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2 Mosebok 9

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1 Og Herren sa til Moses: Gå inn til Farao og si til ham: Så sier Herren, hebreernes Gud: La mitt folk fare, så de kan tjene mig!

2 For dersom du nekter å la dem fare og fremdeles holder på dem,

3 da skal Herrens hånd komme over ditt fe på marken, over hestene, over asenene, over kamelene, over storfeet og over småfeet med en forferdelig pest.

4 Men Herren skal gjøre forskjell på Israels fe og egypternes fe, og det skal ikke noget av alt det som hører Israels barn til.

5 Og Herren fastsatte tiden og sa: Imorgen vil Herren la dette skje i landet.

6 Dagen efter gjorde Herren som han hadde sagt, og alt egypternes fe døde, men av Israels barns fe døde ikke ett liv.

7 Og Farao sendte bud, og da var det ikke død et eneste liv av Israels fe; men Faraos hjerte blev hårdt, og han lot ikke folket fare.

8 Da sa Herren til Moses og Aron: Ta hendene fulle av aske fra ovnen, og Moses skal kaste den op i været så Farao ser på det,

9 og den skal bli til støv utover hele Egyptens land, og den skal bli til bylder som bryter ut med blemmer, både på folk og fe i hele Egyptens land.

10 Så tok de asken fra ovnen og trådte frem for Farao, og Moses kastet den op i været; og det blev bylder som brøt ut med blemmer, både på folk og fe.

11 Og tegnsutleggerne kunde ikke holde stand mot Moses for byldenes skyld; for det var kommet bylder på tegnsutleggerne og på alle egypterne.

12 Men Herren forherdet Faraos hjerte, så han ikke hørte på dem, således som Herren hadde sagt til Moses

13 Da sa Herren til Moses: Stå tidlig op imorgen, og tred frem for Farao og si til ham: Så sier Herren, hebreernes Gud: La mitt folk fare, så de kan tjene mig!

14 For denne gang vil jeg sende alle mine plager over dig selv og over dine tjenere og ditt folk, forat du skal kjenne at ingen er som jeg på hele jorden.

15 For nu hadde jeg allerede rakt ut min hånd og vilde slått dig og ditt folk med pesten, så du var blitt utslettet av jorden;

16 men derfor lot jeg dig bli i live at jeg kunde vise dig min makt, og mitt navn kunde bli kunngjort over hele jorden.

17 Ennu stiller du dig i veien for mitt folk og vil ikke la dem fare.

18 Se, jeg vil på denne tid imorgen sende et forferdelig haglvær, som det aldri har vært make til i Egypten, like fra den dag det blev til, og til nu.

19 Så send da folk og berg din buskap og alt det du har på marken! Alt folk og alt fe som er ute på marken og ikke har kommet sig i hus, på dem skal haglet falle, og de skal .

20 De av Faraos tjenere som fryktet Herrens ord, berget da sine folk og sin buskap i hus;

21 men de som ikke gav akt på Herrens ord, lot sine folk og sin buskap bli ute på marken.

22 Da sa Herren til Moses: ekk din hånd op mot himmelen, og det skal komme hagl i hele Egyptens land, både over folk og fe og over alle markens urter i Egyptens land.

23 Og Moses rakte sin stav op mot himmelen, og Herren lot komme torden og hagl, og det fôr ild ned på jorden, og Herren lot falle hagl over Egyptens land.

24 Det kom hagl, og midt i haglskuren lyn i lyn, et uvær så svært at det aldri hadde vært maken i hele Egyptens land fra den tid folk hadde bosatt sig der.

25 Og i hele Egyptens land slo haglet ned alt det som var på marken, både folk og fe; og alle markens urter slo haglet ned, og alle markens trær brøt det sønder.

26 Bare i Gosens land, hvor Israels barn bodde, falt det ikke hagl.

27 Da sendte Farao bud efter Moses og Aron og sa til dem: Denne gang har jeg syndet; Herren er den som har rett, og jeg og mitt folk har urett.

28 Bed til Herren at det nu må være nok av hans torden og hagl! Så vil jeg la eder fare, og I skal ikke bie lenger.

29 Moses svarte ham: Så snart jeg kommer ut av byen, vil jeg utbrede mine hender til Herren; så skal tordenen holde op og haglet ikke falle mere, forat du skal kjenne at jorden hører Herren til.

30 Men om dig og dine tjenere vet jeg at I ennu ikke frykter for Gud Herren.

31 Lin og bygg var slått ned; for bygget stod i aks og linet i knopp;

32 men hvete og spelt var ikke slått ned, for de kommer senere.

33 Og Moses gikk bort fra Farao og ut av byen og utbredte sine hender til Herren; da holdt tordenen og haglet op, og regnet strømmet ikke mere ned på jorden.

34 Men da Farao så at regnet og haglet og tordenen hadde holdt op, blev han ved å synde, og han forherdet sitt hjerte, både han og hans tjenere.

35 Faraos hjerte var og blev forherdet, og han lot ikke Israels barn fare, således som Herren hadde sagt ved Moses.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4876

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4876. 'And your rod which is in your hand' means through the power of this, that is, of this truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rod' as power, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the hand' too as power, dealt with in 876, 3091, 3387, 3563. The phrase 'which is in your hand' is used because the power of that truth, namely lowest truth, is meant, like that present with the semblance of religion among the Jewish nation, meant here by 'Judah'. Regarding the attribution of power to truth, see 3091, 3563. Frequent mention is made in the Word of 'a rod', yet surprisingly few at the present day know that something in the spiritual world was represented by it, as for instance when Moses was commanded, every time a miracle was performed, to lift up his rod and so it was accomplished. The existence of such knowledge even among gentiles may be recognized from their myths in which rods are assigned to magicians. The reason 'a rod' means power is that it is a support, for it gives support to the hand and arm, and through these to the whole body. This being so, a rod takes on the meaning of the part to which it immediately gives support, namely that of the hand and the arm, both of which mean in the Word the power of truth. Also, the hand and arm correspond to that power in the Grand Man, as will be seen at the ends of chapters.

[2] That 'a rod' represented power is evident, as has been stated, from what is recorded about Moses,

He was commanded to take a rod and use it to perform miracles; so he took the rod of God in his hand. Exodus 4:17, 20.

When the waters in Egypt were struck with the rod, they turned to blood.

Exodus 7:15, 19.

When the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came forth. Exodus 8:5-15.

When the dust was struck by the use of the rod, it turned into lice. Exodus 8:16-20.

When the rod was stretched out towards heaven, hail fell. Exodus 9:23.

When the rod was stretched out over the earth, locusts came forth. Exodus 10:3-21.

Since 'the hand', which means power, comes first, while 'a rod' is merely its instrument, the following references to 'the hand' also occur:

The miracles happened when Moses' hand was stretched out. Exodus 10:12-13. When he stretched out his hand towards heaven, thick darkness came over the land of Egypt. Exodus 10:21-22. When he stretched out his hand over the Sea Suph, an east wind made the sea dry land; and when again he stretched out his hand, the waters returned. Exodus 14:21, 26-27.

[3] Reference is in addition made to the rod being used to strike the rock at Horeb, after which water flowed out, Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:7-10. Also, when Joshua was about to fight against Amalek,

Moses said to Joshua, Choose men for us, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with God's rod in my hand. And it happened, that when Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed. Exodus 17:9-11.

From these references it is quite plain that 'a rod', like the hand, represented power, and in the highest sense the Lord's Divine almighty power. It is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the external features of the Church, and that its internal features - which were spiritual and celestial realities such as exist in heaven - corresponded to those external ones, which owed their efficacy to that correspondence. From this it is also evident how crazy those people are who believe that power had been infused into and therefore dwelt in Moses' rod or hand.

[4] The meaning in the spiritual sense of 'a rod' as power is also evident from many places in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,

Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth is taking away from Jerusalem rod and stay, the whole rod of bread, and the whole rod of water. Isaiah 3:1.

'The rod of bread' stands for the support and power provided by the good of love, 'the rod of water' for the support and power provided by the truth of faith. For 'bread' means the good of love, see 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735; and 'water' the truth of faith' 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424. 'The rod of bread' is used with a similar meaning in Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; Psalms 105:16.

[5] In addition to this, in Isaiah,

The Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, said, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur, who will smite you with a stick and will lift up the rod over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah will lift up the scourge against him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Oreb, and his rod will be over the sea, which he will lift up in the way of Egypt. Isaiah 10:24, 26.

Here 'the rod' stands for power provided by reasoning and knowledge, like that which those people possess who, with ideas based on factual knowledge, reason against the truths of faith and pervert these or else treat them as worthless. This is what is meant by 'the stick with which Asshur will smite' and by 'the rod which he will lift up in the way of Egypt'. For 'Asshur' means reasoning, see 1186, and 'Egypt' knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462.

[6] Similarly in Zechariah,

The pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart. Zechariah 10:11.

In Isaiah,

You relied on the rod of a bruised reed, on Egypt, which, when anyone leans on it, goes into his hand and pierces it. Isaiah 36:6.

'Egypt' stands for factual knowledge, as above; and power in spiritual things which is received from that knowledge is meant by 'the rod of a bruised reed'. By 'the hand which it enters and pierces' is meant power received from the Word. In the same prophet,

Jehovah has broken the rod of the wicked, the stick of those who have dominion. Isaiah 14:5

'The rod' and 'the stick' plainly stand for power.

[7] In Jeremiah,

Grieve, all regions surrounding Moab; say, How is the rod of strength, the rod of beauty, broken! Jeremiah 48:17.

'The rod of strength' stands for power received from good, and 'the rod of beauty' for power received from truth.

[8] In Hosea,

My people enquire of their piece of wood, and their rod gives them a reply, for the spirit of whoredom has led them astray. Hosea 4:12.

'Inquiring of a piece of wood' stands for consulting evils, 'the rod gives reply' for the fact that falsity results from these, its power being derived from the evil to which they give support. 'The spirit of whoredom' stands for the life of falsity resulting from evil. In David,

Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your stick and Your rod comfort me. Psalms 23:4.

'Your stick and your rod' stands for Divine truth and good, which have power. In the same author,

The rod of the wicked will not rest on the lot of the righteous. Psalms 125:3.

[9] In the same author,

You will break them in pieces with a stick of iron, you will dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Psalms 2:9.

'A stick of iron' stands for the power of spiritual truth within the natural, for all natural truth that has spiritual truth present within it possesses power. 'Iron' means natural truth, 425, 426. Similarly in John,

He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations to rule 1 them untie a stick of iron as when earthen pots are broken in pieces. Revelation 2:26-27. (Also Revelation 12:5; 19:15.)

[10] Because 'a rod' represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good expressed by means of truth, kings therefore had sceptres; and those sceptres were shaped like short rods. For kings represent the Lord as regards truth, while kingship itself means Divine Truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581. The sceptre means the power which is theirs not by virtue of their high position but of truth which must reign. Nor must this be any other kind of truth than that which is grounded in good, and so is primarily Divine Truth, and among Christians is the Lord, the source of all Divine Truth.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, pasture

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