Le texte de la Bible

 

Amos 2

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1 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος· Δια τας τρεις παραβασεις του Μωαβ και δια τας τεσσαρας δεν θελω αποστρεψει την τιμωριαν αυτου· διοτι κατεκαυσε τα οστα του βασιλεως του Εδωμ μεχρι κονιας·

2 αλλα θελω εξαποστειλει πυρ επι τον Μωαβ και θελει καταφαγει τα παλατια της Κιριωθ· και ο Μωαβ θελει αποθανει μετα θορυβου, μετα κραυγης, μετ' ηχου σαλπιγγος.

3 Και θελω εξολοθρευσει τον κριτην εκ μεσου αυτου, και θελω αποκτεινει παντας τους αρχοντας αυτου μετ' αυτου, λεγει Κυριος.

4 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος· Δια τας τρεις παραβασεις του Ιουδα και δια τας τεσσαρας δεν θελω αποστρεψει την τιμωριαν αυτου, διοτι κατεφρονησαν τον νομον του Κυριου και δεν εφυλαξαν τα προσταγματα αυτου και επλανησαν αυτους τα ματαια αυτων, κατοπιν των οποιων περιεπατησαν οι πατερες αυτων·

5 αλλα θελω εξαποστειλει πυρ επι τον Ιουδαν και θελει καταφαγει τα παλατια της Ιερουσαλημ.

6 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος· Δια τας τρεις παραβασεις του Ισραηλ και δια τας τεσσαρας δεν θελω αποστρεψει την τιμωριαν αυτου διοτι επωλησαν τον δικαιον δι' αργυριον και τον πενητα δια ζευγος υποδηματων·

7 οιτινες ποθουσι να βλεπωσι την κονιν της γης επι την κεφαλην των πτωχων και εκκλινουσι την οδον των πενητων· και υιος και πατηρ αυτου υπαγουσι προς την αυτην παιδισκην, δια να βεβηλονωσι το ονομα το αγιον μου·

8 και πλαγιαζουσι πλησιον παντος θυσιαστηριου επι ενδυματων ενεχυριασμενων, και πινουσιν εν τω οικω των θεων αυτων τον οινον των καταδυναστευομενων.

9 Αλλ' εγω εξωλοθρευσα τον Αμορραιον απ' εμπροσθεν αυτων, του οποιου το υψος ητο ως το υψος των κεδρων και αυτος ισχυρος ως αι δρυς· και ηφανισα τον καρπον αυτου επανωθεν και τας ριζας αυτου υποκατωθεν.

10 Και εγω σας ανεβιβασα εκ γης Αιγυπτου και σας περιεφερον τεσσαρακοντα ετη δια της ερημου, δια να κληρονομησητε την γην του Αμορραιου.

11 Και ανεστησα εκ των υιων σας δια προφητας και εκ των νεανισκων σας δια Ναζηραιους. Δεν ειναι ουτως, υιοι Ισραηλ; λεγει Κυριος.

12 Σεις δε εποτιζετε τους Ναζηραιους οινον και προσεταξατε τους προφητας λεγοντες, Μη προφητευσητε.

13 Ιδου, εγω θελω καταθλιψει υμας εν τω τοπω υμων, καθως καταθλιβεται η αμαξα η πληρης δραγματων.

14 Και η φυγη θελει χαθη απο του δρομεως και ο ανδρειος δεν θελει στερεωσει την ισχυν αυτου και ο ισχυρος δεν θελει διασωσει την ψυχην αυτου,

15 και ο τοξοτης δεν θελει δυνηθη να σταθη· και ο ταχυπους να εκφυγη και ο ιππευς να σωση την ζωην αυτου,

16 και ο μεταξυ των δυνατων γενναιοκαρδιος γυμνος θελει φυγει εν εκεινη τη ημερα, λεγει Κυριος.

   

Commentaire

 

Exploring the Meaning of Amos 2

Par E. Taylor, Helen Kennedy

In the Book of Amos, chapter two begins with the Lord declaring his anger against the people of Moab, Judea, and Israel. They have committed various wrongs against the Lord and the church, despite His efforts to guide them, and the chapter goes on to suggest that the Lord is losing faith in His people.

Verses 1-8 of this chapter describe the specific ways in which people can destroy or misuse the good and truth of the Word.

Verses 1-3 discuss the Moabites specifically. They represent people who corrupt the good and truth of the church, meaning they would twist what they learned from the Word to suit their own selfish purposes. Bones represent natural truths that we can use as a framework to support all higher knowledge that we learn, so the fact that people were ‘burning bones’ means they destroyed their own foundation to gain spiritual knowledge. In verse 3, the Lord says that he will cut off the judge and the prince, meaning that the Moabites’ failure to determine what is good (like the judge), and lead a life based in truth (like the prince) will not stand against the real spiritual principles of the Lord.

Verses 4-5 are about people who destroy celestial things from the Word, by turning their hearts away from the Lord. The people of Judea had believed they were the Lord’s chosen people for so many generations at this point that they grew complacent, and no longer felt they needed to obey the Lord’s commandments.

Verses 6-8 tell what can happen when people pervert spiritual truths from the church, and turn them into falsities. Swedenborg writes that most of the images from these verses - silver, shoes, dust, wine - can all represent either falsity, or only the most external type of truth. The Israelites were turning to these falsities and to their own greed, instead of using the Lord’s truths to help the poor and the meek.

In verses 9-11, the Lord reminds the children of Israel of everything he has done to prepare them for salvation. He fought for them and delivered them from Egypt, lifted up their leaders and prophets, and provided them with the truths they would need in order to be regenerated.

He also shows that He has the strength to punish them, because He’s already overcome the Amorites, who symbolize evil in general (Secrets of Heaven 6306).

Verses 12-16 describe how the Israelites perverted the knowledge the Lord tried to give them. Instead of trusting what the Lord had taught them, they turned to their own self-righteousness for guidance. Since they thought they had all the answers, they corrupted the Nazarites and silenced the prophets. Without a proper understanding of the Lord’s teachings, the people were no longer equipped to fight against evils or to grow spiritually.

At face value, this chapter depicts the Lord as an angry god who will punish those who disobey him. What seems to be anger is actually the Lord fiercely protecting us, and calling us to follow Him. This chapter reminds us to turn our hearts toward the Lord, and to live according to the truths of the Word.