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Esekiel 16

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1 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

2 Menneskesønn! Forehold Jerusalem dets vederstyggeligheter

3 og si: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud, til Jerusalem: Ditt ophav og din avstamning er fra kana'anittenes land; en amoritt var din far, og en hetittkvinne din mor.

4 Og med din fødsel gikk det således til: Den dag du blev født, blev din navlestreng ikke avskåret, og du blev ikke tvettet ren med vann og ikke inngnidd med salt og ikke svøpt i svøp.

5 Intet øie ynkedes over dig, så de gjorde noget sådant med dig og forbarmet sig over dig; men du blev kastet ut på marken den dag du blev født, fordi de ikke ønsket at du skulde leve.

6 Da gikk jeg forbi dig og så dig sprelle i ditt blod, og jeg sa til dig: Du som ligger der i ditt blod, lev! Ja, jeg sa til dig: Du som ligger der i ditt blod, lev!

7 Jeg gjorde dig til mange tusen som vekstene på marken, og du vokste og blev stor og nådde den høieste skjønnhet; brystene blev faste, og ditt hår vokste. Men du var naken og bar.

8 Da gikk jeg forbi dig og så dig, og se, din tid var kommet, elskovens tid, og jeg bredte min kappe over dig og skjulte din blusel, og jeg tilsvor dig troskap og gjorde pakt med dig, sier Herren, Israels Gud, og du blev min.

9 Og jeg tvettet dig med vann og skylte blodet av dig og salvet dig med olje.

10 Jeg klædde dig med utsydde klær og hadde på dig sko av takas-skinn, og jeg bandt fint lin om dig og hyllet dig i silke.

11 Jeg prydet dig med smykker, og jeg la armbånd om dine hender og en kjede om din hals.

12 Jeg satte en ring i din nese og ørenringer i dine ører og en prektig krone på ditt hode.

13 Så smykket du dig med gull og sølv, og din klædning var av fint lin og silke og utsydd tøi; fint mel og honning og olje åt du, og du blev overmåte fager og vel skikket til kongedømme.

14 Og ditt navn kom ut blandt folkene for din skjønnhets skyld; for den var fullkommen på grunn av de herlige prydelser som jeg hadde klædd dig i, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

15 Men du stolte på din skjønnhet og drev hor i tillit til ditt navn, og du utøste ditt hor over hver den som gikk forbi; han fikk nyte din skjønnhet.

16 Du tok dine klær og gjorde dig brokete telt på offerhaugene og drev hor der; sådant må ikke hende og ikke skje.

17 Du tok dine prektige smykker, mitt gull og mitt sølv, som jeg hadde gitt dig, og gjorde dig mannfolkebilleder og drev hor med dem.

18 Du tok dine utsydde klær og dekket dem med, og min olje og min røkelse satte du frem for dem.

19 Mitt brød, som jeg hadde gitt dig, det fine mel og oljen og honningen som jeg gav dig å ete, det satte du frem for dem til en velbehagelig duft; så vidt gikk det, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

20 Du tok dine sønner og dine døtre, som du hadde født mig, og ofret dem til mat for dem. Var det ikke nok at du drev hor,

21 siden du slaktet mine barn og gav dem bort - lot dem gå igjennem ilden for dem?

22 Og ved alle dine vederstyggeligheter og ditt hor kom du ikke din ungdoms dager i hu, da du var naken og bar og lå og sprelte i ditt blod.

23 Og efter all denne din ondskap - ve, ve dig! sier Herren, Israels Gud

24 bygget du dig en hvelving* og gjorde dig en offerhaug i hver gate**. / {* til utukt.} / {** 2K 28, 24.}

25 Ved hvert veiskjell bygget du din offerhaug og vanæret din skjønnhet og bredte dine føtter ut for hver den som gikk forbi, og du drev stadig hor.

26 Du drev hor med Egyptens sønner, dine kjøttfulle naboer, og du drev stadig hor, så du vakte min harme.

27 Og se, jeg rakte ut min hånd mot dig og avknappet det som var tiltenkt dig, og jeg lot dem som hatet dig, få gjøre med dig som de lystet - filistrenes døtre, som bluedes ved din skammelige ferd.

28 Og du drev hor med Assurs sønner, fordi du ikke var mett; du drev hor med dem og blev enda ikke mett.

29 Og du drev stadig hor, helt bort til kremmerlandet Kaldea; men heller ikke da blev du mett.

30 Hvor ditt hjerte var vissent, sier Herren, Israels Gud, da du gjorde alt dette, slikt som bare en skamløs skjøge gjør,

31 da du bygget din hvelving ved hvert veiskjell og din offerhaug i hver gate. Men du var ikke som andre skjøger, for du foraktet skjøgelønn.

32 Du horkvinne, som i stedet for din mann tar imot fremmede!

33 Alle skjøger gir de lønn, men du gav alle dine elskere dine gaver og kjøpte dem til å komme til dig fra alle kanter og drive hor med dig.

34 Og med dig skjedde det omvendte av det som skjer med andre kvinner: Du drev hor uten at nogen løp efter dig, og du gav horelønn uten selv å få det; således blev du det omvendte av andre.

35 Hør derfor Herrens ord, du horkvinne!

36 sier Herren, Israels Gud: Fordi du har ødslet med ditt kobber* og avdekket din blusel, når du drev hor med dine elskere, og for alle dine vederstyggelige avguders skyld og for dine barns blods skyld, som du gav dem**, / {* kanskje din uedle, urene kjærlighet; sml. ESK 22, 18; 24, 11. JE 6, 28.} / {** ESK 16, 20.}

37 se, derfor samler jeg alle dine elskere, som likte dig så godt, og alle dem du elsket, og likeså alle dem du hatet - jeg vil samle dem mot dig fra alle kanter og avdekke din blusel for dem, så de får se hele din blusel.

38 Jeg vil dømme dig likesom de kvinner dømmes som driver hor og utøser blod, og jeg vil gjøre dig til bare blod ved min harme og nidkjærhet.

39 Jeg vil gi dig i deres hånd, og de skal rive din hvelving og bryte ned dine offerhauger og dra dine klær av dig og ta dine prektige smykker og la dig ligge der naken og bar.

40 Og de skal føre en folkeskare frem mot dig og stene dig og hugge dig i stykker med sine sverd.

41 De skal brenne op dine hus med ild og holde dom over dig for mange kvinners øine; og jeg vil gjøre ende på ditt horeliv, og du skal ikke mere kunne gi horelønn.

42 Således vil jeg stille min harme på dig, og så skal min nidkjærhet vike fra dig, og jeg vil holde mig rolig og ikke vredes mere.

43 Fordi du ikke kom din ungdoms dager i hu, men krenket mig ved alt dette, se, derfor vil også jeg la dine gjerninger komme over ditt eget hode, sier Herren, Israels Gud; for har du ikke lagt skjensel til alle dine vederstyggeligheter?

44 Se, alle som lager ordsprog, skal bruke dette ordsprog om dig: Som moren, så datteren.

45 Du er din mors datter, hun som foraktet sin mann og sine barn, og du er dine søstres søster, de som foraktet sine menn og sine barn; en hetittkvinne er eders mor, og en amoritt eders far.

46 Din større søster er Samaria med sine døtre, hun som bor ved din venstre side, og din mindre søster, som bor ved din høire side, er Sodoma og hennes døtre.

47 Du gikk ikke på deres veier og gjorde ikke efter deres vederstyggeligheter; men bare en liten stund - så gjorde du det verre enn de, på alle dine veier.

48 Så sant jeg lever, sier Herren, Israels Gud, Sodoma, din søster, med sine døtre har ikke gjort som du og dine døtre har gjort.

49 Se, dette var Sodomas, din søsters misgjerning: overmot; overflod av brød og trygg ro hadde hun og hennes døtre; men den elendige og fattige hjalp hun ikke;

50 de ophøiet sig og gjorde det som var vederstyggelig for mitt åsyn, og jeg ryddet dem bort da jeg så det.

51 Heller ikke Samaria har syndet halvt så meget som du; du gjorde mange flere vederstyggeligheter enn de, og du rettferdiggjorde dine søstre ved alle de vederstyggeligheter som du gjorde.

52 Bær da også du din skam, du som har dømt til beste for dine søstre! For dine synders skyld, hvormed du har båret dig mere vederstyggelig at enn de, er de rettferdigere enn du; så skam dig da, også du, og bær din skjensel, idet du rettferdiggjør dine søstre!

53 Men jeg vil gjøre ende på deres fangenskap, Sodomas og hennes døtres fangenskap og Samarias og hennes døtres fangenskap og dine fangnes fangenskap midt iblandt dem,

54 forat du skal bære din skam og bli skamfull over alt det du har gjort, idet du trøster dem.

55 Og dine søstre, Sodoma og hennes døtre, skal komme tilbake til sin tidligere tilstand, og Samaria og hennes døtre skal komme tilbake til sin tidligere tilstand, og du og dine døtre, I skal komme tilbake til eders tidligere tilstand.

56 Og var ikke Sodoma, din søster, et omkvede i din munn på ditt overmots dag,

57 før din ondskap kom for dagen, likesom på den tid du blev hånet av Syrias døtre og alle dem som bodde rundt omkring det, og av filistrenes døtre, som foraktet dig rundt omkring?

58 Din utukt og dine vederstyggeligheter skal du bære straffen for, sier Herren.

59 For så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Jeg vil gjøre mot dig efter det du har gjort, du som foraktet eden og brøt pakten.

60 Og så vil jeg komme i hu min pakt med dig i din ungdoms dager, og jeg vil oprette en evig pakt med dig.

61 Og du skal komme din ferd i hu og skamme dig, når du tar imot dine søstre, både dem som er større enn du, og dem som er mindre enn du, og jeg gir dig dem til døtre, enda de ikke hører med til din pakt.

62 Jeg vil oprette min pakt med dig, og du skal kjenne at jeg er Herren,

63 forat du skal komme din ferd i hu og blues og ikke mere oplate din munn for din skams skyld, når jeg forlater dig alt det du har gjort, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 10540

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10540. 'And now, take off your finery' means the nature of their external which is such that it is without anything Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'finery', when the Church is the subject, as holy truth or that which is Divine in external things, dealt with above in 10536; and from the meaning of 'taking it off' as shedding it, thus being without it. The fact that that which is Divine in external things or holy truth is meant by 'finery' is clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shod you with badger; and I swathed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with finery, and put bracelets onto your hands and a chain onto your neck. And I put a jewel onto your nose, and earrings on your ears, and a crown of glory onto your head. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver; and your garments were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, [honey,] and oil; therefore you became extremely beautiful, and attained to a kingdom. For this reason your fame 1 went out among the nations, regarding your beauty; for this was made perfect by My finery which I had put on you. Ezekiel 16:10-14.

[2] This refers to Jerusalem and means the Church which had been established by the Lord after the Flood and was succeeded by the Israelite and Jewish Church. The character of the latter is also described in the same chapter; but the character of that previous Ancient Church is described in the verses just quoted, its holy truths being described by the adornments spoken of there. Anyone may see that things such as have to do with the Church are meant by those specifically mentioned, and that each one means something particular. What other purpose does such a description of Jerusalem serve?

[3] Yet which aspect of the Church is meant by each one becomes clear solely from the internal sense. For this sense shows what exactly in the spiritual world corresponds to each item in the description. The following is made clear by that sense,

'Embroidered cloth' means true factual knowledge, 9688.

'Fine linen' means intellectual truth from the Divine, 5319, 9469, 9596, 9744.

'Bracelets' means the power of truths, 3103, 3105.

'A neck-chain' means the flowing in of truth derived from good, and the consequent joining together of interior things and exterior ones, 5320.

'A nose-jewel' means the perception of truth, and 'earrings' obedience to truths, 4551, 10402.

'A crown of glory' means spiritual good, or the good of truth, good being meant by 'a crown', 9930, and that which is spiritual by 'glory', 9815.

'Gold and silver' means goodness and truth in general, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9874.

'Fine flour, honey, and oil' means truths and forms of good, external and internal ones, truth from good being meant by 'fine flour', 9995, external good by 'honey', 10530, and internal good by 'oil', 886, 4582, 4638, 9474, 9780, 10254, 10261.

'Beauty' means the outward form taken by truth derived from good, 3080, 3821, 4985, 5199.

And 'Jerusalem', about which those things are said, means the Church, see 402, 2117, 3654. From all this it is evident what 'finery' means, namely holy truth in its entirety.

[4] All the finery of the daughters of Zion which is itemized in Isaiah has a like meaning,

On that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, and of the networks, and of the crescents, and of the perfume containers 2 , and of the chainlets, and of the bracts 3 , and the tiaras, and the garters, and the sashes, and the perfume boxes 4 , and the charms; the rings, and the nose-jewels, the changes of clothes, and the robes, and the veils, and the pin-cases, the mirrors, and the muslin, and the turbans, and the linen garments. And it will happen, that instead of fragrance there will be rottenness, and instead of a girdle, a falling apart, and instead of well-set hair 5 , baldness, and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth, burning instead of beauty. Your people will fall by the sword, and [so will] your strength in war. Isaiah 3:18-25.

Those who confine themselves to the literal sense inevitably think that all these items with which the daughters of Zion are said to be adorned must be understood literally, and that it was because of that finery and the pride and arrogance it would create that the people of that kingdom would perish, since it says, your people will fall by the sword, and your strength in war. But those who raise their minds to some extent above the literal statement can see that such things should not be understood literally.

[5] From various places in the Word they can see that 'the daughters of Zion' should not be taken to mean the daughters of Zion but such things as are aspects of the Church, which are also meant by the daughters of Jerusalem, the daughters of Israel, the daughters of Judah, and many other daughters. Regarding 'daughters', that they mean the Church and aspects of the Church, see 6729, 9055(end). Since therefore the Church and aspects of the Church are meant by 'the daughters of Zion' it follows that all their finery itemized in this chapter of Isaiah mean the Church's truths and forms of good, and that each item means some specific truth or form of good. For nothing that appears in the Word, not even one small expression, is devoid of meaning.

[6] And because that Church will be bereaved of its truths and forms of good, meant by all that finery, the prophecy goes on to say that instead of fragrance there will be rottenness, instead of a girdle a falling apart, instead of well-set hair baldness, instead of a robe a girding of sackcloth, burning instead of beauty, and also that the people will fall by the sword, as will [their] strength in war. For 'fragrance' or 'spice' means the perception of Divine Truth, 10199, 10291, and 'rottenness' the deprivation of it; 'a girdle' means a bond holding truths and forms of good in connection with one another, 9341(end), 9828, 9837, 'a falling apart instead of it' the disintegration and diffusion of them; 'well-set hair' means true factual knowledge, 2831 6 , 'baldness' being deprived of an intelligent understanding of truth and of a wise discernment of good, 9960; 'burning' means the destruction of these by the evils of self-love, 1297, 2446, 7852, 9055, 9141, 'beauty' the outward form that truth springing from good takes within the Church, thus the perfection of it, 3080, 3821, 4985, 5199; and 'the sword' by which the people will fall means falsity destroying truth and good, 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294. Having no 'strength in war' means having no resistance to evil and falsity, for 'war' is spiritual conflict, and temptation, 1659, 1664, 2686, 8273, 8295, 10455.

From all this it is now evident that 'finery' in general means the Divine Truth which the Church possesses.

[7] The like is meant by 'finery' in the second Book of Samuel,

O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in twice-dyed pleasantly 7 , who put gold finery on your clothing. 2 Samuel 1:24.

These words appear in David's lamentation over Saul, which he entitled in verse 18 of that chapter, To teach the children of Judah the bow. 'The bow' in this verse means doctrine consisting of truth engaged in conflict against falsities of evil, 2686, 2709, 6422. This being so, 'daughters of Israel' means the Church's affections for truth, 2362, 3963, 6729, 6775, 6788, 8994; 'being clothed in twice-dyed pleasantly' means being endued with the Church's interior truths, which spring from good, 4922, 9468; 'putting gold finery on clothing' means giving truths that spring from good a beautiful appearance, good being meant by 'gold', see in the places referred to in 9874, and truth in general by 'clothing' or 'garment', in the places referred to above in 10536(end). The reason why David's lamentation over Saul has to do with doctrine consisting of truth, meant by 'the bow', engaged in conflict against falsity of evil is that 'the king' or the royal office held by Saul means Divine Truth in respect of protection and of judgement, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148.

[8] The like is meant by 'finery' in other places: In David,

Give to Jehovah the glory of His name; bow down to Jehovah in the finery of holiness. Psalms 29:2.

'In the finery of holiness' means with the authentic truths of the Church. Similarly in Isaiah,

Your sons will make haste. Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together. I am the Living One, said Jehovah; you will put them all on as finery, and gird them round yourself like a bride. Isaiah 49:17-18.

These words too refer to Zion, by which the celestial Church is meant, 'sons' who 'will make haste' meaning this Church's truths. (For the meaning of 'sons' as truths, see 489, 491, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257, 9807.) This explains why it says that Zion will put them all on as finery and gird them round herself like a bride; such can be said of the Church's truths, but not of the sons of Zion.

[9] Since almost everything in the Word also has a contrary meaning, so do those objects constituting finery. In the contrary sense they mean truths that have been falsified, as in Jeremiah,

You who have been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed, if you adorn yourself with gold finery, if you widen your eyes with stibium 8 , in vain will you make yourself beautiful. Jeremiah 4:29, 30.

And in Hosea,

I will visit on her 9 the days of the baals to whom she burned incense, and put on her nose-jewel and her finery, and went after her lovers and forgot Me. Hosea 2:13.

And in other places.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, name

2. Probably worn around the neck

3. i.e. thin metal plates worn as jewelry

4. literally, houses of the soul

5. literally, instead of the work of plaited [hair]

6. The Latin here rendered literally the work of plaited [hair] and idiomatically well-set hair is opus implexum. In 2831 the second of these words applies to the branches of trees and is consequently rendered entangled.

7. literally, with pleasant things

8. literally, break open the eyes with stibium. Stibium was a cosmetic used for blackening the eyelids and eyebrows, thereby making the eyes look brighter or more open.

9. i.e. I will punish her for

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 10199

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10199. 'Incense of spices' means a hearing and receiving with pleasure. This is clear from the meaning of 'incense' as the Lord's hearing and receiving with pleasure everything of worship that springs from love and charity, dealt with in 10177; and from the meaning of 'spices' as things that bring pleasure. Things bringing pleasure are meant by 'spices' on account of their odour; for 'odour' means perception, and therefore a sweet odour means a perception of that which brings pleasure, while an offensive odour means that which brings no pleasure. All things perceived by a person with the sensory organs of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch mean spiritual realities connected with the good of love and the truths of faith. Consequently smell means the perception of interior truth springing from the good of love; taste means perception and the desire to know and become wise; sight means an understanding of the truths of faith; hearing means perception resulting from the good of faith and from obedience; and touch in general means imparting, conveying, and being received.

[2] The reason why they have these meanings is that every reception of impressions by the outward senses begins in reception by the inward senses, which belong to the understanding and will, and so begins within the person, in the truths of faith and the good of love since these constitute the understanding and will within the human mind. Yet inward sensations, which belong properly to a person's understanding and will, do not feel the same as the outward ones, though they are turned into outward sensations when they flow in. For all the perceptions that a person receives by means of his outward sensory organs flow from inward powers of mind. The path all influx takes is from inward things to outward ones, not from outward to inward, since there is no such thing as physical influx - that is, influx from the natural world into the spiritual world - only influx from the spiritual world into the natural. A person's inner powers, which belong properly to understanding and will, exist in the spiritual world, and his outward ones, which belong properly to the bodily senses, exist in the natural world. From all this too it becomes clear what correspondence is and what the nature of it is.

[3] In general, smell corresponds to perception of some reality, as determined by the essential nature of the matter that is being perceived, see 1514, 1517-1519, 3577, 4624-4634, 10054.

Taste corresponds to perception and the desire to know and become wise, 3502, 4791-4805.

Sight corresponds to an understanding of the truths of faith, 3863, 4403-4421, 4567, 5114, 5400, 6805.

Hearing corresponds to perception of the good of faith and to obedience, 3869, 4652-4660, 7216, 8361, 9311, 9926.

Touch means imparting, conveying, and being received, 10130.

[4] 1 The fact that such things as are perceived with pleasure are meant by 'spices' - the kinds that spring from love and charity, in particular interior truths since they spring from these - is clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,

Instead of spice 2 there will be rottenness, and instead of a girdle, a falling apart, and instead of well-set hair 3 , baldness. Isaiah 3:24.

This refers to the daughters of Zion, by whom the celestial Church is meant, a Church in possession of interior truths springing from the good of love to the Lord. 'Spice' here means interior truth, 'rottenness' deprivation of it; 'a girdle' means a joining together, and 'a falling apart' the dissolution of connection and order; 'well-set hair' means factual knowledge of truth, which is exterior truth or truth as the external man knows it, and 'baldness' deprivation of that truth.

'A girdle' means a joining together and a bond to ensure that everything is held in connection and has the same end in view, see 9828.

'Well-set hair' means factual knowledge of truth, 2831 4 .

'Baldness' means deprivation of that truth, 9960.

[5] In Ezekiel,

A great eagle with [great] wings came on Lebanon, and from it took a twig of the cedar away into the land of Canaan 5 ; in the city of spicers he put the top of it 6 . Ezekiel 17:3-4.

This refers in the internal sense to the beginnings and growth of the spiritual Church, and then its corruption and end. 'A great eagle with [great] wings' means the interior truth which that Church possessed, 3901, 8764, 'wings' its exterior truths, 8764, 9514. 'Lebanon' is that Church, 'the cedar' there being the spiritual Church's truth. 'The city of spicers' is a place where teachings composed of interior truth are presented, 'cities' in the Word meaning religious teachings, see 402, 2449, 3216, 4492, 4493. It is called 'the city of spicers' by virtue of its interior truths.

[6] In the same prophet,

The traders of Sheba and Raamah with the best of [every] spice, and with every precious stone and gold, carried out 7 their dealings. Ezekiel 27:22.

This refers to Tyre, which means the Church in respect of cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth. 'The traders' are those who possess these and pass them on; 'Sheba and Raamah' are those with whom cognitions of celestial and spiritual things exist; 'the best of spice' is that which by virtue of interior truths brings pleasure; 'precious stone' is those very truths; and 'gold' is the good that goes with them.

Tyre means the Church in respect of interior cognitions of goodness and truth, and in the abstract sense those cognitions themselves, see 1201.

'The traders' are those who possess these and pass them on, 2967, 4453.

'Sheba and Raamah' are those with whom cognitions of celestial and spiritual things exist, 1171, 3240.

'Precious stone' is interior truth, 9863, 9865, 9873, 9874.

'Gold' is the good that goes with it, see the places referred to in 9874, 9881.

[7] From all this one may see what was represented by the queen of Sheba's coming to Solomon in Jerusalem with camels carrying spices, gold, and precious stones, 1 Kings 10:1-2, and by the offering of gold, frankincense, and myrrh which the wise men from the east made to the new-born Jesus, Matthew 2:11. Because 'spices' meant interior truths, thus those which bring pleasure, the incense and also the anointing oil, dealt with further on in this chapter, were scented with spices.

[8] By interior truths those truths which have become part of a person's life and affection, thus those inwardly present in him, should be understood, but not truths which are present solely in the memory and have not become part of that person's life. These truths in relation to the others are called external ones, since they have not been inscribed on the person's life, only on his memory. They reside in the external man and not in the internal. Truths of faith which have been inscribed on a person's life are present in the will, and what is in the will is present in the internal man. For by means of the truths of faith the internal man is opened up and contact with heaven is brought about. From this it is evident that the interior truths present with a person are ones that spring from the good of love and charity. Whether you say will or love it amounts to the same thing, for what composes a person's will composes his love. Therefore the truths inscribed on the person's life, called interior truths, are ones that have been inscribed on his love, and so on the will, from which they afterwards go forth when they pass into speech and action.

[9] For heaven, in which the internal man that has been opened up is present, does not enter truths directly but indirectly, through the good of love. But heaven cannot come in when a person's internal man is closed, because there is no good of love there to receive it. In the case therefore of those with whom the internal man has not been opened by means of truths springing from the good of love and charity hell enters with falsities arising from evil, no matter how many truths of faith, even interior ones, are residing in the external man alone, that is, in the memory.

From all this one may now see what should be understood by interior truths that bring pleasure, which are meant by 'spices', namely those which spring from the good of love and charity.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. To judge both from the first Latin edition and his rough draft Swedenborg may have intended to add words that would have concluded what goes before and introduced what comes next.

2. i.e. fragrance

3. literally, instead of the work of plaited [hair]

4. The word rendered well-set, more literally plaited, may otherwise mean entangled.

5. Here the Hebrew may be taken to mean either the land of Canaan or the land of the merchant. See 3901:2, 8764:6, where Swedenborg adopts the latter meaning.

6. literally, its head i.e. the twig from the top of the cedar

7. literally, gave

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