Bibliorum

 

2 Mose 30

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1 Du sollst auch einen Räuchaltar machen, zu räuchern, von Akazienholz,

2 eine Elle lang und breit, gleich viereckig und zwei Ellen hoch, mit seinen Hörnern.

3 Und sollst ihn mit feinem Golde überziehen, sein Dach und seine Wände ringsumher und seine Hörner. Und sollst einen Kranz von Gold machen

4 und zwei goldene Ringe unter dem Kranz zu beiden Seiten, daß man Stangen darein tue und ihn damit trage.

5 Die Stangen sollst du auch von Akazienholz machen und mit Gold überziehen.

6 Und sollst ihn setzen vor den Vorhang, der vor der Lade des Zeugnisses hängt, und vor dem Gnadenstuhl, der auf dem Zeugnis ist, wo ich mich dir bezeugen werde.

7 Und Aaron soll darauf räuchern gutes Räuchwerk alle Morgen, wenn er die Lampen zurichtet.

8 Desgleichen, wenn er die Lampen anzündet gegen Abend, soll er solch Räuchwerk auch räuchern. Das soll das tägliche Räuchopfer sein vor dem HERRN bei euren Nachkommen.

9 Ihr sollt kein fremdes Räuchwerk darauf tun, auch kein Brandopfer noch Speisopfer und kein Trankopfer darauf opfern.

10 Und Aaron soll auf seinen Hörnern versöhnen einmal im Jahr mit dem Blut des Sündopfers zur Versöhnung. Solche Versöhnung soll jährlich einmal geschehen bei euren Nachkommen; denn das ist dem HERRN ein Hochheiliges.

11 Und der HERR redete mit Mose und sprach:

12 Wenn du die Häupter der Kinder Israel zählst, so soll ein jeglicher dem HERRN geben die Versöhnung seiner Seele, auf daß ihnen nicht eine Plage widerfahre, wenn sie gezählt werden.

13 Es soll aber ein jeglicher, der in der Zahl ist, einen halben Silberling geben nach dem Lot des Heiligtums (ein Lot hat zwanzig Gera). Solcher halber Silberling soll das Hebopfer des HERRN sein.

14 Wer in der Zahl ist von zwanzig Jahren und darüber, der soll solch Hebopfer dem HERRN geben.

15 Der Reiche soll nicht mehr geben und der Arme nicht weniger als den halben Silberling, den man dem HERRN zur Hebe gibt für die Versöhnung ihre Seelen.

16 Und du sollst solch Geld der Versöhnung nehmen von den Kindern Israel und zum Gottesdienst der Hütte des Stifts geben, daß es sei den Kindern Israel ein Gedächtnis vor dem HERRN, daß er sich Über ihre Seelen versöhnen lasse.

17 Und der HERR redete mit Mose und sprach:

18 Du sollst auch ein ehernes Handfaß machen mit einem ehernen Fuß, zum Waschen, und sollst es setzen zwischen die Hütte des Stifts und den Altar, und Wasser darein tun,

19 daß Aaron und seine Söhne ihre Hände und Füße darin waschen,

20 wenn sie in die Hütte des Stifts gehen oder zum Altar, daß sie dienen, ein Feuer anzuzünden dem HERRN,

21 auf daß sie nicht sterben. Das soll eine ewige Weise sein ihm und seinem Samen bei ihren Nachkommen.

22 Und der HERR redete mit Mose und sprach:

23 Nimm zu dir die beste Spezerei: die edelste Myrrhe, fünfhundert Lot, und Zimt, die Hälfte soviel, zweihundertfünfzig, und Kalmus, auch zweihundertfünfzig,

24 und Kassia, fünfhundert, nach dem Lot des Heiligtums, und Öl vom Ölbaum ein Hin.

25 Und mache ein heiliges Salböl nach der Kunst des Salbenbereiters.

26 Und sollst damit salben die Hütte des Stifts und die Lade des Zeugnisses,

27 den Tisch mit allem seinem Geräte, den Leuchter mit seinem Geräte, den Räucheraltar,

28 den Brandopferaltar mit allem seinem Geräte und das Handfaß mit seinem Fuß.

29 Und sollst sie also weihen, daß sie hochheilig seien; denn wer sie anrühren will, der ist dem Heiligtum verfallen.

30 Aaron und seine Söhne sollst du auch salben und sie mir zu Priestern weihen.

31 Und sollst mit den Kindern Israel reden und sprechen: Dies Öl soll mir eine heilige Salbe sein bei euren Nachkommen.

32 Auf Menschenleib soll's nicht gegossen werden, sollst auch seinesgleichen nicht machen; denn es ist heilig, darum soll's euch heilig sein.

33 Wer ein solches macht oder einem andern davon gibt, der soll von seinem Volk ausgerottet werden.

34 Und der HERR sprach zu Mose: Nimm dir Spezerei; Balsam, Stakte, Galban und reinen Weihrauch, von einem so viel wie vom andern,

35 und mache Räuchwerk daraus, nach der Kunst des Salbenbereiters gemengt, daß es rein und heilig sei.

36 Und du sollst es zu Pulver stoßen und sollst davon tun vor das Zeugnis in der Hütte des Stifts, wo ich mich dir bezeugen werde. Das soll euch ein Hochheiliges sein.

37 Und desgleichen Räuchwerk sollt ihr euch nicht machen, sondern es soll dir heilig sein dem HERRN.

38 Wer ein solches machen wird, der wird ausgerottet werden von seinem Volk.

   

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #2455

Studere hoc loco

  
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2455. That 'she became a pillar of salt' means that all good accompanying truth was vastated becomes clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' and from the meaning of 'salt'. In the original language the word used for a pillar means something standing still, not however that used for a pillar which was erected either for worship, or as a sign or for a witness. Consequently 'the pillar of salt' mentioned here means that it - the truth meant by Lot's wife - stood as something vastated, 2454. Truth is said to be vastated when it no longer has any good within it - vastation itself being meant by 'salt'.

[2] As most things in the Word have two meanings, namely the genuine and the contrary to this, so also does 'salt'. In the genuine sense it means the affection for truth, in the contrary sense the vastation of the affection for truth, that is, of the good within truth. That 'salt' means the affection for truth, see Exodus 30:35; Leviticus 2:13; Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34-35. That it also means the vastation of the affection for truth, that is, of the good within truth, is clear from the following places: In Moses,

The whole land will be brimstone and salt, a burning; it will not be sown, it will not sprout, nor will any plant come up on it, as at the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Admah and Zeboiim. Deuteronomy 29:23.

Here 'brimstone' is the vastation of good, and 'salt' the vastation of truth. That vastation is the meaning is evident from each detail.

[3] In Zephaniah,

Moab will be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, a place abandoned to the nettle, and a saltpit, and a desolation for ever. Zephaniah 2:9.

Here 'a place abandoned to the nettle' stands for vastated good, 'a salt pit' for vastated truth; for 'a place abandoned to the nettle' refers to Sodom, which has been shown to mean evil or vastated good, and 'a salt pit' to Gomorrah, which has been shown to mean falsity or vastated truth. That vastation is the meaning is evident from its being called 'a desolation for ever'. In Jeremiah,

He who makes flesh his arm will be like a bare shrub in the solitary place and will not see when good comes; and he will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. Jeremiah 17:5-6.

Here 'a parched land' stands for vastated goods, 'a salt land' for vastated truths.

[4] In David,

Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and outgoings of waters into a dryness, a fruitful land into a salty waste because of the wickedness of those inhabiting it. Psalms 107:33-34.

'A fruitful land into a salty waste' stands for the vastation of the good within truth. In Ezekiel,

Its swamps and its marshes are not healed, they will be given up to salt. Ezekiel 47:11.

'Given up to salt' stands for being utterly vastated as regards truth. Because 'salt' meant vastation and 'cities' matters of doctrine concerning truth, as shown in 402, 2268, 2428, 2451, cities that had been destroyed were in former times sown with salt to prevent their being rebuilt, Judges 9:45. The description at this point is of the fourth state of the Church represented by 'Lot', a state in which all truth has been vastated as regards good.

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

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #2454

Studere hoc loco

  
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2454. That 'his wife looked back behind him' means that truth turned away from good and looked towards matters of doctrine is clear from the meaning of 'looking back behind him' and from the meaning of 'a wife'. Looking back behind him means looking towards matters of doctrine, which have a relationship with truth, and not towards life in accordance with them, which has a relationship with good, as stated above in 2417. That which is secondary is referred to as 'behind him' and that which is primary as 'before him'. The fact that truth is secondary and good primary has been shown quite often. For truth belongs to good, since the essence and life of truth is good. 'Looking behind him' therefore means looking towards truth which constitutes doctrinal teaching, and not towards good which constitutes life in accordance with doctrinal teaching. That these points are what is meant becomes quite clear from the Lord's words, where also, referring to the final period of the Church or close of the age, He says in Luke,

On that day, whoever will be on the housetop with his vessels in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and whoever is in the field, let him likewise not turn back to behind him. Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:31-32.

[2] These words of the Lord are by no means intelligible without the internal sense, and so are unintelligible unless one knows what is meant by 'being on the housetop', by 'vessels in the house', by 'coming down to take them away', by 'the field', and lastly by 'turning back to behind him'. According to the internal sense 'being on the housetop' means resting on good; for 'a house' means good, see 710, 2231, 2233. 'Vessels in the house' means truths which belong to good; for truths are the vessels for good, see 1496, 1832, 1900, 2063, 2269. 'Going down to take them away' means, as is evident, turning away from good towards truth, for since good is primary it is also higher, while truth, being secondary, is also lower. That 'the field' is the Church, so called from the seed which it receives, and consequently that those people are 'fields' in whom there is the good taught by doctrine, is clear from many places in the Word. These considerations show what 'turning back to behind him' means, namely turning away from good and looking towards matters of doctrine. And it is because these things are meant by the expression 'Lot's wife', that 'remember Lot's wife' is added. The reason it is not said that she looked 'behind herself' but 'behind him' is that 'Lot' means good, see 2324, 2351, 2371, 2399. This explains why, when Lot was told what to do, verse 17, the words used were, 'Do not look back behind you'.

[3] The reason why in Luke it is said 'let him not turn back to behind him' and not 'to the things behind him' is that celestial people are unwilling even to mention anything that is a matter of doctrine, see 202, 337. This is why no such thing is mentioned in Luke, only the words 'to behind him'.

[4] These same matters are described in Matthew as follows,

When you see the abomination of desolation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything away out of his house; and let him who is in the field not return back to take his clothes. Matthew 24:15-17.

Here 'the abomination of desolation' is the state of the Church when there is no love and no charity. When these have been destroyed abominable things predominate. 'Judea' means the Church, and in particular the celestial Church, as is evident from both the historical and prophetical sections throughout the Old Testament Word, while 'the mountains into which they were to flee' means love to the Lord and consequent charity towards the neighbour, see 795, 1430, 1691. 'He who is on the housetop' means good flowing from love, as stated just above. 'Going down to take anything away out of his house' means turning away from good towards truth, as has also been stated above, while 'he who is in the field' means members of the spiritual Church, as is evident from the meaning of 'field' in the Word. 'Let him not return back to take his clothes' means not turning away from good towards truth that constitutes doctrinal teaching - 'clothes' meaning truths, for truths clothe good like garments, see 1073. Anyone may see that all those things which the Lord has said in that section about the close of the age mean things altogether different and embody arcana, such as that those in Judea were to flee into the mountains, that the one on the housetop was not to go down and bring anything out of the house, and that the one in the field was not to return back to take his clothes. Similar to this is the statement in verse 17 that Lot was not to look back behind him, and that made here that his wife did look back behind him and became a pillar of salt. In addition this matter is clear from the meaning of 'a wife' as truth, dealt with in 915, 1468, and from the meaning of 'Lot' as good, dealt with in 2324, 2351, 2371, 2399; hence the words 'after him'.

[5] Truth is said to turn away from good and look towards matters of doctrine when the member of the Church no longer takes to heart what kind of life he leads, only what kind of doctrine he possesses. Yet it is life according to doctrine, not doctrine separate from life, that makes anyone a member of the Church; for when doctrine is separated from life, then because good, in which life consists, has been vastated, truth as well, in which doctrine consists, is vastated, that is, it becomes 'a pillar of salt'. This is something anyone who looks to doctrine alone and not to life may know, by considering whether, even though doctrine teaches such things, he in fact believes in the resurrection, heaven, hell, and indeed the Lord, and so in everything else which doctrine teaches.

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