Bible

 

Exodus 14

Studie

   

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Speak unto the sons of Israel, and they turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-Zephon; over-against it ye do encamp by the sea,

3 and Pharaoh hath said of the sons of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut upon them;

4 and I have strengthened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath pursued after them, and I am honoured on Pharaoh, and on all his force, and the Egyptians have known that I [am] Jehovah;' and they do so.

5 And it is declared to the king of Egypt that the people hath fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants is turned against the people, and they say, `What [is] this we have done? that we have sent Israel away from our service.'

6 And he harnesseth his chariot, and his people he hath taken with him,

7 and he taketh six hundred chosen chariots, even all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over them all;

8 and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursueth after the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel are going out with a high hand,

9 and the Egyptians pursue after them, and all the chariot horses of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his force, overtake them, encamping by the sea, by Pi-Hahiroth, before Baal-Zephon.

10 And Pharaoh hath drawn near, and the sons of Israel lift up their eyes, and lo, the Egyptians are journeying after them, and they fear exceedingly, and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah.

11 And they say unto Moses, `Because there are no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in a wilderness? what is this thou hast done to us -- to bring us out from Egypt?

12 Is not this the word which we spake unto thee in Egypt, saying, Cease from us, and we serve the Egyptians; for better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in a wilderness?'

13 And Moses saith unto the people, `Fear not, station yourselves, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which He doth for you to-day; for, as ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye add no more to see them -- to the age;

14 Jehovah doth fight for you, and ye keep silent.'

15 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `What? thou criest unto Me -- speak unto the sons of Israel, and they journey;

16 and thou, lift up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand towards the sea, and cleave it, and the sons of Israel go into the midst of the sea on dry land.

17 `And I -- lo, I am strengthening the heart of the Egyptians, and they go in after them, and I am honoured on Pharaoh, and on all his force, on his chariots, and on his horsemen;

18 and the Egyptians have known that I [am] Jehovah, in My being honoured on Pharaoh, on his chariots, and on his horsemen.'

19 And the messenger of God, who is going before the camp of Israel, journeyeth and goeth at their rear; and the pillar of the cloud journeyeth from their front, and standeth at their rear,

20 and cometh in between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel, and the cloud and the darkness are, and he enlighteneth the night, and the one hath not drawn near unto the other all the night.

21 And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the sea, and Jehovah causeth the sea to go on by a strong east wind all the night, and maketh the sea become dry ground, and the waters are cleaved,

22 and the sons of Israel go into the midst of the sea, on dry land, and the waters [are] to them a wall, on their right and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursue, and go in after them (all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen) unto the midst of the sea,

24 and it cometh to pass, in the morning watch, that Jehovah looketh unto the camp of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubleth the camp of the Egyptians,

25 and turneth aside the wheels of their chariots, and they lead them with difficulty, and the Egyptians say, `Let us flee from the face of Israel, for Jehovah is fighting for them against the Egyptians.'

26 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Stretch out thy hand toward the sea, and the waters turn back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.'

27 And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the sea, and the sea turneth back, at the turning of the morning, to its perennial flow, and the Egyptians are fleeing at its coming, and Jehovah shaketh off the Egyptians in the midst of the sea,

28 and the waters turn back, and cover the chariots and the horsemen, even all the force of Pharaoh, who are coming in after them into the sea -- there hath not been left of them even one.

29 And the sons of Israel have gone on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters [are] to them a wall, on their right and on their left;

30 and Jehovah saveth Israel in that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel seeth the Egyptians dead on the sea-shore,

31 and Israel seeth the great hand with which Jehovah hath wrought against the Egyptians, and the people fear Jehovah, and remain stedfast in Jehovah, and in Moses His servant.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 4876

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

4876. And thy staff that is in thy hand. That this signifies by means of its power, that is, of that truth, is evident from the signification of a “staff,” as being power, of which presently; and from the signification of a “hand,” as being also power (n. 878, 3091, 3387, 3563). It is said “that is in thy hand,” because the power of that lowest truth is signified such as belonged to the religiosity of the Jewish nation, which here is “Judah.” That power is predicated of truth may be seen above (n. 3091, 3563). A “staff” is frequently mentioned in the Word, and it is surprising that scarcely anyone at this day knows that anything in the spiritual world was represented by it, as where Moses was commanded that whenever miracles were wrought, he was to lift up his staff, and thereby they were wrought. This was known among Gentiles also, as is evident from their fabulous tales in which staffs are ascribed to magicians. That a “staff” signifies power, is because it is a support; for it supports the hand and arm, and through them the whole body; wherefore a staff takes on the signification of the part which it immediately supports, that is, the hand and arm, by both of which in the Word is signified the power of truth. Moreover, it will be seen at the end of the chapters that in the Grand Man the hand and arm correspond to this power.

[2] That by a staff was represented power, appears, as just said, from what is related of Moses, in that he was commanded to take a staff (or rod), with which he was to do miracles; and that he took the rod of God in his hand (Exodus 4:17, 20); that when smitten by the rod, the waters in Egypt became blood (Exodus 7:15, 19-20); that when the rod was stretched out over the streams, frogs came up (Exodus 8:1-11); that when the dust was smitten by the rod, it became lice (Exodus 8:16-20); that when the rod was stretched out toward heaven, there was hail (Exodus 9:23); and that when the rod was stretched out over the land, locusts came up (Exodus 10:3-21). As the hand is the principal, by which power is signified, and a rod is the instrumental, therefore miracles were also wrought when his hand was stretched forth (Exodus 10:12-13); when his hand was stretched forth toward heaven, there was thick darkness over the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-22); and when his hand was stretched forth over the sea Suph, by an east wind the sea was made dry land; and on again stretching forth his hand, the waters returned (Exodus 14:21, 26-27).

[3] Moreover, when the rock of Horeb was smitten with the rod, waters flowed out (Exodus 17:5-6; Numbers 20:7-10). When Joshua fought against Amalek, “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:9, 11). From these passages it is very evident that a rod or staff, like the hand, represented power, and in the supreme sense the Divine omnipotence of the Lord; and it is also evident that at that time representatives constituted the externals of the church; and that the internals, which are spiritual and celestial things such as are in heaven, corresponded to them; and that from this came their efficacy. From this it is also plain how irrational those are who believe that there was any power infused into the staff or the hand of Moses.

[4] That in the spiritual sense, a “staff” is power, appears also from many passages in the prophets, as in Isaiah: Behold the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth doth take away from Jerusalem staff and stay, the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water (Isaiah 3:1); the “staff of bread” denotes support and power from the good of love, and the “staff of water,” support and power from the truth of faith. That “bread” is the good of love may be seen above (n. 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735); and that “water” is the truth of faith (n. 28, 680, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424). The “staff of bread” is mentioned in like manner in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 4:16; 5:16; 14:13; and Psalms 105:16).

[5] Again in Isaiah:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, who shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee, in the way of Egypt. Jehovah shall stir up against him a scourge, as in the plague of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and his staff shall be over the sea, and he shall lift it up in the way of Egypt (Isaiah 10:24, 26); where “staff” denotes power from reasoning and memory-knowledge, such as is the power of those who reason from memory-knowledges against the truths of faith, and either pervert them or make them of no account. This is signified by the “rod” with which Asshur shall smite, and by the “staff” which he shall lift up in the way of Egypt. That by “Asshur” is meant reasoning may be seen above (n. 1186); and that by “Egypt” is meant memory-knowledge (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462).

[6] In like manner in Zechariah:

The pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away (Zech. 10:11).

In Isaiah:

Thou hast trusted on the staff of a bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean it will go into his hand and pierce it (Isaiah 36:6);

“Egypt” denotes memory-knowledges, as above; power from them in spiritual things is the “staff of a bruised reed;” the “hand” which it goes into and pierces, is power from the Word. Again:

Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers (Isaiah 14:5); where “staff” and “rod” manifestly denote power.

[7] In Jeremiah:

Grieve, all ye circuits of Moab, and say, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of beauty (Jeremiah 48:17).

The “staff of strength” denotes power from good, and the “staff of beauty” power from truth.

[8] In Hosea:

My people interrogate their wood, and their staff will answer them; for the spirit of whoredom hath led them astray (Hos. 4:12);

“interrogating wood” means consulting evils; the “staff answering” means that falsity is thence, which has power from the evil which they confirm; the “spirit of whoredom” denotes a life of falsity from evil.

In David:

Yea, when I walk in the valley of shadow, I will fear not evil to me; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me (Psalms 23:4);

“Thy rod and Thy staff” denote the Divine truth and good, which have power. Again:

The staff of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the just (Psalms 125:3).

[9] Again:

Thou shalt crush them with a rod of iron; thou shalt scatter them like a potter’s vessels (Psalms 2:9);

a “rod of iron” denotes the power of spiritual truth in natural, for all natural truth in which there is spiritual truth has power; “iron” is natural truth (n. 425, 426). So also in Revelation:

He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; that he may pasture them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers (Revelation 2:26-27; and also 12:5; 19:15).

[10] Because a staff represented the power of truth, that is, the power of good through truth, therefore kings had scepters, which were made like short staffs; for by kings the Lord is represented as to truth, the Divine truth being the royalty itself (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3670, 4581). The scepter signifies the power belonging to them, not by dignity, but by the truth which should rule, and no other truth than that which is from good; thus principally the Divine truth, and with Christians the Lord, from whom is all Divine truth.

  
/ 10837  
  

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