Die Bibel

 

5 Mosebog 32

Lernen

   

1 Lyt til, I Himle, lad mig tale, Jorden høre mine Ord!

2 Lad dryppe som egn min Lære, lad flyde som Dug mit Ord, som egnskyl på unge Spirer, som egnens Dråber på Græs.

3 Thi HE ENs Navn vil jeg forkynde, Ære skal I give vor Gud!

4 Han er Klippen, fuldkomment hans Værk, thi alle hans Veje er etfærd! En trofast Gud, uden Svig, retfærdig og sanddru er Han.

5 Skændselsmennesker sveg ham, en forvent og vanartet Slægt.

6 Er det sådan, I lønner HE EN? Du tåbelige, uvise Folk! Er han ej din Fader og Skaber, den, som gjorde og danned dig?

7 Kom Fortidens Dage i Hu, agt på henfarne Slægters År; spørg din Fader, han skal berette, dine gamle, de skal fortælle dig!

8 Da den Højeste gav Folkene Eje, satte Skel mellem Menneskenes Børn, bestemte han Folkenes Grænser efter Tallet på Guds Sønner,

9 men HE ENs Del blev Jakob, Israel hans tilmålte Lod.

10 Han fandt det i Ørkenlandet, i Ødemarken, blandt Ørkenens Hyl; han værnede det med vågent Øje og vogtede det som sin Øjesten.

11 Som Ørnen, der purrer sin Yngel ud og svæver over sine Unger, løftede han det på sit Vingefang og bar det på sine Vinger.

12 HE EN var dets eneste Fører, ingen fremmed Gud var hos ham.

13 Han lod det færdes over Landets Høje, nærede det med Markens Frugter, lod det suge Honning af Klippen og Olie af Bjergets Flint,

14 Surmælk fra Køer, Mælk fra Småkvæg, dertil Fedt af Lam og Vædre, af Tyre fra Basan og Bukke og Hvedens Fedme tillige, og Drueblod drak du, Vin.

15 Men da Jesjurun blev fed, slog han bagud, du blev fed, du blev tyk, du blev mæsket; da forskød han Gud, sin Skaber, lod hånt om sin Frelses Klippe.

16 De æggede ham med fremmede, med Vederstyggeligheder tirrede de ham;

17 de ofred til Dæmoner, der ej er Guder, til Guder, de ej før kendte til; til nye, der nys var kommet frem, og som ej eders Fædre frygtede.

18 Klippen, der avled dig, slog du af Tanke og glemte den Gud, der fødte dig!

19 Da HE EN så det, forstødte han dem af Græmmelse over sine Børn

20 og sagde: "Jeg vil skjule mit Åsyn for dem og se, hvad Ende det tager med dem; thi de er en bundfalsk Slægt, Børn, som er uden Troskab;

21 de ægged mig med det der ikke er Gud, tirrede mig ved deres tomme Gøgl: Jeg vil ægge dem med det, der ikke er et Folk, tirre dem ved et Folk af Dårer.

22 Thi der flammer en Ild i min Vrede, som brænder til Dødsrigets Dyb; den fortærer Jorden med dens Grøde og antænder Bjergenes Grunde.

23 Jeg hober Ulykker over dem og opbruger mine Pile imod dem.

24 De udmagres af Sult og hentæres af Pestglød og giftig Sot; så sender jeg Vilddyrs Tænder og Slangers Gift imod dem.

25 Ude slår Sværdet Børnene ned og inde i Kamrene ædselen både Yngling og Jomfru, diende Børn og grånende Mænd.

26 Jeg satte mig for at blæse dem bort og slette deres Minde blandt Mennesker ud,

27 men jeg frygtede, at Fjenden skulde volde mig Græmmelse, deres Avindsmænd tage fejl og tænke: Det var vor egen Hånd, der var stærk, ej HE EN, der gjorde alt dette.

28 Thi de er et rådvildt Folk, og i dem er der ikke Forstand.

29 Var de vise, forstod de det og indså, hvad der venter dem selv!

30 Hvor skulde een kunne forfølge tusind, og to slå ti tusind på Flugt, hvis ikke deres klippe havde solgt dem og HE EN givet dem til Pris!

31 Thi deres Klippe er ikke som vor, det ved vore Fjender bedst selv!

32 Thi fra Sodoma stammer deres Vinstok og fra Gomorras Marker; deres Druer er giftige Druer, og beske er deres Klaser;

33 som Dragegift er deres Vin, som Øglers gruelige Edder.

34 Er ej dette forvaret hos mig, forseglet i mine Gemmer

35 til Hævnens og egnskabets Dag, den Stund, deres Fod skal vakle? Thi deres Undergangs Dag stunder til; hvad der venter dem, kommer i Hast."

36 Thi et skaffer HE EN sit Folk og forbarmer sig over sine Tjenere, thi han ser, deres kraft er brudt, det er ude med hver og en.

37 Da spørger han: "Hvor er nu deres Gud, Klippen, på hvem de forlod, sig,

38 som åd deres, Slagtofres Fedme og drak deres Drikofres Vin? Lad dem rejse sig og hjælpe eder, lad dem være eder et Skjul!

39 Erkend nu, at jeg, jeg er Gud uden anden Gud ved min Side. Jeg døder, jeg gør levende, jeg sårer, og jeg læger, "g ingen kan frelse fra min Hånd.

40 Thi jeg løfter min Hånd mod Himlen og siger: Så sandt jeg lever evindelig,

41 jeg hvæsser mit lynende Sværd, og min Hånd tager fat på Dommen, jeg hævner mig på mine Fjender, øver Gengæld mod mine Avindsmænd.

42 Mine Pile gør jeg drukne af Blod, og mit Sværd skal svælge i Kød, i faldnes og fangnes Blod og fjendtlige Høvdingers Hoveder!"

43 I Folkeslag, pris hans Folk, thi han hævner sine Tjeneres Blod; han hævner sig på sine Fjender, og skaffer sit Folks Land Soning!

44 Og Moses kom og fremsagde hele denne Sang for Folket, han og Josua, Nuns Søn.

45 Og da Moses var færdig med at fremsige alle disse Ord for hele Israel,

46 sagde han til dem: "Læg eder alle de Ord på Sinde, som jeg i Dag har vidnet imod eder, for at du kan pålægge dine Sønner dem, at de omhyggeligt må handle efter alle denne Lovs Bud;

47 thi det er ikke tomme Ord uden Betydning for eder, men af dem afhænger eders Liv, og ved at følge det Ord skal I få et langt Liv i det Land, som l skal ind og tage i Besiddelse efter at være gået over Jordan."

48 Selv samme Dag talede HE EN til Moses og sagde:

49 "Stig op på Abarimbjerget der, Nebobjerget i Moabs Land over for Jeriko, og se ud over Kana'ans Land, som jeg vil give Israelitterne i Eje!

50 Og så skal du på det Bjerg, du bestiger, og samles til din Slægt, ligesom din Broder Aron døde på Bjerget Hor og samledes til sin Slægt,

51 fordi I handlede troløst imod mig iblandt Israelitterne ved Merihat Kadesjs Vand i Zins Ørken, fordi I ikke helligede mig iblandt Israelitterne.

52 Thi her ovre fra skal du se ud over Landet, men du skal ikke komme derind, ind i det Land, jeg vil give Israelitterne!

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #70

studieren Sie diesen Abschnitt

  
/ 1232  
  

70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.

  
/ 1232  
  

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

Aus Swedenborgs Werken

 

Arcana Coelestia #6408

studieren Sie diesen Abschnitt

  
/ 10837  
  

6408. 'From Asher' means the blessedness that the affections possess, that is to say, heavenly affections, which are those of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. This is clear from the representation of 'Asher' as the happiness of eternal life and the blessedness that the affections possess, dealt with in 3938, 3939, in addition to which he was called Asher from a word meaning blessedness. As regards that blessedness, it is not easy to describe it, for the reason that it is an inner blessedness, which rarely reveals itself physically in a person and so is rarely perceptible. For while a person lives in the body he is distinctly aware of what presents itself in his body, but he is only very dimly aware of what presents itself in his spirit; for while a person is living in his body worldly concerns impede his awareness of it. The blessedness that the affections possess cannot flow into his perception in the body where those concerns are centred unless what exists on the natural and sensory levels has been brought into agreement with what exists on interior levels; and even then it is only a dim awareness, no more than a calm feeling brought about by his contented state of mind. But after he has died that blessedness makes itself plain and is felt to be blessing and happiness, which affect him both interiorly and exteriorly. In short the blessedness that heavenly affections possess is that which his soul or spirit possesses, flowing in by an interior route and reaching through to the body, where it is received to the extent that the delights springing from the loves that belong to the natural and the senses do not stand in the way.

[2] This blessedness does not exist in any way at all with those whose delight is that of self-love and love of the world; for these loves are quite the opposite of it. People ruled by these loves therefore are not at all able to understand how any blessedness can exist apart from that of being promoted to important positions, being venerated as if they were gods, having an abundance of riches, and possessing more wealth than others. And if these people are told that the delight that springs from those loves is external and perishes along with the body, and that what remains of it in the mind is turned after death into a miserable and hideous delight, such as exists with those in hell, but that an internal kind of delight exists, and that this is a blissful and happy one such as exists with those in heaven, they do not comprehend these things at all, for the reason that with them the external holds sway and the internal is closed. From all this one may see how to understand 'the blessedness that the affections possess', a blessedness meant by 'Asher'.

  
/ 10837  
  

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