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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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Arcana Coelestia #9960

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9960. 'To cover their naked flesh' means to prevent inner desires of that love from appearing when they are foul and hellish. This is clear from the meaning of 'covering' as preventing them from appearing; and from the meaning of the genital organs and loins, which 'naked flesh' is used to mean here, as inner desires of conjugial love. For when 'undergarment' means things composing the external level of that love, 9959, 'flesh' which they cover means those on its internal levels. Conjugial love is meant by 'the loins', see 3021, 4280, 4575, also by 'the genital organs', 4462, 5050-5062, and the good of love by 'flesh', 3813, 7850, 9127; but since most things in the Word can also have a contrary meaning, so can the loins, genital organs, and flesh. In that contrary sense they mean evil, foul, and hellish desires of that love, 3813, 5059. The fact that here they mean evil, foul, and hellish desires is evident from the consideration that the words 'to cover their naked flesh' are used, 'naked flesh' here being that which is the opposite of the good of conjugial love, namely delight that is adulterous and for that reason hellish, which will be spoken of below.

[2] As regards 'nakedness', it derives its meaning from the parts of the body that appear naked, just as garments derive theirs from the parts of the body they clothe, 9827. 'Nakedness' has one meaning therefore when it applies to the head, which is baldness; another meaning when it applies to the whole body; and yet another when it applies to the loins and genital organs. When nakedness applies to the head, which is baldness, it means the deprivation of an intelligent understanding of truth and of a wise discernment of good; when it applies to the whole body it means the deprivation of truths that belong to faith; but when it applies to the loins and genital organs it means the deprivation of the good of love.

[3] 1. When nakedness applies to the head, which is baldness, it means the deprivation of an intelligent understanding of truth and of a wise discernment of good This is clear in Isaiah,

On that day the Lord by means of the king of Asshur will shave the head and the hair of the feet, and will consume the beard. Isaiah 7:20.

'Shaving the head' stands for depriving of the internal truths of the Church, 'shaving the hair of the feet and consuming the beard' for depriving of its external truths, and 'by means of the king of Asshur' for by means of reasonings based on falsities. It is evident to anyone that no head, hairs of the feet, or beard was going to be shaved by means of the king of Asshur, and that those words must have some other meaning. 'The head' means more internal things that belong to wisdom and intelligence, see 6292, 6436, 9166, 9656; 'the king of Asshur' means reasoning, 119, 1186; 'hair' means the external truth of the Church, 3301, 5247, 5569-5573; 'the feet' too means external or natural things, 2162, 3147, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 9406; and 'the beard' means items of knowledge on sensory levels, that is, truths on last and lowest levels, as is clear from places in the Word mentioning 'the beard'.

[4] In the same prophet,

On all heads there is baldness; every beard is shaved off. Isaiah 15:2.

Here the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah,

Baldness will come upon Gaza. How long will you cut yourself? Jeremiah 47:5.

In Ezekiel,

On all faces there will be shame, and on all heads baldness. They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abomination. Ezekiel 7:18-19.

'On all heads baldness' stands for the deprivation of an intelligent understanding of truth and of a wise discernment of good. Since this is meant it also says 'they will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abomination'; for 'silver' means truth that belongs to intelligence, and 'gold' good that belongs to wisdom, 1551, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932. The fact that baldness on all heads should not be understood literally, that they would not literally throw silver into the streets, and that gold would not literally become an abomination, is self-evident.

[5] In Moses,

Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, You shall not shave your heads and you shall not rip apart the seams of your garments, lest you die and He is angry with the whole congregation. Leviticus 10:6.

And in Ezekiel,

The priests, the Levites, shall not shave their head and shall not let their hair grow long. Ezekiel 44:20.

Since Aaron and his sons represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good and in respect of Divine Truth, 9806, 9807, and since 'a shaved head' and 'garments ripped apart at the seams' meant the deprivation of that Good and Truth, they were forbidden to shave their heads or so rip apart their garments. It also says 'lest you die and He is angry with the whole congregation', meaning that as a consequence what was representative of the Lord in respect of Divine Good and in respect of Divine Truth, and so what was representative of the Church, would be destroyed.

[6] Since mourning represented spiritual mourning, which is mourning because of the deprivation of the Church's truth and good, those in mourning made themselves bald, as in Jeremiah,

They will not lament for them, nor will they make themselves bald 1 because of them. Jeremiah 16:6.

In Amos,

I will turn your feasts into mourning, and cause baldness to come up over every head; and I will make it as the mourning for an only-begotten son. Amos 8:10.

And in Micah,

Make yourself bald, 2 and shave your head for the sons of your delight; extend your baldness like an eagle, for they have departed from you. Micah 1:16.

'The sons of delight' are God's truths, and their 'departure' is the deprivation of them, 'sons' meaning truths, see 9807.

[7] 2. When nakedness applies to the whole body it means the deprivation of the truths of faith

This is clear in John,

To the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write, Because you say, I am rich and in need of nothing - when you do not know that you are wretched and miserable, and needy, and blind, and naked - I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified in fire, and white garments that you may put on, that the shame of your nakedness may not be manifested. Revelation 3:14, 17-18.

'The angel of the Church' is God's truth there. 'Saying it is rich' means that it is in possession of cognitions or knowledge of truth and good. 'Wretched, needy, blind, and naked' means being nevertheless devoid of truths implanted in life, thus being devoid of good. 'Buying gold purified in fire' means acquiring good to itself, 'white garments' authentic truths of faith springing from good. From this it is evident what 'that the shame of nakedness may not be manifested' means.

[8] In the same book,

Behold, I am coming like a thief; blessed is he who is awake and keeps his garments, so that he may not walk naked and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same book,

They will hate the prostitute, and make her devastated and naked. Revelation 17:16.

'The prostitute' stands for those who falsify God's truths. 'Making her naked' plainly stands for depriving of those truths; for the words 'devastated' and 'naked' are used, and 'devastating' means depriving of truths.

[9] Nakedness also means having no knowledge of truth and putting on clothes being taught it, in Isaiah,

When you see the naked and cover him, your light will break forth like the dawn. Isaiah 58:7-8.

And in Matthew,

The King will say to those who are on the right, I was naked and you clothed Me. And He said to those on the left, I was naked and you did not clothe Me. Matthew 25:36, 38, 43-44.

'Naked' here stands for those who have no truths and still desire truths, also those who acknowledge that no good or truth at all exists within them, see 4956, 4958.

[10] 3. When nakedness applies to the loins and genital organs it means the deprivation of the good of love

This is clear in Isaiah,

O virgin daughter of Babel, take a mill and grind flour, uncover your hair, bare your feet, uncover your thigh, pass through the rivers. Let your nakedness be uncovered, also let your reproach be seen. Isaiah 47:1-3.

'Daughter of Babel' means the Church or semblance of the Church, where holiness resides outwardly but profanity inwardly. The profanity residing inwardly is such that people have themselves and the world in mind, thus domination and abundant riches as their end in view, holy things being regarded as means to that end. 'Taking a mill and grinding flour' means producing teachings out of such matters as will serve as means to the end, 7780. 'Uncovering the hair, baring the feet, and uncovering the thigh' means prostituting without any shame or fear things that are outwardly and inwardly holy, so that 'uncovering nakedness' means causing foul and hellish things, which are the ends, to appear.

[11] In Jeremiah,

Jerusalem sinned grievously; those who honoured her despise her, because they see her nakedness, her uncleanness in her skirts. Lamentations 1:8-9.

'Jerusalem' stands for the Church, in this instance for a Church that is steeped in falsities arising from evil. 'Seeing her nakedness' stands for beholding foul and hellish loves; 'uncleanness in her skirts' stands for such loves on most external levels, 'skirts' or 'hem' meaning most external levels, see 9917. In Nahum,

I will uncover your skirts upon your face, 3 and I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. Nahum 3:5.

'Uncovering skirts' stands for taking away outward things in order that more internal ones may appear. 'Nakedness' which will be shown to the nations and 'shame' to the kingdoms mean hellish kinds of love, which are self-love and love of the world, which defile the more internal things.

[12] In Ezekiel,

You reached full beauty, your breasts were formed and your hair had grown; [but] you were naked and bare. With all your abominations and your acts of whoredom you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and were downtrodden in your blood. Your nakedness has been uncovered through your whoredoms with your lovers. Ezekiel 16:7, 22, 36.

In the same prophet,

I will give you into the hand [of those] whom you hate, that they may deal with you out of hatred; and let them leave you naked and bare, and let the nakedness of your whoredoms be uncovered. Ezekiel 23:28-29.

In Hosea,

Contend with your mother, that she may remove her whoredoms from her sight, 4 and her adulteries from between her breasts, lest perhaps I strip her naked, and present her as on the day she was born, and make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. I will return and take back My grain, My new wine, My wool, and My flax, which [I gave her] to cover her nakedness; and I will uncover her foulness in the eyes of her lovers. Hosea 2:2-3, 9-10.

[13] The words in the preceding as well as in this present quotation refer to Jerusalem, which is also called 'mother'; and by it the Church is meant. Its perversity is described by 'the whoredoms', 'the adulteries', and 'the uncovering of nakedness', which are nothing other than the foul and hellish kinds of love - that is, self-love and love of the world, when they are ends in view - from which all evils and derivative falsities gush out. Falsifications of truth therefore and adulterations of good are described in the Word by acts of whoredom and adultery, and are also actually called whoredoms and adulteries there, see 8904. And from this it is evident what 'nakedness' and 'uncovering of nakedness' are used to mean. Since reference is being made to the Church's truths when falsified and to its forms of good when adulterated, the verses quoted declare 'I will make her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst'. 'A wilderness' is that which is devoid of forms of good, 'a dry land' that which is devoid of truths, and 'thirst' the deprivation of all matters of faith.

[14] It also declares that [the Lord] would take back His grain, His new wine, His wool, and His flax, with which He had covered her nakedness, because 'grain' means the spiritual Church's more internal good, 'new wine' its more internal truth, 'wool' its more external good, and 'flax' its more external truth. All who read these things with a power of reason that is to some degree enlightened, who believe that no expression used in the Word is meaningless, and that the Word is altogether holy in every part because it is Divine, can see that flax, wool, new wine, and grain are not meant literally.

[15] In Jeremiah,

O daughter of Edom, to you also the cup will pass, you will be made drunk and naked. Lamentations 4:21.

In Habakkuk,

Woe to him who gives drink to his companion, 5 making him drunk, and looking on their nakedness! You will be sated with shame rather than glory. Drink, you also - that your foreskin may be revealed. Habakkuk 2:15-16.

And in Ezekiel,

They have shed blood in you; they have uncovered their father's nakedness in you. Ezekiel 22:9-10.

What these statements mean no one can know unless he knows what the meaning is of 'the cup', 'drinking', 'being made drunk', 'being made naked', 'looking on their nakedness, and uncovering them', and also 'foreskin'. All these, it is self-evident, should be understood spiritually. 'Drinking' understood spiritually is receiving instruction in truths, or in the contrary sense in falsities, that is, absorbing them, 3069, 3168, 3772, 8562, 9412; and from this it is clear what 'the cup' that is drunk from means, 5120. 'Being made drunk' means becoming insane as a result, and 'being made naked' becoming completely destitute of them. 'Uncovering nakedness' means uncovering the evils of self-love and love of the world, which are hellish evils. 'Uncovering their father's nakedness' means uncovering those evils when they have a hereditary origin and are present in the will. 'Revealing the foreskin' means defiling them, 'the foreskin' meaning the defilement of heavenly forms of good by those two kinds of love, see 2056, 3412, 4462, 7045. 'Circumcision' therefore means purification from them, 2039, 2632.

[16] All this makes clear what the meaning is of Noah's drunkenness and the consequent uncovering of his nakedness, described as follows in Genesis,

Noah drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was uncovered in the middle of his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and pointed it out to his two brothers. And Shem and Japheth took a garment and both of them put it on a shoulder, and went backwards and covered their father's nakedness; and their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness. Genesis 9:21-23.

This describes members of the Ancient Church, whom Noah represents. 'The wine' which he drank and which made him drunk is the falsity which that Church was at the start imbued with. His lying as a result 'uncovered in the middle of the tent' means evils owing to the lack of truth in worship. 'The garment' with which Shem and Japheth covered his nakedness is the truth of faith, by means of which those evils were covered and corrected. An implanting of the truth and good of faith in the understanding part of the mind is described by their putting a garment on a shoulder, going backwards, and turning their faces away backwards; for this is exactly how it is with the truths and forms of the good of faith present with a member of the spiritual Church. 'Shem and Japheth' means those belonging to the spiritual Church, who received the truths of faith within good, which is charity; but 'Canaan' means those who did not receive the truths of faith in good or charity.

[17] Noah represents members of the Ancient Church at the start, who were such as has been described, see 736, 773, 788, 1126.

Shem is those belonging to the internal spiritual Church, and Japheth those belonging to the external, 1062, 1127, 1140, 1141, 1150.

Canaan represented those whose faith was separated from charity, or what amounts to the same thing, whose worship was external separated from anything internal, so that in particular he represented the Jewish nation, 1093, 1140, 1141, 1167.

With members of the spiritual Church the truth and good of faith are implanted in the understanding part of the mind, 9596.

'The wine' that made Noah drunk means falsity, 6377.

'The tent' in which he lay uncovered means the holiness of worship, 2145, 2152, 3312, 4128, 4391.

'The garment' with which they covered their father's nakedness means the truth of faith, 5954, 9212, 9216.

His actual nakedness means the evil occupying the will part of his mind. That evil is covered by means of the truths of faith, and when it is being covered truths look away backwards.

The presence of such arcana, embodied in these details of the story, is evident from the internal sense. And the fact that these arcana are arcana which have to do with the Church may be seen from the consideration that Shem and Japheth simply because they covered their father's nakedness were blessed, and all their descendants too, and that Canaan was cursed and all his descendants simply because their father had pointed it out to his brothers.

[18] Because the interiors of the Jewish and Israelite nation were foul, for they were steeped in self-love and love of the world more than all the other nations, and since conjugial love is meant by 'the genital organs and loins' and this love is fundamental to and so embraces all celestial and spiritual forms of love, precautions had to be taken to prevent the nakedness of those parts of Aaron's or his sons' bodies from being in any way visible when they were engaged in holy worship. This is the reason for its being said that linen undergarments should be made for them to cover their naked flesh, from the loins even to the thighs; and in another place for the declaration that they were not to go up by steps to the altar, in order that their nakedness should not be revealed on it, Exodus 20:26.

The interiors of the Jewish and Israelite nation were foul, and when they were engaged in worship those interiors were closed off, see the places referred to in 9320 (end), 9380.

Conjugial love is meant by 'the genital organs and loins', 3021, 4280, 4462, 4575, 5050-5062.

Conjugial love is fundamental to all celestial and spiritual forms of love, and therefore these forms of love are understood as well by it, 686, 2739, 3021, 4280, 5054.

From all this it is now clear what 'nakedness' means, in particular nakedness of the bodily parts devoted to procreation, when people's interiors are foul.

[19] But when the interiors are chaste 'nakedness' means innocence. It does so because conjugial love is meant, and innocence is the indispensable element of truly conjugial love.

Truly conjugial love belongs to innocence, see 2736.

Therefore 'nakedness' in that sense means innocence, 165, 8375.

For the same reason angels of the inmost heaven, who are called celestial angels, appear naked, 165, 2306, 2736.

Since the Most Ancient Church, described in the opening chapters of Genesis and meant in the internal sense by Man or Adam and his wife, was a celestial Church, it says in Genesis 2:25 that both were naked, and they were not ashamed. But when that Church fell, which came about through eating from the tree of knowledge, by which reasoning about Divine matters that was based on factual knowledge was meant, it says that they knew that they were naked, and sewed fig leaves together for themselves and made themselves girdles, thus that they covered their nakedness. It also says that when Jehovah called to him the man said that he was afraid because he was naked, and further on that Jehovah God made for them tunics of skin and clothed them, Genesis 3:6-11, 21.

[20] By 'fig leaves' from which they made themselves girdles, and also by 'tunics of skin' truths and forms of good belonging to the external man should be understood. The reason why their state after the fall is so described is that from being internal people they became external. Their internal is meant by 'paradise', for paradise is the intelligence and wisdom of the internal man, and the closing of their internal by being cast out of paradise.

'Leaf' means natural truth, which is factual knowledge, see 885. 'Fig' means natural good or the external man's good, 217, 4231, 5113. 'Tunic of skin' too means the external man's truth and good, 294-296. 'Skin' means what is external, 3540.

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