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Numbers 29

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1 In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, let there be a holy meeting; on it you may do no field-work; let the day be marked by the blowing of horns;

2 And give to the Lord a burned offering for a sweet smell; one ox, one male sheep, seven he-lambs of the first year, without any mark on them:

3 And their meal offering, the best meal mixed with oil, three tenth parts for an ox, two tenth parts for a male sheep,

4 And a separate tenth part for every one of the seven lambs;

5 And one he-goat for a sin-offering, to take away your sin:

6 In addition to the burned offering of the new moon, and its meal offering, and the regular burned offering and its meal offering, and their drink offerings, as they are ordered, for a sweet smell, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

7 And on the tenth day of this seventh month there will be a holy meeting; keep yourselves from pleasure, and do no sort of work;

8 And give to the Lord a burned offering for a sweet smell; one ox, one male sheep, seven he-lambs of the first year: only those without any mark on them may be used:

9 And their meal offering, the best meal mixed with oil, three tenth parts for an ox, two tenth parts for a male sheep,

10 A separate tenth part for every one of the seven lambs;

11 One he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the offering for taking away your sin, and the regular burned offering and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.

12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month let there be a holy meeting; do no field-work, and keep a feast to the Lord for seven days;

13 And give a burned offering, an offering made by fire of a sweet smell to the Lord, thirteen oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, all without any mark on them;

14 And their meal offering, the best meal mixed with oil, three tenth parts for every one of the thirteen oxen, two tenth parts for every male sheep,

15 And a separate tenth part for every one of the fourteen lambs;

16 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

17 On the second day of the feast give an offering of twelve oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark on them;

18 And their meal offering and their drink offerings for the oxen and the sheep and the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

19 And one he-goat for a sin-offering in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.

20 And on the third day eleven oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark;

21 And their meal offering and drink offerings for the oxen, for the male sheep, and for the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

22 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

23 And on the fourth day ten oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

24 And their meal offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the male sheep, and for the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered.

25 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

26 And on the fifth day nine oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

27 And their meal offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the male sheep, and for the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

28 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

29 And on the sixth day eight oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

30 And their meal offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the male sheep, and for the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

31 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, its meal offering, and its drink offerings.

32 And on the seventh day seven oxen, two male sheep, fourteen he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

33 And their meal offering and their drink offerings for the oxen, for the male sheep, and for the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

34 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.

35 On the eighth day let there be a holy meeting: you may do no field-work;

36 And give a burned offering, an offering made by fire of a sweet smell to the Lord: one ox, one male sheep, seven he-lambs of the first year, without any mark:

37 With the meal offering and the drink offerings for the ox, the male sheep, and the lambs, in relation to their number, as it is ordered:

38 And one he-goat for a sin-offering; in addition to the regular burned offering, and its meal offering, and its drink offering.

39 These are the offerings which you are to give to the Lord at your regular feasts, in addition to the offerings for an oath, and the free offerings you give, for your burned offerings and your drink offerings and your peace-offerings.

40 So Moses gave the children of Israel all these directions as the Lord had given him orders.

   

Commento

 

Iniquity, transgression and sin

  

In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.

(Riferimenti: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])

Dalle opere di Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #9156

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9156. 'For every matter of transgression' means any harm whatever and any loss whatever. This is clear from the meaning of 'transgression' as everything that is contrary to the truth of faith, thus that injures it or wipes it out, therefore any harm whatever done to it and any loss whatever of it. In the Word evils are sometimes called sins, sometimes iniquities, and sometimes transgressions; but what the specific meaning of each of them is, is not evident except from the internal sense. The word transgressions is used for deeds contrary to the truths of faith, the word iniquities for deeds contrary to the good of faith, and the word sins for deeds contrary to the good of charity and love. The first two kinds of deeds spring from a perverted understanding, the last from a wicked will, as in David,

Wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is constantly before me. Psalms 51:2-3.

'Iniquity' stands for evil contrary to the good of faith, 'sin' for evil contrary to the good of charity and love, and 'transgression' for evil contrary to the truths of faith. Since 'transgression' is evil which springs from a perverted understanding, and so is recognized from the truths of faith, the words 'I acknowledge my transgressions' are used.

[2] In the same author,

Remember Your mercies, O Jehovah, and Your loving-kindnesses. Do not remember the sins of my youth, 1 nor my transgressions. Psalms 25:6-7.

'Sins' stands for evils springing from a wicked will, and 'transgressions' for evils springing from a perverted understanding. In Isaiah,

Behold, because of iniquities you have been sold, and because of transgressions your mother has been put away. Isaiah 50:1.

'Iniquities' stands for evils contrary to the Church's good of faith, and 'transgressions' for evils contrary to its truths of faith, 'mother' being the Church, which is said to be put away when it departs from faith. In Micah,

On account of the transgression of Jacob all this [will happen], and on account of the sin of the house of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion; for in you the transgressions of Israel were found. Micah 1:5, 13.

Here 'sin' in a similar way means something contrary to the good of charity and love, and 'transgression' something contrary to the truth of faith; for 'Samaria' means a Church whose faith is perverted, as likewise does 'Israel' in this instance.

[3] Since transgressions are offences against the truths of faith, the word 'transgressions' also describes going over to the other side and defecting. The same word is used in the original language to describe these actions, as is evident in David,

On account of the multitude of their transgressions overthrow them, for they rebel against You. Psalms 5:10.

The word 'rebel' is used when people defect and go over to the other side. And in Isaiah,

Are you not those born of transgression, the seed of a lie, who inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree, who slaughter children in the rivers? Isaiah 57:4-5.

'Transgression', it is plainly evident from these words, means evil contrary to the truths of faith. 'Those born of transgression' are falsities which destroy the truths of faith. For this reason they are also called 'the seed of a lie', falsity being meant by 'a lie', 8908. For the same reason they are said 'to be inflamed among the gods under every green tree', which means in the internal sense worship arising out of falsities, falsities being meant by 'the gods', 4402 (end), 4544, 7873, 8867, and the perception of falsity because of a perverted understanding being meant by 'green tree', 2722, 4552. And for still the same reason it says 'you slaughter children in the rivers', by which the annihilation of the truths of faith by falsities is meant; for 'slaughtering' means annihilating, 'children' means the truths of faith, 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2813, 3373, and 'the rivers' means falsities, 6693.

Note a piè di pagina:

1. literally, childhood

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