聖書

 

創世記 9

勉強

   

1 賜福給挪亞和他的兒子,對他們:你們要生養眾多,遍滿了

2 上的走獸和空中的飛都必驚恐,懼怕你們,連上一切的昆蟲並裡一切的魚都交付你們的

3 凡活著的動物都可以作你們的食物。這一切我都賜你們,如同菜蔬一樣。

4 惟獨帶著血,那就是他的生命,你們不可

5 流你們血、害你們命的,無論是獸是,我必討他的罪,就是向各的弟兄也是如此。

6 凡流人血的,他的血也必被人所流,因為造人是照自己的形像造的。

7 你們要生養眾多,在上昌盛繁茂。

8 曉諭挪亞和他的兒子

9 我與你們和你們的裔立約,

10 並與你們這裡的一切活物─就是飛牲畜、走,凡從方舟裡出來的活物─立約。

11 我與你們立約,凡有血的,不再被洪水滅絕,也不再有洪水毀壞了。

12 :我與你們並你們這裡的各樣活物所立的永約是有記號的。

13 我把虹放在彩中,這就可作我與立約的記號了。

14 我使彩蓋的時候,必有虹現在彩中,

15 我便記念我與你們和各樣有血的活物所立的約,水就再不氾濫、毀壞一切有血的物了。

16 虹必現在彩中,我見,就要記念我與上各樣有血的活物所立的永約。

17 對挪亞:這就是我與上一切有血之物立約的記號了。

18 出方舟挪亞的兒子就是、含、雅弗。含是迦南父親

19 這是挪亞的個兒子,他們的後裔分散在全

20 挪亞作起農夫來,栽了一個葡萄園

21 了園中的酒便了,在帳棚裡赤著身子。

22 迦南父親見他父親赤身,就到外邊告訴他兩個弟兄。

23 於是和雅弗拿件衣服搭在肩上,倒退著進去,給他父親蓋上;他們背著臉就不見父親的赤身。

24 挪亞醒了酒,知道兒子向他所作的事,

25 迦南當受咒詛,必給他弟兄作奴僕的奴僕;

26 耶和華是應當稱頌的!願迦南的奴僕。

27 使雅弗擴張,使他住在的帳棚裡;又願迦南作他的奴僕。

28 洪水以,挪亞又活了五十年。

29 挪亞共活了五十歲就死了

   

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Apocalypse Explained#240

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240. But that naked signifies those who are without the understanding of truth because without the will of good, is evident also from those passages in the Word where the terms naked and nakedness are mentioned, which shall be adduced below. The reason why these terms have such a signification is that garments signify truths of the understanding. He who is without truths is also without good, for all spiritual good is procured by means of truths, and without them, or except by them, spiritual good cannot exist; spiritual good is charity. Naked and nakedness signify the deprivation of intelligence and love, thus of the understanding of good and of the will thereof; also for the reason that garments cover the body and the flesh, and by body and flesh is signified good, hence by garments are signified those things that cover good.

[2] There is the understanding of truth and the understanding of good; the understanding of truth is the understanding of those things that belong to faith, and the understanding of good is the understanding of those things that belong to love and charity. There is also the will of truth and the will of good; the will of truth pertains to those who, belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, but the will of good to those who belong to His celestial kingdom. The latter, because they are in love to the Lord and thence in mutual love, which with them is charity towards the neighbour, have truths inscribed on their hearts, and hence do them; and what proceeds from the heart is from the will of good; for the heart denotes the will of good; but those who are in love towards the neighbour, which love is charity, have not truths inscribed on their hearts, but on the memory, and thence on the intellectual mind, and that which thence proceeds from affection, is the will of truth. It is thus that the spiritual angels are distinguished from the celestial angels; the latter appear naked in heaven, but the former clothed.

The reason why the celestial angels appear naked is that they have no need of the memory in order to retain truths, nor of the understanding in order to comprehend them, because they have them inscribed on the heart, that is, on the love and will, and thence see them. And the reason why the spiritual angels appear clothed is that they have truths inscribed on the memory, and thence on the understanding, and truths thus inscribed correspond to garments, therefore they all appear clothed according to their intelligence. (That the angels are thus clothed, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 177-182.) From these considerations it is evident that naked signifies in one sense those who are in celestial good, and in the other, those who are not in good because not in truths.

[3] But these things may be better seen from those passages, in the Word where naked and nakedness are mentioned, such as the following. In Isaiah:

Jehovah said to the prophet, "Put off the sackcloth from upon thy loins, and put off thy shoe from upon thy foot. And he did so. Then Jehovah said, Like, as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years; so shall the king of Assyria lead the captivity of Egypt, and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried off, the boys and the old men, naked and unshod, and their buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt" (20:2-4).

No one can see what is stored up in these words concerning the church and heaven, unless he knows their spiritual sense; for in every detail of the Word something pertaining to heaven and the church is contained, because the Word is spiritual: it shall therefore be explained. By the prophet is here meant the doctrine of the church; by putting off sackcloth from upon his loins, or by making the loins naked, is meant to reveal filthy loves. By the usual sackcloth of the prophet are here meant the covering garments, and by the loins are signified those loves. By putting off the shoe from upon his foot, or unshoeing the soles of the foot, is signified to reveal the filthy things of nature. By the king of Assyria leading the captivity of Egypt, and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried off, is meant that the perverted Rational would confirm evils and falsities by scientifics (scientifica) and fallacies. By boys and old men are meant by all things, both in general and in particular. By naked and barefoot is meant that they are deprived of all truth and of all good. By their buttocks uncovered are meant the evils of self-love; by the nakedness of Egypt the falsities therefrom. It is therefore clear what is here treated of concerning the church and heaven, namely, that the perverted Rational, which denies God, and attributes all things to nature, confirms itself by scientifics and by fallacies, until it is deprived of all understanding of truth and will of good. (That by prophet in the Word is meant doctrine, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2534, 7269; by the loins are signified the loves in each sense, n. 3021, 4280, 5059; by the feet are signified the natural things pertaining to man, and by the soles of the feet those which are in the ultimates, n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952; by shoes are signified the same things as to the covering of them, n. 1748, 2162, 6844; by the king of Assyria is signified the Rational in both senses, n. 119, 1186; by Egypt is signified the Scientific (scientificum) of the natural man, also, in both senses, good and evil, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391; by Cush are signified the fallacies of the senses, n. 1163, 1164, 1166.)

[4] In Ezekiel:

"When I passed by thee, and saw thee, I covered thy nakedness, and I washed thee and clothed thee. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot. Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare. Thou hast committed fornication with the sons of Egypt and with the sons of Asshur. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land unto Chaldea; wherefore thy nakedness is revealed by thy whoredoms; therefore they shall stone thee with stones, and shall cut thee in pieces with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire" (16:6, and following verses).

Jerusalem is here treated of, by which is meant the church as to doctrine; and by these and many other expressions in the same chapter, the quality of the church in the beginning, and what it became when it declined from good and truth, is described. Its quality when established by the Lord, thus its quality in the beginning, is described by, "when I passed by thee, and saw thee, I covered thy nakedness, I washed thee and clothed thee." To cover nakedness signifies to remove the evils of the will and the falsities of the understanding; to wash signifies to purify from evils, and to clothe signifies to instruct in truths. But the quality of the church when it declined from good and from truth, is described in what follows. Thou didst trust in thy beauty, signifies intelligence from the proprium, and that the church was delighted with it. By committing whoredom is signified that thus it imbued falsities; by committing fornication with the sons of Egypt and with the sons of Asshur, are signified falsifications confirmed by scientifics and rational things therefrom. By multiplying fornication unto Chaldea, is signified even to the profanation of truth. Hence it is clear what is signified by wherefore thy nakedness is revealed by thy whoredoms; namely, that the church by falsities and falsifications would be deprived of all understanding of truth. By they shall stone thee with stones, is signified that the church would perish by falsities. By they shall cut thee in pieces with their swords, is signified that the church would perish altogether by the falsifications of truth. And by they shall burn thy houses with fire is signified that it would wholly perish by infernal loves: houses denote everything pertaining to man, and fire denotes infernal loves. From these considerations it is clear what pertaining to heaven and the church is contained in those words, and that this appears solely from the spiritual sense. (That washing signifies to purify from evils and falsities, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3147, 10237, 10240, 10243; that to clothe signifies to instruct in truths, n. 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; that beauty signifies intelligence, n. 3080, 4985, 5199, in this case intelligence from the proprium. That to commit whoredom denotes to be imbued with falsities, see above, n. 141: that Egypt denotes the Scientific, and Asshur the Rational, may be seen just above. That Chaldea denotes the profanation of truth, Arcana Coelestia 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1322, 1326: that to stone with stones signifies to perish by falsities, n. 5156, 7456, 8575, 8799: that sword signifies falsity fighting against truth and destroying it, n. 2799, 4499, 7102, hence to cut in pieces with swords denotes to perish altogether by falsifications of truth; that fire signifies infernal love, n. 1861, 5071, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747; and that a house signifies the whole man, and the things pertaining to him, thus which pertain to his understanding and his will, n. 710, 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 3538, 4973, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7848, 7910, 7929, 9150; hence it is evident what is signified by they shall burn thy houses with fire.)

[5] In Hosea:

"Contend with your mother, that she may put away her whoredoms and her adulteries, lest peradventure I strip her naked and make her as a desert, as a land of dryness, and slay her with thirst; and her sons will I not pity, because they are the sons of whoredoms" (2:2-4).

The subject here treated of is also the church fallen into falsities and evils; the mother with whom they would contend signifies the church. Whoredoms and adulteries signify falsities and evils therefrom; to make her as a wilderness and set her as a land of dryness signifies the deprivation of good and of truth. To slay her with thirst signifies a total defect of truth; her sons signify all the falsities thereof, in general, therefore they are called sons of whoredoms. (That mother signifies the church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897; that desert signifies where there is no good because no truth, n. 2708, 4736, 7055; that a dry land signifies where there is no truth is, because water signifies the truth of faith, n. 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238; that to be slain with thirst, signifies to perish from defect of truth, n. 8568 at the end. That sons signify affections of truth, and truths in general, n. 2362, 3963, 6729, 6775, 6778, 9055; thus, in the opposite sense, affections of falsity and falsities in general. Hence it may be evident that by stripping her naked is signified, her being without good and truth.)

[6] In Lamentations:

"Jerusalem hath sinned a sin; therefore all that honoured her, despise her, because they have seen her nakedness" (1:8).

In Ezekiel:

Aholah, which is Samaria, committed whoredom with the Egyptians, and with the sons of Asshur; they uncovered her nakedness, her sons and her daughters have they taken, and at length they have slain her with the sword: "therefore will I give thee into the hand of those whom thou hast hated, that they may deal with thee from hatred, and take away all thy labour, and leave thee naked and bare, that the nakedness of thy whoredoms may be uncovered" (23:4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 28, 29).

The subject treated of in this chapter is Samaria, which is called Aholah, and Jerusalem, which is called Aholibah, the church being signified by both. By Samaria, where the sons of Israel were, is signified the church in which were no truths, but falsities, and by Jerusalem, the church where there were no goods, but evils. What is signified by committing whoredom with the Egyptians and with the sons of Asshur, and what by slaying her sons and daughters with the sword, was explained above; hence it is clear, that by leaving her naked and bare is signified to be without good and truth.

[7] In Isaiah:

"The Lord will make bald the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will make naked their buttocks" (3:17).

The daughters of Zion signify the celestial church and the things of that church, but, in this case, perverted. By the crown of the head, which shall be made bald, is signified intelligence of which it shall be deprived; and the buttocks, which shall be made naked, signify the love of evil and of falsity.

[8] In Nahum:

"Woe to the city of bloods, wholly in a lie, and full of rapine; because of the multitude of her whoredoms I will uncover thy skirts over thy faces, and will make nations see thy nakedness, and kingdoms thy lightness" (3:1, 4, 5).

The city of bloods signifies the doctrine of falsity which offers violence to the good of charity.

[9] In Habakkuk:

"Woe unto him that maketh his companion to drink, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakednesses. Drink thou also, that thy foreskin may be uncovered" (2:15, 16).

To make a companion drink, and make him drunken, signifies to impart falsities until he does not see truth: to look on their nakednesses, denotes to cause the falsities of the understanding and the evils of the will to appear. The foreskin which would be uncovered, denotes filthy loves. (That to drink denotes to be instructed in truths, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3069, 3772, 4017, 4018, 8562, 9412; hence, in the opposite sense, it denotes to impart falsities; that to be made drunken denotes to become insane from falsities, thus not to see truths, n. 1072; that the foreskin signifies corporeal and terrestrial loves, n. 4462, 7045.) Hence it is evident what is signified by the fact that

Noah drank wine and was drunken, so that he lay naked in the midst of his tent, and that Ham laughed at the nakedness of his father, but that Shem and Japheth covered his nakedness, and turned away their faces that they might not see the nakedness of their father (Genesis 9:21-23).

(But these things may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia where they are treated of.)

[10] In Lamentations:

"The cup also shall pass over unto thee, O daughter of Edom: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt be naked" (4:21).

Here, by being drunken and naked are signified the same things as above. (But who in particular are signified by Edom may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3322, 8314.)

In Isaiah:

Daughter of Babel and Chaldea, "sit upon the earth. Take the millstones, and grind meal; uncover thy hair, uncover thy thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, and also thy shame shall be seen" (47:1-3).

By the daughter of Babylon and Chaldea are meant those who profane the goods and truths of the church. To grind meal signifies to falsify truths; to uncover the hair and the thigh signifies to be deprived of the understanding of truth, and the will of good; to pass over the rivers, and to uncover her nakedness have also a similar signification.

[11] Because nakedness signified the deprivation of the understanding of truth and of the will of good, it was therefore commanded that Aaron and his sons should not ascend by steps upon the altar, lest their nakedness should be uncovered thereon (Exodus 20:26). Also that

They should make for them breeches of linen to cover the flesh of their nakedness, and that they should be upon them when they entered the tent of the assembly, and when they came near to the altar, and that otherwise they should bear iniquity and die (Exodus 28:42, 43).

From these considerations it is clear what is signified by the words in the following verse of this chapter: "I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." And also in the following words of this book of the Apocalypse: "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame" (16:15).

[12] Moreover, by the naked, in the Word, are also meant those who are not in truths and thence not in good, because they are ignorant of truths, but yet desire them. This is the case with those who are within the church where those who teach are in falsities; also those who are out of the church, and have not the Word, and hence neither know truths nor anything concerning the Lord. These are described in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"This is the fast that I have chosen, to break bread with the hungry, and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him" (58:6, 7).

In Ezekiel:

"Let him give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment" (18:7).

And in Matthew:

"I was naked, and ye clothed me" (25:36, 38).

To cover with a garment, and to clothe, signify to instruct in truths. (That garments denote truths, may be seen above, n. 195. That naked also signifies the good of innocence, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 165, 8375, 9960; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 179, 180, 280.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia#10042

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10042. 'And you shall take one ram' means the good of innocence in the internal man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a ram' as the good of innocence and charity in the internal man, dealt with below. Since sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams and lambs are referred to in this chapter, the general meaning of the living creatures offered in sacrifices and burnt offerings must be stated. Those creatures were oxen, young bulls, and he-goats; rams, she-goats, and he-kids; and he-lambs, she-lambs, and she-kids of she-goats. Anyone who does not know what these creatures serve to mean cannot possibly know what is meant by a sacrifice or burnt offering of any of them in particular. It should be recognized that all living creatures on earth serve to mean things such as reside in the human being, which in general consist in affections present in his will and in thoughts present in his understanding, and so consist in forms of good and in truths; for forms of good belong to the will and truths to the understanding. And since those things consist in forms of good and in truths they also consist in love and faith; for all aspects of love are called forms of good, and all matters of faith are called truths.

[2] The reason why these different kinds of living creatures serve to mean such things lies in representatives in the next life, where creatures belonging to many genera and countless species appear. Such creatures there are wholly lifelike appearances corresponding to spirits' and angels' affections and thoughts. The truth of this is evident also from the visions of the prophets spoken of in places throughout the Word; for all the things that were seen by the prophets are such as appear in heaven before angels' eyes. This explains why mention in the Word is so often made of beasts or animals, each of which serves to mean something belonging to one of the categories of things residing in the human being. As to his outward self the human being is no more than an animal; but his inward self makes him different. By means of his inward self both this inward self and his outward self can be raised towards heaven and up to God, and can as a consequence receive faith and love. This is why animals were used in sacrifices and burnt offerings. The person who knows nothing of all this cannot possibly know the reason why it was commanded to offer young bulls, rams, or he-lambs on one occasion, oxen, she-goats, and she-lambs on another, and he-goats, he-kids, and she-kids of she-goats on yet another. What other reason could there be for these differences? For the meaning of animals or beasts in the Word as forms of good or evils present with a person, and also truths or falsities, see 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776, 1823, 2179, 2180, 2781, 3218, 3519, 5198, 7523, 7872, 9090; and for their use in sacrifices on account of that meaning, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830.

[3] So far however as sacrifices and burnt offerings of those creatures are concerned it should be recognized that,

1. Representative worship among the Jewish and Israelite nation consisted first and foremost in sacrifices and burnt offerings.

2. Sacrifices and burnt offerings in general served to mean the regeneration of a person by means of the truths of faith and forms of the good of love received from the Lord, and in the highest sense the glorification of the Lord's Human.

3. Everything belonging to worship - all the different things constituting it, thus worship in all its variety - was represented by the sacrifices and burnt offerings; and this is why it was decreed that different kinds of living creatures should be used.

[4] But to deal with these considerations in detail,

1. Representative worship among the Jewish and Israelite nation consisted first and foremost in sacrifices and burnt offerings

This is clear from the fact that they were used for every sin and all guilt, and also for every consecration and admission to office, besides being used daily, on every sabbath, at each new moon, and at every feast; and for this reason the altar was the holiest object of all. Every other act of worship among that nation grew out of an occasion for sacrifice, which explains why it says in Daniel, when the abolition of representative worship is the subject, that the sacrifice and the offering will cease, Daniel 9:27, and the continual [sacrifice] will be removed, Daniel 8:10-13; 11:31; 12:11. In particular 'the continual' means the sacrifice that was offered daily, and in general all worship. But see what has been shown already on these matters,

Sacrifices in general mean all representative worship, 923, 2165, 6905, 8680, 8936.

The altar was the chief representative of the Lord and consequently of worship, 2777, 2811, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964.

The ancients before Eber knew nothing about sacrifices, 2180.

Sacrifices were established in Eber's time, existing from then on among the Hebrew nation, and consequently among the descendants of Jacob, and why they did so, 1128, 1343, 2180, 2818.

Sacrifices were not commanded, only permitted, 2180.

[5] 2. Sacrifices and burnt offerings in general served to mean the regeneration of a person by means of the truths of faith in the Lord and forms of the good of love to Him, both received from the Lord

This is clear from the fact that all aspects of worship have regard to purification from evils and falsities, the implantation of truth and good, and the joining together of these, thus to regeneration since by means of those three a person is regenerated. This explains why sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered for every sin and all guilt; and it says, when they were offered, that it was expiated and would be pardoned, Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 18; 6:7; 7:7; 10:17; 14:18-19; 15:30-31; 16:6, 24; 17:11. The pardoning of sins, expiation, propitiation, and redemption are nothing other than purification from evils and falsities, the implantation of goodness and truth, and the joining together of these, which is regeneration, 9076, 9452-9454, 9937, 9938. The whole process of regeneration is also described by the specific observances belonging to each sacrifice and burnt offering, and a clear view of that process emerges when the internal sense is used to unfold the representative elements of it, 10022.

[6] In the highest sense sacrifices and burnt offerings serve to mean the glorification of the Lord's Human

This is so because all the ritual observances belonging to worship that were established among the Israelite and Jewish nation had regard solely to the Lord; thus more than all else the sacrifices and burnt offerings - by which in general everything belonging to worship was represented, as shown above - had regard to Him. Furthermore the only source of human regeneration is the Lord, 9486, 9487, 9506, 9715, 9809, 10019. When therefore the Word deals with human regeneration the subject in the highest sense is the glorification of the Lord's Human; for the regeneration of a person is an image of the glorification of the Lord, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688. Glorifying His Human implies making it Divine, whereas regenerating a person implies making him heavenly, in order that what is Divine and the Lord's may dwell in him.

[7] 3. Everything belonging to worship - all the different things constituting it, thus worship in all its variety - was represented by the sacrifices and burnt offerings; and this is why it was decreed that different kinds of living creatures should be used

This is clear from all the different situations for which sacrifices and burnt offerings were prescribed - for sins committed through error, and for sins not committed through error; for every trespass and uncleanness, whether on the part of a priest, the whole congregation, a leader, or any ordinary person 1 ; for cleansing from leprosy; for purification after childbirth; for consecration of the altar, the tent of meeting, and everything in it; for the cleansing of these when Aaron went once a year into the holy of holies; for the admission of Aaron and his sons to the priestly office; for the consecration of Nazirites; and in general at the three feasts, at each new moon, on the sabbaths, and morning and evening 2 every day; and in addition votive offerings and free-will offerings.

[8] Since sacrifices and burnt offerings were prescribed for so many different situations and they represented all the different things constituting worship, it was also decreed that different kinds of creatures should be used - young bulls, oxen, and he-goats; rams, she-goats, and he-kids; and he-lambs, she-lambs, and she-kids of she-goats. Sacrifices and burnt offerings of young bull, ox, and he-goat represented the purification and regeneration of the external or natural man; those of ram, she-goat, and he-kid represented the purification and regeneration of the internal or spiritual man; and those of he-lamb, she-lamb, and she-kid of the she-goats represented the purification and regeneration of the inmost or celestial man. For there are three degrees that follow in order in a person, namely celestial, spiritual, and natural, see 9992, 10005, 10017; and if a person is to be regenerated the things that are internal and those that are external must be regenerated, see the places referred to in 9325(end).

[9] But what is meant specifically by the sacrifice and burnt offering of a ram that are referred to in the present chapter is clear from places in the Word where sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams are described or where a ram is mentioned. From those places it is evident that 'a ram' means the good of innocence and charity in the internal man, and that a sacrifice and burnt offering of it mean purification and regeneration of the internal man, and so the implantation of the good of innocence and charity there. This meaning of 'a ram' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

All the flocks of Arabia will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will come up with acceptance on My altar. Isaiah 60:7.

This refers to the Lord, and to heaven and His Church. 'The flocks of Arabia' are all the forms of good belonging to the internal man, 'the rams of Nebaioth' are the forms of the good of innocence and charity there, 'flocks' being forms of good that belong to the internal man, see 8937, 9135, 'Arabia' a place where good exists, 3268, and 'Nebaioth' those there who are governed by that good, 3268, 3686, 3688.

[10] In Ezekiel,

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, [these were] the merchants of your hand through [the trading of] small cattle, and rams, and he-goats. Ezekiel 27:21.

This refers to Tyre, by which is meant the Church where cognitions or knowledge of good and truth exist, 1201. 'The merchants' are those who possess them and pass them on, 2967, 4453; 'cattle' are forms of the good of love, 'rams' forms of the good of charity, and 'he-goats' forms of the good of faith. In the Word reference is made to 'flocks', 'small cattle' 3 , and 'members of the flock', for which the original language has distinct and separate terms. By 'flocks' internal things in general are meant, by 'members of the flock' the same things in particular, and by 'small cattle' inmost things in particular. But by 'herds' external things are meant. In Jeremiah,

I will cause them to come down like small cattle to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats. Jeremiah 51:40.

'Small cattle', 'rams', and 'he-goats' here have much the same meaning.

[11] In Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am judging between members of the flock and members of the flock 4 , between rams, and between he-goats. Ezekiel 34:17.

'Between members of the flock and members of the flock' stands for between those with whom interior things of good and of evil are present. 'Between rams and between he-goats' stands for between those with whom charity and consequently faith are present and those with whom truths of faith without charity are present. 'Rams' here have the same meaning as 'sheep', rams being male sheep. For the meaning of 'sheep' as those with whom charity and consequently faith are present, see 4169, 4809; and for that of 'he-goats' as those with whom truths that are called the truths of faith are present but without charity, 4169(end), 4769. The ram and the he-goat in Daniel 8:1-end have the same meaning, as do the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:32-end.

[12] In Moses,

If a soul has sinned through error he shall bring his guilt offering to Jehovah, a ram without blemish out of the flock. Leviticus 5:15, 18; 6:6.

By sacrifices of rams is meant purification of the internal man and the implantation of the good of innocence there; for sin committed through error is sin owing to ignorance that has innocence within it, and the innocence of ignorance belongs to the internal man.

[13] In the same author,

At new moons they were to offer two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, and afterwards a he-goat of the she-goats. The same thing was to be done every day during Passover, and also on the day of the firstfruits. Numbers 28:11, 15, 19, 22, 27, [Numbers 28:30.]

All this was done in order that the purification of the whole person - the external, the internal, and the inmost - might be represented. The purification of the external man was represented by the sacrifice and burnt offering of the young bulls, of the internal by those of the ram, and of the inmost by those of the lambs. And since purification was represented, so too was the implantation of the good of innocence; for a young bull is the good of innocence in the external man, a ram that good in the internal man, and a lamb that good in the inmost man, as has been stated above. The reason why the last of the creatures was a he-goat was that 'a he-goat' means the truth of faith in the external man, and the truth of faith there is last and lowest, 9959. Since the forms of good and the truths present with a person follow one another in this order, therefore also the gifts of the princes of Israel when the altar and the tent of meeting were anointed were a young bull, a ram, and a lamb for burnt offerings, and a he-goat of the she-goats for a sacrifice, Numbers 7:15-17, 21-23, 27-29, 33ff.

From all this it may now be recognized that 'a ram' means the good of innocence and charity in the internal man.

脚注:

1. literally, any soul

2. literally, between the evenings

3. The expression small cattle describes animals belonging to a flock.

4. i.e. between good ones and bad ones

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