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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 # 3024

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3024.'That you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites' means that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking a woman' as being joined by means of the marriage covenant; from the meaning of 'my son', namely Isaac, as the Lord's Divine Rational, dealt with in 1893, 2066, 2083, 2630; from the meaning of 'daughters' as affections, dealt with in 489-491, 568, 2362; and from the meaning of 'the Canaanites' as evil, dealt with in 1444, 1573, 1574. Consequently 'the daughters of the Canaanites' are affections incompatible with truth. The subject here is Divine truth which was to be allied to the Divine good of the Lord's Rational, as may be seen in 3013 under 'Contents'. 'A woman' who was to be associated by means of a marriage covenant is used to mean that truth itself which is summoned from the natural man in the normal manner. 'My son' is used to mean the Lord's Rational as regards the good with which it was to be allied or associated. From this one may recognize that the command not to take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites means that the Divine Rational should not be joined to any affection incompatible with truth. All joining of truth to good is effected by means of affection, for no truth ever enters the rational part of a person's mind or is joined to it except by means of affection, for affection has within it the good that flows from love, which good alone effects the joining together, 1895, as also anyone may know who stops to reflect on it.

[2] As regards 'the daughters of the Canaanites' meaning affections incompatible with truth, that is, affections for what is false, this becomes clear from the meaning of 'daughters'. For the noun 'daughters' occurs in many places in the Word, and in these anyone may see that it is not used to mean daughters. By such expressions as 'the daughter of Zion', 'the daughter of Jerusalem', 'the daughter of Tarshish', 'the daughter of My people', affections for good and truth are meant, as shown in the paragraphs referred to above. And since affections for good and truth are meant so also are Churches, for Churches are Churches by virtue of these affections. Consequently 'the daughter of Zion' means the celestial Church, and means this by virtue of the affection for good, whereas 'the daughter of Jerusalem' means the spiritual Church from the affection for truth, 2362. And it is the same with 'the daughter of My people' in Isaiah 22:4; Jeremiah 6:14, 26; 8:19, 21-22; 9:1; 14:17; Lamentations 2:11; 4:6; Ezekiel 13:17.

[3] This shows what is meant by the daughters of the nations, such as by the daughters of the Philistines, the daughters of Egypt, the daughters of Tyre and Sidon, the daughters of Edom, the daughters of Moab, the daughters of the Chaldeans and Babel, and the daughters of Sodom. They mean affections for evil and falsity, from which their varieties of religion sprang, and so mean those varieties themselves. That this is the meaning of 'daughters' becomes clear from the following places: In Ezekiel,

The daughters of the nations will lament over Egypt. Wail over the multitude of Egypt, and send her down, her and the daughters of majestic nations, to the lower earth, together with those who go down to the pit. Ezekiel 32:16, 18.

'The daughters of majestic nations' stands for affections for evil. In Samuel,

Tell it not in Gath; publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. 2 Samuel 1:20.

In Ezekiel,

You committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt. I delivered you to those who hated you, the daughters of the Philistines. Before your badness was revealed, as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria, and of all round about her, the daughters of the Philistines who despise you from round about. Ezekiel 16:26-27, 57.

Anyone may see that not daughters were meant here but the varieties of religion among such people as are meant by the Philistines - those who speak repeatedly of faith yet do not at all pursue the life taught by faith, see 1197, 1198. This also explains why they are called 'the uncircumcised', that is, devoid of charity.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! Make for yourself vessels of migration, O inhabitant daughter of Egypt. The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame; she has been delivered into the hand of the people from the north. Jeremiah 46:11, 19, 24.

'The daughter of Egypt' stands for the affection for reasoning from facts about whether truths of faith really are true, and so stands for the variety of religion which springs from this, the nature of which is to believe nothing except that grasped by the senses, and so to believe nothing of the truth of faith, see 215, 232, 233, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1385, 2196, 2203, 2209, 2568, 2588. In Isaiah,

He said, You will no more exult, O oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Isaiah 23:12.

In David,

The daughter of Tyre with an offering, the rich of the people will entreat your face. Psalms 45:12.

What 'the daughter of Sidon' and 'the daughter of Tyre' mean is evident from the meaning of Sidon and Tyre, dealt with in 1201. In Jeremiah,

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom. Your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is at an end. He will no more cause you to migrate; your iniquity will be punished, O daughter of Edom. Lamentations 4:21-22.

In Isaiah,

Like a wandering bird, a scattered nest, will the daughters of Moab be. Isaiah 16:2.

In the same prophet,

Come down and sit on the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel; sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans. Sit quietly and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for no more will they call you the mistress of kingdoms. Isaiah 47:1, 5.

In Jeremiah,

A people coming from the north, arrayed as a man for war against you, O daughter of Babel. Jeremiah 50:41-42.

In the same prophet,

The daughter of Babel is like the threshing-floor; it is time to thresh her. Jeremiah 51:33

In Zechariah,

Ho, Zion! escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babel. Zechariah 2:7.

In David,

The daughter of Babel has been laid waste. Psalms 137:8.

In Ezekiel,

Your sisters, Sodom and her daughters will return to their condition as of old, and Samaria and her daughters will return to their condition as of old. Ezekiel 16:55.

[5] Anyone may see that in these places 'daughters' is not used to mean daughters but affections incompatible with truth, and so the varieties of religion that spring from them. But which particular varieties they are is evident from the meaning of those peoples - from the meaning of Edom, Moab, the Chaldeans, Babel, Sodom, Samaria, all of which have been dealt with in various places in the explanations to previous chapters of Genesis. From this what is meant in the present chapter by 'the daughters of the Canaanites' becomes clear.

[6] This command not to contract marriages with the daughters of the Canaanites also had regard to the spiritual requirements that good should not be joined to falsity, nor evil to truth, for the result of any such joining together is profanation. The prohibition was also a representative of the matter referred to in Deuteronomy 7:3, and in Malachi,

Judah has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, in that he loved and married the daughter of a foreign god. Malachi 2:11.

  
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Arcana Coelestia # 4444

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4444 .'When they heard; and the men were grieved and blazing with anger' means that they were under the influence of evil that was directed against the truth of the Church among the Ancients. This is clear from the meaning of 'being grieved and blazing with anger' here as being under the influence of evil. Its direction against the truth of the Church among the Ancients follows because the anger was against Shechem the son of Hamor, who means the truth known to the Ancients, as stated above in 4430, 4431. Their being under the influence of evil is evident from details given further on, namely that they spoke deceitfully, verse 13, and then after Shechem and Hamor had submitted to their demands they killed them, verses 26-29. Consequently 'being grieved' here and 'blazing with anger' mean that they were under the influence of evil. Their action looks like zeal aroused in them because he had lain with their sister, to judge by the words which immediately follow 'because he had done something disgraceful in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, a thing that ought not to be done' - and by those at the end of the chapter 'They said, Is he going to treat our sister like a prostitute?' verse 31. But it was not zeal, for zeal cannot possibly exist with someone who is under the influence of evil, only with one governed by good; for zeal has good within it, 4164.

[2] The semblance of religion which existed among their descendants did indeed have good within it, in that all its details, each one, represented the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom. But in the case of those with whom it existed it did not hold anything good at all since they were confined solely to external things devoid of internal, as shown above. It is the same with the semblance of religion possessed by that nation among whom it exists even at the present day. They acknowledge Moses and the Prophets, and so the Word. In itself this is holy but in their case it is not holy, for within every detail there they see themselves and so that which is worldly. Indeed they turn the Word into something earthly, for they do not know or even care about anything heavenly within it. If the state of a people is like this, no good can exist in them when their own semblance of religion holds sway over them. Instead evil is present, for nothing heavenly enters into them because they will annihilate it.

[3] There was a law, also known in the Ancient Church, according to which anyone who ravished a virgin had to provide her with a dowry and take her to be his wife, as the following words in Moses laid down,

If a man persuades a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall endow her with a dowry to be his wife; if her father utterly refuses to give her to him he shall weigh silver according to the dowry of virgins. Exodus 22:16-17.

And elsewhere,

If a man finds a young woman, a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman's father fifty pieces of silver, and she shall become his wife, because he ravished her; and he will not be able to divorce her all his days. Deuteronomy 22:28-29.

The fact that this same law was known to the Ancients is quite evident from Shechem's words to the young woman's father and brothers,

Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find grace in your eyes, and I will give that which you tell me. Increase the dowry and gift to any size and I will give you whatever you tell me, and give me the young woman for a wife. Verses 11-12.

Also, because Shechem was willing to fulfill this law and Dinah's brothers gave their consent provided he became as they themselves were, by circumcising every male, according to the words that follow

Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you, then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we wit be one people. Verses 15-16

- it is therefore evident that they did not act in conformity with the law, thus were not motivated by good, but acted contrary to the law, and consequently were motivated by evil.

[4] The law forbade them, it is true, to enter into marriages with the gentile nations, as laid down in Moses,

Lest you take their daughters for your sons, and their daughters go whoring after their gods, and they cause your sons to go whoring after their gods. Exodus 34:16.

And elsewhere,

You shall not establish a marriage relationship with the nations; you shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son, for he will turn your son from following Me, to serve other gods. Deuteronomy 7:3-4.

But this law referred to idolatrous nations. It was laid down to prevent their turning away, through such marriages, from truly representative worship to idolatrous worship; for once they became idolaters they were no longer able to represent the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord's kingdom, only their opposites, namely the things of hell. In fact, once they were idolaters, they summoned from hell a certain devil whom they worshipped and to whom they applied Divine representatives. This accounts for its being said that they were not to go whoring after their gods. That law was also laid down for the further reason that 'the nations' means evils and falsities with which the goods and truths which they represented were not to be mingled, and therefore devilish and hellish things were not to be mingled with celestial and spiritual ones, 3024 (end).

[5] But they were in no way forbidden to contract marriages with nations who willingly adopted their worship and who, after being circumcised, acknowledged Jehovah. These they called sojourners sojourning with them, of whom the following is said in Moses,

If a sojourner sojourns with you and wishes to keep the Passover to Jehovah, every male he has shall be circumcised, and then he shall come near and keep it; and he will be as an inhabitant of the land. There shall be one law for the inhabitant and for the sojourner who sojourns in the midst of you. Exodus 12:48-49.

And elsewhere,

When the sojourner has sojourned with you, he shall keep the Passover to Jehovah according to the statute for the Passover, and according to the regulations 1 for it. There shall be one statute for you, both for the sojourner and for the native of the land. Numbers 9:14.

The reason why they were called sojourners sojourning in the midst of them and with them was that 'sojourning' meant receiving instruction, and so 'a sojourner' those who allowed themselves to receive instruction in statutes and matters of doctrine, see 1463, 2025, 3672. In the same author,

If a sojourner should sojourn with you who would make a fire-offering of an odour of rest to Jehovah, he shall do as you do. As for the assembly, one statute shall there be for you and for the sojourner who sojourns, an eternal statute throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the sojourner be before Jehovah. There shall be one law and one judgement for you and for the sojourner sojourning with you. Numbers 15:14-16.

And elsewhere,

As the native among you shall the sojourner sojourning with you be to you.

Leviticus 19:34.

One judgement shall there be for you; it shall be for the sojourner as for the native. Leviticus 24:22.

[6] The fact that this statute was known not only to Jacob and his sons but also to Shechem and Hamor is evident from the words spoken by them. For the statutes, judgements, and laws which were given to the Israelite and Jewish nation were not new but such as existed previously in the Ancient Church and in the second Ancient Church which, from Eber, was called the Hebrew, as has been shown in various places. The consequent knowledge of this law is evident from the words of Jacob's sons,

Jacob's sons said to Hamor and Shechem, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who has a foreskin; for that would be a reproach to us. Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are, by circumcising every male among you, then we will give our daughters to you, and your daughters we will take to ourselves, and we will dwell with you, and we will be one people. Verses 14-16.

That knowledge is also evident from Hamor and Shechem's words, in that they not only consented but also did cause themselves and every male of their city to be circumcised, verses 18-24.

[7] This shows that Shechem became a sojourner such as is referred to in the Law, and so could take Jacob's daughter as a wife; and that their killing them was accordingly an unmentionable deed, as Jacob also bore witness before his death, Genesis 49:5-7. The fact that not only Judah but also Moses, as well as the kings of the Jews and Israelites, and many of the people too, married wives from gentile nations is clear from the historical sections of the Word; and one should not doubt that those wives accepted their statutes, judgements, and laws and were acknowledged as sojourners.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, statutes

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