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Hesekiel 16

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1 Ja Herran sana tapahtui minulle ja sanoi:

2 Sinä ihmisen poika, ilmoita Jerusalemille hänen kauhistuksensa!

3 Ja sano: sinun sukus ja syntys on Kanaanealaisten maalta, sinun isäs Amorilaisista ja sinun äitis Hetiläisistä.

4 Sinun sukus ei ole sinulta napaa leikanneet, kuin synnyit, ei ole sinua myös saunoitettu vedellä, ettäs olisit puhtaaksi tullut, eikä suolalla tahottu, eikä kapaloihin kääritty.

5 Sillä ei kenkään sinua surkutellut, että hän olis armahtanut sinua, ja osoittanut sinulle yhdenkin näistä, mutta sinä heitettiin kedolle, niin ylönkatsottu oli sinun sielus, kuin synnyit.

6 Mutta minä kävin sinun ohitses, ja näin sinun veressäs makaavan, ja sanoin sinulle: sinun pitää elämän, kuin sinä niin sinun veressäs makasit; totta sinulle sanoin minä, kuin niin veressäs makasit: sinun pitää elämän.

7 Ja minä olen enentänyt sinun moneksi tuhanneksi ja antanut sinun suureksi tulla, niinkuin hedelmän maan päällä, ja sinä olit kasvanut isoksi ja aivan kauniiksi tullut, sinun nisäs olivat kasvaneet, ja sinä olit saanut kauniit pitkät hiukset, mutta sinä olit vielä alastoin ja kaino.

8 Ja minä kävin ohitses ja katsoin päälles, ja katso, sinä olit täysikasvuinen, niin minä hajoitin hameeni liepeen sinun ylitses, ja peitin sinun häpiäs; ja minä vannoin sinulle, ja annoin itseni liittoon sinun kanssas, sanoo Herra, Herra, että sinun piti minun oleman.

9 Ja pesin sinun vedellä, ja virutin sinun verestäs, ja voitelin sinun öljyllä.

10 Ja vaatetin sinun neulotuilla vaatteilla, ja kengitin sinun Tekasjimin nahalla, ja annoin sinulle kalliit liinavaatteet, puetin sinun silkkiin.

11 Ja kaunistin sinun kaunistuksella, ja panin käsirenkaat sinun kätees ja käädyt sinun kaulaas.

12 Ja annoin otsalehden sinun otsaas, ja korvarenkaat korviis ja kunnian kruunun päähäs.

13 Niin sinä kaunistettiin kullalla ja hopialla, ja vaatetettiin kalliilla liinavaatteella, silkillä ja neulotulla työllä; sinä söit myös sämpyläleipää, hunajaa ja öljyä; ja olit ylenpaljon kaunistettu, ja sait valtakunnan.

14 Ja sinun nimes kuului kauvas pakanain seassa sinun kauneutes tähden, joka juuri täydellinen oli, senkaltaisten kaunistusten kautta, jotka minä olin pannut päälles, sanoo Herra, Herra.

15 Mutta sinä uskalsit kauneutees; ja ettäs niin ylistetty olit, teit sinä huorin, niin että sinä itses teit yhteiseksi jokaiselle, jotka kävivät ohitses, ja teit hänen tahtonsa.

16 Ja otit sinun vaatteistas, ja teit siitä kirjavat alttarit itselles, ja teit huoruuttas niiden päällä; joka ei ikänä tapahtunut ole, eikä pidä tapahtuman.

17 Ja otit sinun kunniakaluistas, jotka minä sinulle minun kullastani ja hopiastani antanut olin, ja teit niistä miehen kuvat itselles, ja teit huorin niiden kanssa.

18 Ja otit neulotut vaattees ja peitit ne niillä, ja minun öljyni ja suitsutukseni asetit sinä heidän eteensä.

19 Ruokani, jonka minä annoin syödäkses, sämpylöitä, öljyä ja hunajaa, asetit sinä heidän eteensä makiaksi hajuksi; ja niin se oli, sanoo Herra, Herra.

20 Ja sinä otit poikas ja tyttäres, jotka minulle synnyttänyt olit, ja uhrasit ne heille syötää; luuletkos niin halvaksi huoruutes?

21 Ja sinä teuraaksi teit minun lapseni, ja annoit polttaa heitä heidän edessänsä.

22 Et kuitenkaan sinä ole kaikessa kauhistuksessas ja huoruudessas koskaan ajatellut nuoruutes aikaa, kuinka paljas ja alastoin sinä olit, ja makasit veressäs.

23 Joka tapahtui kaiken sinun pahuutes jälkeen. Voi! voi sinuas! sanoo Herra, Herra.

24 Sinä rakensit itselles korkeudet, ja teit sinulles kukkulat kaikille kaduille.

25 Ja kaikkein teiden suihin rakensit sinä kukkulas, ja teit sinun kauneutes kauhistukseksi; sinä hajoitit jalkas jokaiselle, joka kävi siitä ohitse, ja teit suurta salavuoteutta.

26 Ensin sinä teit salavuoteutta lähimmäistes Egyptin lasten kanssa, joilla suuri liha oli, ja teit suurta salavuoteutta kehoittaakses minua.

27 Ja katso, minä ojensin käteni sinua vastaan ja hillitsin senkaltaisen tapas, ja hylkäsin sinun vihollistes Philistealaisten tyttärien tahtoon, jotka häpesivät sinun häpeemätöntä työtäs.

28 Sitte sinä teit huoruutta Assurin lasten kanssa, ja et taitanut heistä kyllääs saada; ja kuin sinä olit tehnyt huoruutta heidän kanssansa, ja et taitanut heistä kyllääntyä;

29 Enensit sinä vielä sitte sinun huoruuttas Kanaanin maalla, Kaldeaan asti, ja et sinä vielä sittenkään taitanut silläkään kyllääntyä.

30 Kuinka siis minun pitäis ympärileikkaaman sinun sydämes, sanoo Herra, Herra: ettäs senkaltaisen julkihuoran töitä teet?

31 Siinä, ettäs niin rakennat korkeutes joka tien suuhun, ja teet kukkulas kaikille kaduille, ja et ole niinkuin muu portto, joka rahalla ostettaman pitää,

32 Taikka niinkuin joku huorivaimo, joka miehensä siaan laskee toisen.

33 Kaikille portoille annetaan lahjoja; mutta sinä annat kaikille sinun värtämiehilles palkan, ja lahjoitat heitä, että heidän joka paikasta sinun tykös tuleman pitäis, huoruutta tekemään sinun kanssas.

34 Ja löydetään sinun tykönäs sinun huotuudessas juuri vastoin sitä mikä tapa on muiden vaimoin kanssa, ettei sinun perässäs juosta; ja että sinä palkan annat, ja ei sinulle palkkaa anneta, niin sinä teet juuri vastahakoisin.

35 Sentähden sinä portto, kuule Herran sanaa:

36 Näin sanoo Herra, Herra: ettäs niin mielelläs annat rahaa, ja julistat häpiäs huoruutes kautta värtämiehelles ja kaiken sinun kauhistukses epäjumalain kanssa, ja vuodatat lastes veren, jonkas heille uhraat;

37 Sentähden, katso, minä tahdon koota kaikki sinun värtämiehes, joiden kanssa sinä olet hekumassa elänyt, ynnä kaikkein niiden kanssa, joita ystävinäs pidät, ja joita vihaat; ja minä tahdon ne koota sinua vastaan joka taholta, ja julistaa sinun häpiäs, että heidän kaikki sinun häpiäs näkemän pitää.

38 Ja minä annan käydä huoran ja verenvuodattajan oikeuden sinun ylitses, ja annan vuodattaa sinun veres julmuudella ja kiivaudella.

39 Ja minä annan sinut heidän käsiinsä, että heidän pitää särkemän sinun korkeutes, ja kukistaman sinun kukkulas, ja riisuman sinun vaattees, ja ottaman sinulta pois sinun kunniakappalees, ja antaman istua sinun alasti ja paljaana.

40 Ja heidän pitää antaman tulla sinun vastaas suuren väkijoukon, jotka pitää sinua kivittämän kuoliaaksi ja hakkaaman miekoillansa rikki;

41 Ja tulella polttaman sinun huonees, ja näyttämän sinulle sinun oikeutes monen vaimon silmäin edessä; ja minä tahdon tehdä lopun sinun huoruudelles, ettei sinun enään pidä antaman rahaa.

42 Ja kuin minä olen antanut minun vihani levätä sinun päälläs, niin pitää minun kiivauteni sinusta luopuman, että minä mahtaisin olla levossa, ja en enään vihastua.

43 Ettes muistanut nuoruutes aikaa, vaan kehoitit minua näillä kaikilla, sentähden tahdon minä myös panna kaikki sinun menos sinun pääs päälle, sanoo Herra, Herra, ettes tekisi sitä pahaa kaikkein sinun kauhistustes kanssa.

44 Katso, kaikki jotka itsiänsä sananlaskussa harjoittavat, ne pitää tämän sananlaskun sinusta sanoman: tytär on niinkuin äitikin.

45 Sinä olet äitis tytär, joka hylkäsi miehensä ja lapsensa; ja sinä olet sisartes sisar, jotka jättivät pois miehensä ja lapsensa; teidän äitinne on Hetiläinen, ja teidän isänne Amorilainen.

46 Samaria on sinun vanhempi sisares tyttärinensä, joka vasemmalla puolellas tykönäs asuu; ja Sodoma on sinun nuorempi sisares tyttärinensä, joka asuu oikialla puolellas.

47 Vaikka et sinä kuitenkaan heidän teillänsä vaeltanut, taikka tehnyt heidän kauhistustensa jälkeen, niin ei siitä paljo puutu, ettet sinä pahempia asioita tehnyt ole kuin he, kaikissa sinun menoissas.

48 Niin totta kuin minä elän, sanoo Herra, Herra, Sodoma, sinun sisares tyttärinensä, ei ole niin tehnyt kuin sinä ja sinun tyttäres.

49 Katso, se oli sinun sisares, Sodoman synti: ylpeys, ja kaikissa yltäkylläisyys, ja hyvä rauha, joka hänellä ja hänen tyttärillänsä oli: mutta köyhiä ja tarvitsevia ei he auttaneet;

50 Mutta he olivat ylpiät, ja tekivät kauhistuksen minun edessäni; sentähden olen myös minä heittänyt heidät pois, kuin minä sen näin.

51 Niin ei myös Samaria ole tehnyt puoliakaan sinun syntejäs; mutta sinä olet paljon enemmin tehnyt sinun kauheuttas kuin hän, ettäs olet tehnyt sisares hyväksi kaikkein sinun kauhistustes suhteen, joita sinä tehnyt olet.

52 Niin kanna myös häpiäs, sinä, joka sisares hyväksi teet synteis kautta, joissa sinä suuremmat ja olet tehnyt heitä paremmaksi kuin sinä olet: niin häpee nyt ja kanna häpiäs, ettäs sisares, hyväksi tehnyt olet.

53 Mutta minä tahdon kääntää heidän vankiutensa: Sodoman vankiuden ja hänen tytärtensä, ja Samarian vankiuden ja hänen tytärtensä, ja sinun vankiutes vangit heidän keskellänsä,

54 Niin että sinun täytyy kantaa sinun häpiäs ja pilkkas kaiken sen edestä, jonka tehnyt olet, jolla heitä olet lohduttava.

55 Ja sinun sisares Sodoma ja hänen tyttärensä pitää käännetyksi tuleman, niinkuin he ennen ovat olleet, ja Samaria ja hänen tyttärensä pitää käännetyksi tuleman, niinkuin he ennen ovat olleet; ja sinun myös tytärtes kanssa pitää käännetyksi tuleman, niinkuin te ennen olleet olette.

56 Ja ei pidä (enää) Sodoma sinun sisares huutoon tuleman sinun suussas, (niinkuin) ylpeytes aikana.

57 Kuin pahuutes ei vielä julki ollut, niinkuin siihen aikaan, kuin Syrian ja Philistealaisten tyttäret häpäisivät sinua joka paikassa, ja kaikki sen ympäristö katsoi sinun ylön;

58 Kuin sinun täytyi kantaa pahuuttas ja kauheuttas, sanoo Herra, Herra.

59 Sillä näin sanoo Herra, Herra: minä tahdon tehdä sinulle, niinkuin sinä tehnyt olet, ettäs valan katsoit ylön ja särjit liiton.

60 Mutta minä tahdon muistaa minun liittoni, jonka minä kanssas tehnyt olen nuoruutes aikana, ja tahdon tehdä ijankaikkisen liiton sinun kanssas.

61 Niin sinun pitää mielees johdattaman sinun teitäs, ja häpeemän, kuin olet ottava tykös vanhemmat ja nuoremmat sisares, jotka minä sinulle tyttärikses antava olen; vaan ei sinun liitostas.

62 Mutta minä tahdon tehdä minun liittoni sinun kanssas, että sinun ymmärtämän pitää, että minä olen Herra:

63 Ettäs sitä ajattelisit ja häpeäisit, ja et rohkeaisi häpiän tähden suutas avata, koska minä sinulle anteeksi antava olen kaikki, mitäs tehnyt olet, sanoo Herra, Herra.

   


SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)

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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.

Notes de bas de page:

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 #4581

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4581. 'And he poured out a drink-offering onto it' means the Divine Good of Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a drink-offering' as the Divine Good of Truth, dealt with below. But first one must say what the good of truth is. The good of truth is that which elsewhere has been called the good of faith, which is love towards the neighbour, or charity. There are two universal kinds of good, the first being that which is called the good of faith, the second that which is referred to as the good of love. The good of faith is the kind of good meant by 'a drink-offering', and the good of love the kind meant by 'oil'. The good of love exists with those whom the Lord brings to what is good by an internal way, while the good of faith exists with those He brings to it by an external way. The good of love exists with members of the celestial Church, and likewise with angels of the inmost or third heaven, but the good of faith with members of the spiritual Church, and likewise with angels of the middle or second heaven. Consequently the first kind of good is called celestial good, whereas the second kind is called spiritual good. The difference between the two is, on the one hand, willing what is good out of a will for good and, on the other, willing what is good out of an understanding of it. The second kind of good therefore - spiritual good or the good of faith, which is the good of truth - is meant by 'a drink-offering'; but the first - celestial good or the good of love - is meant in the internal sense by 'oil'.

[2] Nobody, it is true, can see that such things as these were meant by 'oil' and 'a drink-offering' unless he does so from the internal sense. Yet anyone may see that things of a holy nature were represented by them, for unless those holy things were represented by them what else would pouring out a drink-offering or pouring oil onto a stone pillar be but some ridiculous and idolatrous action? It is like the coronation of a king. What else would the ceremonies performed on that occasion be if they did not mean and imply things of a holy nature - placing the crown on his head; anointing him with oil from a horn, on his forehead and on his wrists; placing a sceptre in his hand, as well as a sword and keys; investing him with a purple robe, and then seating him on a silver throne; and after that, his riding in his regalia on a horse, and later still his being served at table by men of distinction, besides many other ceremonies? Unless these represented things of a holy nature and were themselves holy by virtue of their correspondence with the things of heaven and consequently of the Church, they would be no more than the kind of games that young children play, though on a grander scale, or else like plays that are performed on the stage.

[3] But all those ceremonies trace their origin back to most ancient times when ceremonies were holy by virtue of their representation of things that were holy and of their correspondence with holy things in heaven and consequently in the Church. Even today they are considered holy, though not because people know their spiritual representation and correspondence but through the interpretation so to speak they put on symbols in common use. If however people did know what the crown, oil, horn, sceptre, sword, keys, purple robe, silver throne, riding on a white horse, and eating while men of distinction act as the servers, all represented and to what holy thing each corresponded, they would conceive of those things in an even holier way. But they do not know, and surprisingly do not wish to know; indeed that lack of knowledge is so great that the representatives and the meaningful signs included within such ceremonies and within every part of the Word have been obliterated from people's minds at the present day.

[4] The fact that 'a drink-offering' means the good of truth, or spiritual good, may be seen from the sacrifices in which drink-offerings were used. When sacrifices were offered they were made either from the herd or from the flock, and they were representative of internal worship of the Lord, 922, 923, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519. To these the minchah and the drink-offering were added. The minchah, which consisted of fine flour mixed with oil, meant celestial good, or what amounted to the same, the good of love - 'the oil' meaning love to the Lord and 'the fine flour' charity towards the neighbour. But the drink-offering, which consisted of wine, meant spiritual good, or what amounted to the same, the good of faith. Both these therefore, the minchah and the drink-offering, have the same meaning as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper.

[5] The addition of a minchah and a drink-offering to a burnt offering or to a sacrifice is clear in Moses,

You shall offer two lambs in their first year, each day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second you shall offer between the evenings; and a tenth of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin, and a drink-offering of a quarter of a hin of wine, for the first lamb; and so also for the second lamb. Exodus 29:38-41.

In the same author,

You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest a lamb without blemish in its first year as a burnt offering to Jehovah, its minchah being two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, and its drink-offering wine, a quarter of a hin. Leviticus 23:12-13, 18.

In the same author,

On the day when the days of Naziriteship are completed he is to offer his gift to Jehovah, sacrifices and also a basket of unleavened [loaves] of fine flour, cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, together with their minchah and their drink-offerings. Numbers 6:13-17.

In the same author,

Upon the burnt offering they shall offer a minchah of a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil, and wine as the drink-offering, a quarter of a hin - in one way upon the burnt offering of a ram, and in another upon that of a bull. Numbers 15:3-11.

In the same author,

With the continual burnt offering you shall offer a drink-offering, a quarter of a hin for a lamb; in the holy place pour out a drink-offering of wine to Jehovah. Numbers 28:6-7.

Further references to minchahs and drink-offerings in the different kinds of sacrifices are continued in Numbers 28:7-end; 29:1-end.

[6] The meaning that 'minchah and drink-offering' had may be seen in addition from the considerations that love and faith constitute the whole of worship, and that in the Holy Supper 'the bread' - described in the quotations above as fine flour mixed with oil - and 'the wine' mean love and faith, and so the whole of worship, dealt with in 1798, 2165, 2177, 2187, 2343, 2359, 3464, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217.

[7] But when people fell away from the genuine representative kind of worship of the Lord and turned to other gods and poured out drink-offerings to these, 'drink-offerings' came to mean things that were the reverse of charity and faith, namely the evils and falsities that go with the love of the world; as in Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink-offering to them, you have brought a minchah. Isaiah 57:5-6.

'Inflaming oneself among the gods' stands for cravings for falsity - 'gods' meaning falsities, 4402 (end), 4544. 'Under every green tree' stands for the trust in all falsities which leads to those cravings, 2722, 4552. 'Pouring out a drink-offering to them' and 'bringing a minchah' stand for the worship of those falsities. In the same prophet,

You who forsake Jehovah, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Gad, and fill a drink-offering for Meni. Isaiah 65:11.

In Jeremiah,

The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 7:18.

[8] In the same prophet,

We will surely do every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, and our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 44:17-19.

'The queen of heaven' stands for all falsities, for 'the hosts of heaven' in the genuine sense means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, and so in the same way do 'king' and 'queen'. 'Queen' accordingly stands for all [falsities] and 'pouring out drink-offerings to her' means worshipping them.

[9] In the same prophet,

The Chaldeans will burn the city, and the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense to Baal and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 32:29.

'The Chaldeans' stands for people whose worship involves falsity. 'Burning the city' stands for destroying and laying waste those whose doctrines teach falsity. Upon the roofs of the houses burning incense to Baal' stands for the worship of what is evil, 'pouring out drink-offerings to other gods' for the worship of what is false.

[10] In Hosea,

They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah. Hosea 9:3-4.

'Not dwelling in Jehovah's land' stands for not abiding in the good of love. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the Church when its understanding will come to be no more than factual and sensory knowledge. 'In Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for impure and profane desires that are the product of reasoning. 'They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah' stands for no worship based on truth.

[11] In Moses,

It will be said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted, who ate the fat of the sacrifices, [who] drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help them! Deuteronomy 32:37-38.

'Gods' stands for falsities, as above. 'Who ate the fat of the sacrifices' stands for their destruction of the good belonging to worship, '[who] drank the wine of their drink-offering' for their destruction of the truth belonging to it. A reference to 'drink-offerings of blood' also occurs in David,

They will multiply their pains; they have hastened to another, lest I pour out their drink-offerings of blood, and take up their names upon My lips. Psalms 16:4.

By these 'drink-offerings' are meant profanations of truth, for in this case 'blood' means violence done to charity, 374, 1005, and profanation, 1003.

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