shall a king be set over them. Only let him not multiply horses for himself nor lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses. Deuteronomy 17:15-16.

'A king' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966, 5044, 5068, thus as regards intelligence since this comes, when it is genuine, from Divine Truth. The need for intelligence to be acquired through the Word, which is Divine Truth, and not through factual knowledge taken from one's own understanding is meant by the injunction that the king should not multiply horses or lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses.

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